For the fifth straight year, Wright County’s Finance & Taxpayer Services Office (formerly known as the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office) has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA).

The Certificate of Achievement is the highest honor given to local governments for its comprehensive financial reporting. According to GFOA data, only about one-third of government entities receive the Certificate of Achievement in any given year, so winning it five years in a row is an impressive feat.

In a news release sent out by the GFOA, it explained that the financial reports from a city or county are held to stringent requirements for those who are awarded the certificate, saying, “The report has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive ‘spirit of full disclosure,’ to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report.”

Wright County Board Chair Mark Daleiden pulled the item from the board’s Consent Agenda because he felt it deserved to be singled out as an honor that has proved difficult for many local government units to achieve.

“This is the fifth year in a row the county has received this award,” Daleiden said. “Our hats off to our financial group in the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office to do what needs to be done in order to get this. Not every county gets this. I think it’s something our Auditor/Treasurer’s and Financial Department should be proud of.”