Lower Merion Receives Excellence in Financial Reporting Award

Lower Merion Township has received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting -- the 21st such consecutive honor the township has received.

According to the township:

The award, given by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA), notes the excellence of the Township’s annual comprehensive financial report (CAFR) for the year ending December 31, 2013.

The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

“With our 21st consecutive award, the Township has achieved yet another milestone in terms of consistency and transparency,” said Eileen Bradley, Acting Chief Financial Officer. “Each year, this award reflects a major accomplishment on the part of the entire Finance Department.”

For the 2013 fiscal year, Lower Merion again achieved the distinction of earning both of the GFOA’s financial reporting awards – the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence and the Distinguished Budget Presentation award.

“This is another meaningful award and a valuable annual yardstick for our community,” said Ernie McNeely, Township Manager. “We are proud that the Township’s 21 consecutive CAFR awards and 25 consecutive Budget Presentation awards total the longest running combined streak on record for municipalities in Pennsylvania. There are more than 2,500 municipalities in the Commonwealth, and less than 1% receives the annual CAFR award.”

“I again congratulate the Finance Department staff and Township management for their incredibly high standard of financial reporting and transparency,” said Lower Merion Commissioner Brian McGuire, Finance Committee Chair.

The Lower Merion Township CAFR was judged by an impartial panel and found to meet the high standards of the program, including demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR. Citizens are encouraged to review this document, which is posted on the Township’s website, www.lowermerion.org.

The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association serving some 17,500 government finance professionals, with offices in Chicago, Illinois, and Washington, D.C.