The County of Maui was recently honored with the Government Finance Officers Association’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

“The award represents a significant achievement by the entity,” the association said in a news release on Nov. 4, 2025. “It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting.”

To receive the award, a government entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. The guidelines are designed to assess how well the entity’s budget serves as a policy document; a financial plan; an operations guide; and a communication device, among other criteria. There are more than 1,900 participants in the association’s budget awards program.

“This award showcases our County of Maui Budget Office’s commitment to excellence, integrity and transparency,” Bissen said. “Mahalo to Budget Director Lesley Milner and the entire Budget Office for serving our community well.”

Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America, according to the Government Finance Officers Association. This is the County of Maui’s 33rd award of its kind.

Founded in 1906 and based in Chicago, the Government Finance Officers Association advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research for more than 25,000 members and their communities. For information on the association, visit www.gfoa.org.