Government Finance Officers Assocation_Certificate of AchievementTHE CITY OF
Dui
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: GFOA Certificate of Achievement
DATE: July 30, 2014
Dubuque
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AI -America City
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2007 • 2012 • 2013
Finance Director Ken TeKippe has informed me that the City of Dubuque has been
awarded its 26th consecutive Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial
Reporting from the Government Officer's Finance Association (GFOA).
This award, which was established in 1945, is intended to encourage local governments
and programs to prepare comprehensive annual financial reports (CAFR) in a manner
that evidences the spirit of transparency and full disclosure.
The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program
recognizes entities that successfully achieve this goal and recently awarded the City of
Dubuque for its 2013 CAFR.
7-.
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Ken TeKippe, Finance Director
July 25, 2014
Government Finance•Officers Association
203 N. LaSalle Street - Suite 2700
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone (312) 977-9700 Fax (312) 977-4806
Kenneth J. TeKippe
Finance Director
City of Dubuque
City Hall, 50 West 13tH Street
Dubuque IA 52001-4805
Dear Mr. TeKippe:
-7/des'//i
We are pleased to notify you that your comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013,
qualifies for a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. The Certificate of Achievement is the
highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant
accomplishment by a government and its management.
Each entity submitting a report to the Certificate of Achievement review process is provided with a "Summary of Grading"
form and a confidential list of comments and suggestions for possible improvements in its financial reporting techniques.
Your list has been enclosed. You are strongly encouraged to implement the recommended improvements into the next report
and submit it to the program. If it is unclear what must be done to implement a comment or if there appears to be a
discrepancy between the comment and the information in the CAFR, please contact the Technical Services Center (312)
977-9700 and ask to speak with a Certificate of Achievement Program in-house reviewer.
Certificate of Achievement program policy requires that written responses to the comments and suggestions for improvement
accompany the next fiscal year's submission. Your written responses should provide detail about how you choose to address
each item that is contained within this report. These responses will be provided to those Special Review Committee members
participating in the review.
When a Certificate of Achievement is awarded to a government, an Award of Financial Reporting Achievement (AFRA) is
also presented to the individual(s) or department designated by the government as primarily responsible for its having earned
the Certificate. As the designated individual we have enclosed your AFRA.
Continuing participants will find a certificate and brass medallion enclosed with these results. First-time recipients will find a
certificate enclosed with these results followed by a plaque in about 10 weeks. We hope that you will arrange for a formal
presentation of the Certificate and Award of Financial Reporting Achievement, and that appropriate publicity will be given to
this notable achievement. A sample news release has been enclosed. We suggest that you provide copies of it to local
newspapers, radio stations and television stations. In addition, details of recent recipients of the Certificate of Achievement
and other information about Certificate Program results are available in the "Awards Program" area of our website,
www.gfoa.org
A current holder of a Certificate of Achievement may include a reproduction of the award in its immediately subsequent
CAFR. A camera ready copy of your Certificate is enclosed for that purpose. If you reproduce your Certificate in your next
report, please refer to the enclosed instructions. A Certificate of Achievement is valid for a period of one year. To continue
to participate in the Certificate of Achievement Program it will be necessary for you to submit your next CAFR to our review
process.
In order to expedite your submission we have enclosed a Certificate of Achievement Program application form to facilitate a
timely submission of your next report. This form should be completed and sent (postmarked) with three copies of your
report, three copies of your application, three copies of your written responses to the program's comments and suggestions for
improvement from the prior year, and any other pertinent material with the appropriate fee by December 31, 2014.
Your continued interest in and support of the Certificate of Achievement Program is most appreciated. If we may be of any
further assistance, please contact Delores Smith (dsmith@gfoa.org or (312) 578-5454).
Sincerely,
Government Finance Officers Association
Stephen J. Gauthier, Director
Technical Services Center
SJG/ds