For the first time in its 194-year history, the City of Covington has been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States and Canada for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR).

The City of Covington is required to annually submit financial statements to the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounting, but the creation of a CAFR is an extra report that provides in-depth information about the city.

After the CAFR is compiled and submitted, it is judged by an impartial committee to ensure it meets the standards required for the award. The certificate of achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting.

“Hundreds of hours were invested in this report by our finance director, Randy Smith and his team,” said city manager Leigh Anne Knight. “This award is a first for us and is something we are proud of. The mayor, city council and I are very appreciative of the effort Randy put into leading this project.”

“It was the whole team that put it together,” said Smith, Finance Director for the city. “Really, [it was] the whole city.”
Smith said the report required gathering information from all city departments, including input from the fire, police and 911 departments.

Consisting of 117 pages, the CAFR report provides extensive financial data and statistical information as well as geographic data, governmental structure and historical information. The award must be applied for annually by submitting a current CAFR for review.