To the Editor:
With the recent divisiveness in Redding on budget matters, it’s time to take a moment to celebrate. The town of Redding recently was awarded the Government Finance Officer Association’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.
What is that? The certificate is awarded to state and local governments that to go beyond the minimum requirements in applying the accounting rules to prepare comprehensive annual financial reports (CAFR) that provide transparency and disclosure to readers of the financial statements. In other words, the CAFR is presented in a user-friendly format that simplifies complex data.
In case you have not seen it, Redding’s fiscal year 2016-17 CAFR is around 100 pages long with a substantial amount of detail. The time and attention necessary to prepare and finalize the annual CAFR is significant. It also demands a specialized skill set to accurately prepare a CAFR.
It should be noted that this is the fourth consecutive year that the town of Redding has received this certificate. This is a major achievement which deserves a big round of applause.
Congratulations to Steve Gniadek, finance director, for leading the charge. Congratulations to the other members of the town’s finance department, Julia Pemberton, and other members of the town’s leadership who contributed to the success of the CAFR.
Jenifer Wyss
Cross Highway, Redding