Liberty Township Fiscal Officer Rick Karr announced on June 12 the Liberty Township Fiscal Office has received the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, becoming only the third of Ohio’s 1,308 townships to earn the honor.
The GFOA of the United States and Canada awarded Liberty Township the award for its comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2021. The report was judged by an impartial panel to meet the program’s high standards, which include demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report.
Founded in 1906, the GFOA represents public finance officials throughout the United States and Canada. The association’s more than 21,000 members are federal, state/provincial, and local finance officials deeply involved in planning, financing, and implementing thousands of governmental operations in each of their jurisdictions.
The GFOA Certificate of Achievement began in 1945 to encourage and assist state and local governments to go beyond the minimum requirements of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to prepare comprehensive annual financial reports that evidence the spirit of transparency and full disclosure and then to recognize individual governments that succeed in achieving that goal. It is the highest award for governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
“Earning the certificate was a goal I set after taking office,” Karr said in a press release. “I wanted to demonstrate the office’s financial integrity to the residents of Liberty Township and the city of Powell. Those entities rely on a financially strong level of services, including the Liberty Township/Powell Fire and EMS, the township park system, road maintenance, and zoning operations.”
According to Karr, the fiscal office began the process of moving to GAAP and an accrual method of accounting late in 2020 in anticipation of applying for the certificate. Karr recognized the work of Lee Ann Weer, the assistant fiscal officer, for her significant contributions to supporting the financial operations.
Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber said of the achievement, “Accountability, efficiency, and transparency are hallmarks of good government and help establish confidence within a community that their tax dollars are being spent responsibly. This award recognizes the excellent work being done by the Liberty Township fiscal team. As auditor, I’m honored to congratulate them on their efforts.”
Liberty Township Trustee Bryan Newell added, “This certificate demonstrates the level of financial integrity and operational excellence that Karr and his team have brought to Liberty Township and Powell since taking office in 2020.”
Newell went on to say, “Liberty is the first township in Delaware County to achieve this award, and that demonstrates the excellence of the fiscal office.”
Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on Twitter @DillonDavis56.
