HART Honored with National Award for Excellence for FY26 Budget

HART has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for its Fiscal Year 2026 budget, marking a major achievement in public sector financial management.

The recognition is the highest form of acknowledgment in governmental budgeting, and reflects HART’s strong commitment to transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of public funds.

“The GFOA recognition underscores HART’s ongoing dedication to transparency and fiscal responsibility,” said Chief Financial Officer Shirley Shu-Hurley. “It reflects the hard work of our team and reinforces our commitment to managing public funds with integrity while continuing to earn the confidence of the community we serve.”

To receive the award, HART’s budget document was evaluated against nationally recognized guidelines that assess how well it serves as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide, and communications tool. The budget was required to rate “proficient” in all four categories and meet 14 mandatory criteria to qualify.

Participation in the GFOA’s Budget Awards Program includes over 1,900 government agencies across North America. HART’s inclusion in this distinguished group underscores the agency’s leadership and best practices in budgeting within the transit industry and the broader government sector.

HART Honored with National Award for Excellence in Budgeting

HART has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for its Fiscal Year 2025 budget—marking a major achievement in public sector financial management.

The recognition is the highest form of acknowledgment in governmental budgeting, and reflects HART’s strong commitment to transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of public funds.

“The GFOA recognition reflects HART’s strong commitment to transparency and accountability,” said Chief Financial Officer Loretta Kirk. “It’s a proud moment for our team and a clear validation of our continued efforts to be responsible stewards of public resources while building trust with our community.”

To receive the award, HART’s budget document was evaluated against nationally recognized guidelines that assess how well it serves as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide, and communications tool. The budget was required to rate “proficient” in all four categories and meet 14 mandatory criteria to qualify.

Participation in the GFOA’s Budget Awards Program includes over 1,700 government agencies across North America. HART’s inclusion in this distinguished group underscores the agency’s leadership and best practices in budgeting within the transit industry and the broader government sector.

HART Finance Department Receives High Honor for Financial Reporting!

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to HART!

The GFOA Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

"We are honored by the recognition because it showcases HART's commitment to transparency," said Interim Chief Financial Officer Loretta Kirk. "This accolade serves as a testament to our ongoing efforts to foster trust and be good financial stewards, and it fuels our determination to maintain the highest standards of transparency in all that we do."

The award recognizes HART's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022.

An impartial panel reviewed the report concluding it meets the high standards of the program, which include demonstrating a constructive "spirit of full disclosure" to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report.

The GFOA 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.

HART Recognized for Financial Reporting Excellence

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to HART.

The GFOA Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

"We are honored by the recognition because it showcases HART's commitment to transparency," said Interim Chief Financial Officer Cyndy Stiglich. "Our goal is to be a good financial steward of taxpayer money and the award highlights these efforts."

The award recognizes HART's comprehensive, annual financial report for the fiscal year ending September 30th, 2019.

An impartial panel judged the report concluding it meets the high standards of the program, which include demonstrating a constructive "spirit of full disclosure" to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report.

The GFOA 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.

HART Finance Department Receives High Honor!

HART Finance Department

HART has once again received the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA).

For the fourth consecutive year, HART has been recognized for its outstanding achievements in financial accounting by the GFOA. The transit agency was recently awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, for its FY2015 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). This award is the highest form of recognition for financial accounting, and it represents a significant accomplishment by the HART Finance Team.

In order to be awarded this achievement, a government unit must meet the high standards of the program including demonstrating a constructive spirit of full disclosure to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.

The agency's CAFR for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015 was reviewed by selected members of the GFOA professional staff and the Special Review Committee, to assure it met the program's high standards. These include going beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles and preparing comprehensive financial reports that evidence the spirit of transparency and full disclosure to clearly communicate its financial story.

The GFOA is a non-profit professional association servicing the needs of more than 17,500 government finance professionals, and has previously awarded HART the Certificate of Distinguished Budget Presentation in 2012, 2013 and 2014.