The Government Finance Officers Association has presented East county Fire and Rescue with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its 2024 district budget.
The award represents a significant achievement by the district. It reflects the commitment of the board of fire commissioners and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the district had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity's budget serves as:
- A policy document
- A financial plan
- An operations guide
- A communications device
Budget documents must be rated "proficient" in all four categories, and in the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.
There are over 1,700 participants in the Budget Awards Program, but in 2023 only 19 fire protection district’s received the award. East County Fire and Rescue is one of three fire districts in Washington state to receive this award. The GFOA stated that award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.