Manatee Clerk’s office, Manatee County Government awarded the Triple Crown medallion for exceptional financial reporting

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (July 27, 2021) — The Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller and Manatee County Government recently earned a Triple Crown medallion from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA).

The Triple Crown medallion is awarded to governments that achieve all three annual awards granted by the association in one year. This year is the first year that GFOA has presented the Triple Crown; Manatee County is one of only 292 governments nationwide receiving it this year.

The Manatee County Clerk’s office was awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the county’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2019, and the Popular Annual Financial Report Award for the Popular Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2019. In addition, Manatee County was awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its Distinguished Budget Presentation for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2019.

The annual comprehensive financial report lists a government’s audited year-end fiscal activities in great detail. In contrast, its popular annual financial report is smaller and designed to be understandable by the general public. The budget award is given to governments whose actual budget documents meet or exceed all criteria set forth by GFOA.

“The Budget Division and the Clerk’s Office work extremely hard to match the policy direction of the Board of County Commissioners with a budget that reflects these policies,” said Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse. “Their ability to disseminate this clearly to the Board and to the citizens of Manatee County are second to none. We are very proud of this much-deserved Triple Crown medallion achieved by both offices.”

“It is an honor the hundreds of hours of hard work by our dedicated professional Clerk staff is nationally recognized,” said Clerk Colonneso. “The Triple Crown medallion is a prestigious award that represents our commitment to transparency and full disclosure of Manatee County taxpayer dollars.”

Deputy County Administrator and CFO Jan Brewer added, “The dedication of the Budget Division and the Clerk’s Finance area are evident in these documents. I appreciate being a part of the process where we continually strive to provide the best document we can to our citizens.”

The GFOA is a nonprofit professional organization that advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources, and practical research for more than 21,000 members and the communities they serve.

The public can access the Comprehensive Annual Report and Popular Annual Financial Report online on the Manatee County Clerk’s website at www.ManateeClerk.com/Departments/Finance/Financial-Reporting/.

The Clerk of Circuit Court was established as a public trustee by the Florida Constitution in 1838. The Clerk of the Circuit Court serves as the Clerk of Courts, the Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, Auditor, Recorder, and Custodian of all County Funds. In Manatee County, the Clerk’s office also administers a local child support enforcement program, violence protection advocacy program, and Teen Court programs. Located at 1115 Manatee Avenue West in downtown Bradenton, the Courthouse is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Please be sure to visit our website at: www.manateeclerk.com.