06/02/2026
𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞: 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 ‘𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝’ 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟏𝟕 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬
June 2, 2026 – Flagler County is being praised for its annual budget presentation for the fiscal year 2026 budget, as well as receiving special recognition in “Long-Range Operating Financial Plans,” by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) with its “Distinguished Budget Presentation Award.”
“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 (GFOA) 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,” said Interim Deputy County Administrator John Brower, who is the Financial Services Director.
This marks the 17th straight year Flagler County has received this honor, showing the Board of County Commissioners’ steadfast commitment to not only achieving, but maintaining, excellence in governmental budgeting. It is also the second consecutive year that the budget has received special recognition for long-range operating financial plans.
“Congratulations to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) team for their outstanding work on the creation of our FY26 Budget,” said Interim County Administrator Adam Mengel. “The team continues to set a high standard through their hard work and dedication.”
This GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award represents the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting and is a significant achievement for Flagler County.
“More importantly, however, along with the very strong growth of the General Fund’s fund balance over the last 6 years and aggressively managing and restructuring the county’s debt over the same timeframe,” Brower said. “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.”
The OMB team includes:
OMB Analysts – Michael Catalano and Phobe LeBlanc
Senior OMB Analyst – Amanda Gilbert
OMB Manager – Brian Eichinger,
“This award is unique in many ways,” Brower said. “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.”
Each year, the county’s budget is rated in four categories by the GFOA: as a policy document, as a financial plan; as an operations guide; and, as a communications device.
“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,” Brower 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.”
There are more than 1,600 participants in the Budget Awards Program, according to a news release issued by the GFOA. The association credits award recipients for pioneering efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and by providing an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.
