Sugar Land, TX – The Government Finance Officers Association recently awarded the city of Sugar Land with its 23rd consecutive Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its Fiscal Year 2019 Annual Budget.

The award recognizes strong financial leadership, transparency initiatives and financial resiliency – including fiscally conservative budgeting and proactive responses to economic conditions – that ensures the continuation of quality city services while maintaining one of the state’s lowest tax rates.  

“We have continued to maintain the second lowest tax rate in the entire state for cities our size and offer a tax rate that is significantly lower than similar peer cities in the Houston region,” said City Manager Allen Bogard.  “This means that residents save money by living in Sugar Land while also enjoying high quality city services and amenities provided in the Sugar Land Way.”  

The award represents a significant achievement by the city, representing the commitment of the City Council and staff to continue to meet the highest principles of governmental budgeting and transparency. 

In order to receive the award, the city met nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentations designed to assess how well the city’s budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communication device.  

Independent evaluators ensured Sugar Land’s budget was “proficient” in all four categories and met or exceeded 14 mandatory criteria to receive the award.  

The fiscal year 2019 and 2020 budgets and five-year capital improvement programs are online at www.sugarlandtx.gov/1767/Budget. 

“I am proud of all of our outstanding budget and finance staff who contributed to this accomplishment,” said Bogard. “This award is yet another example that our staff is providing for the needs of our citizens in a financially responsible and transparent manner.”

There are more than 20,000 GFOA members across the United States and Canada, with about 1,500 entities receiving the distinguished budget award. The mission of GFOA is to advance excellence in state and local government services. The association produces publications, training programs, services and products designed to enhance the skills and performance of those responsible for government finance policy and management.