Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

HAHNVILLE – The St. Charles Parish Finance Department was awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report for the fiscal year that ended December 31, 2019.

The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, marking a significant accomplishment by St. Charles Parish and the Department of Finance.

“2020 was an unprecedented year that brought about numerous challenges to our department,” St. Charles Parish Chief Financial Officer Grant Dussom said. “Not only were we able to successfully submit our Comprehensive Annual Financial Report timely, but we were also able to incorporate all the changes that GFOA required for our audit to receive this prestigious award.

“I could not be prouder of the hard work the Finance Department puts forth every day, and the fact that we were able to complete the insurmountable tasks that were placed in front of us during a pandemic is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the department. We have received this prestigious award for more than 20 consecutive years. Every year it gets harder given the ever-changing rules and regulations as well as suggested improvements from the GFOA. However, this one seems a little more significant given the fact that the department was still able to go above and beyond to achieve this award all while living through the worst pandemic in our nation’s history.”

The 2019 comprehensive annual financial report was judged by an impartial panel, who determined the report used full disclosure to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report.