The Government Finance Officers Association announced that Pueblo Water received its Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the 2024 annual budget.

This is the sixth consecutive year that Pueblo Water earned this distinction, and the second under Finance Manager Leroy Rittgers.

“The repeated recognition by GFOA to Pueblo Water for the presentation of annual budget is an impressive achievement that reflects the commitment to not only maintaining a standard of excellence, but each year striving to exceed it,” Pueblo Water’s Director of Administrative Services Kristen Spicola said. “Our elected Board, management team and the Finance team under the leadership of Leroy Rittgers, play a pivotal role in the continued success. Our budget is not only a financial plan but reflects our commitment to providing the highest quality of water at the lowest possible cost.”

The award represents a significant achievement by the Pueblo Water. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. To receive the budget award, Pueblo Water 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 14 mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

There are more than 1,700 participants in the Budget Awards Program. The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA's website. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.