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The Town of Sudbury has once again been recognized for its commitment to fiscal transparency and excellence, receiving the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Town Budget.
Announced by the Town’s Finance Department on August 19, the accolade was awarded this July by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), a prominent organization representing public finance officials throughout the United States and Canada.
To earn the recognition, Sudbury was required to meet stringent, nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation.
According to the GFOA, the guidelines are designed to assess how well a municipality’s budget serves the community across four key categories:
- As a policy document
- As a financial plan
- As an operations guide
- As a communications device
A budget document must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, as well as in fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.
“The award represents a significant achievement by the Town,” the Town’s Finance Department stated in its announcement. “It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting.”
Along with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, a Certificate of Recognition was officially presented to the Town of Sudbury, honoring the departments and individuals primarily responsible for the achievement.
The Town’s Finance Department, led by Assistant Town Manager and Finance Director Victor Garofalo, played a central role in preparing the comprehensive FY27 budget. Garofalo’s department has produced a variety of detailed reports that improved budget transparency and communication with the public. The most notable report that goes beyond the budget is the Financial Report and Reference Guide. That report provides a comprehensive analysis of Sudbury’s finances relative to several peer communities.
Garofalo has also added much more detailed “budget to actual” reports to the Select Board, complete with narrative memos explaining the story behind the key numbers. The most recent report, closing out FY26, is on page 85 here. The live presentation is at 57:55 below.
Residents interested in reviewing the award-winning Preliminary FY27 budget can access the full document below.
