The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada has given an award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting to the city of Suffolk for its Popular Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016. In order to receive an award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting, a government unit must publish a Popular Annual Financial Report, whose contents conform to program standards of creativity, presentation, understandability and reader appeal. This is the third year the city has prepared the report and the third year the city has been honored with this award.

The Popular Annual Financial Report was produced by the city’s Finance Department in conjunction with graphic and layout work by the City of Suffolk Media & Community Relations Department. Reviewers noted that the publication’s photographs and graphics are effectively incorporated with the document to increase a grasp of the reader’s attention. The report received favorable comments on the demographic and economic information as well as the priorities and accomplishments, which were highlighted as being useful to access vital information about the city. The reviewers also noted favorably on the city’s plan to distribute the hardcopy reports at various city offices and public facilities.

The report provides an overview of the city’s financial results and is designed to increase awareness throughout the community of the city’s financial operations in a user-friendly manner. The information is derived from the audited financial statements in the city’s 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, which is the formal annual report.