Flagler County has received the Government Finance Officers Association’s “Distinguished Budget Presentation Award” for the 17th year in a row, recognizing the county’s fiscal year 2026 budget as meeting the highest standards in government financial planning. The county also earned special recognition for the second consecutive year in the category of “Long-Range Operating Financial Plans.”
The award was announced before the Board of County Commissioners by Interim Deputy County Administrator and Financial Services Director John Brower.
“Madam Chair, it is always an honor to be before the Board, but today I am particularly proud to announce that the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada has once again conferred the nationally recognized Distinguished Budget Presentation Award to Flagler County’s Annual Budget for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026,” Brower said.
The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) is a professional organization representing public finance officials across the United States and Canada. Its Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is considered the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting. More than 1,600 government entities participate in the GFOA’s Budget Awards Program, and the association credits recipients with helping raise the overall quality of budgeting across North America.
Each year, the GFOA evaluates budgets in four categories: as a policy document, as a financial plan, as an operations guide, and as a communications tool.
Brower credited the county’s broader financial management alongside the award, pointing to growth in the General Fund’s fund balance over the past six years and ongoing efforts to restructure and reduce the county’s debt load.
“This award is yet another strong indicator of the BOCC’s commitment to fiscal strength and a testament to its dedication towards sound financial management,” Brower said.
He also highlighted the collaborative nature of the budget process itself. “One of my favorites is that it deeply involves input from every department across our organization, working with OMB as they create and fine-tune the most important and comprehensive publication a County can create for its citizens,” he said.
Brower also connected the award to the county’s broader transparency efforts. “It, along with our Transparency Dashboard, makes Flagler County one of the most open, available, and yes, transparent governmental entities in the state, if not the nation,” he said. “We believe that the better it is, and the more transparent we are, the more trust we earn and the better we are serving our citizens.”
Interim County Administrator Adam Mengel offered his congratulations to the Office of Management and Budget team responsible for producing the award-winning document.
“Congratulations to the Office of Management and Budget team for their outstanding work on the creation of our FY26 Budget,” Mengel said. “The team continues to set a high standard through their hard work and dedication.”
The OMB team recognized for the award includes OMB Manager Brian Eichinger, Senior OMB Analyst Amanda Gilbert, and OMB Analysts Michael Catalano and Phobe LeBlanc.
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