City of Los Altos Receives Multiple Awards for Excellence in Budgeting
Los Altos, Calif. — March 1, 2024 — The city of Los Altos has received two awards for excellence in budget presentation for its FY23-24 budget, the first year Los Altos utilized the zero-based budgeting method. The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) awarded Los Altos the Award of Distinguished Budget Presentation, and the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO) recognized the budget for Excellence in Operating Budget.
To be eligible for each award, the City had to satisfy nationally- and state-recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation, meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. This marks the first time the City has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation award from GFOA.
“These are significant achievements for the city of Los Altos, with recognition now extending to GFOA and CSMFO: it underscores the City’s commitment to fiscal excellence,” said Finance Director June Du. “Although the transition to a zero-based budget presented not-unexpected challenges, we were able to meet them through the collective effort from staff, the Financial Commission, and the City Council. We will continue to work diligently to present our budget at this level.”
The City implemented zero-based budgeting for the first time during the 2023 fiscal year, a method in which the department’s budgets start at zero each fiscal year: every expense must be justified, with the goal of more effectively allocating resources to the most-needed public service areas. The budget underwent a rigorous three-month review by staff before its proposal to the Financial Commission and City Council.
Please direct media inquiries to Public Information Officer Sonia Lee at (650) 947-2611 or slee@losaltosca.gov.
