Clay County Earns National Financial Reporting Award

Clay County has received the Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report covering the fiscal year that ended Dec. 31, 2024, county officials announced.

The certificate is considered the organization’s top honor in governmental accounting and financial reporting and signals that the county’s report met national benchmarks for clarity, completeness and transparency.

An impartial panel reviewed the report and determined it satisfied the program’s standards, including what GFOA describes as a “spirit of full disclosure” intended to make financial information easier for residents, policymakers and other stakeholders to understand.

GFOA created the Certificate of Achievement program in 1945 to encourage state and local governments to go beyond minimum accounting requirements and publish annual reports that are transparent, informative and accessible to the public.

The recognition is the county’s first-ever Certificate of Achievement. Several Missouri and regional peers, including Boone, St. Charles, Jackson and St. Louis counties, have maintained the distinction for decades.

Before the report was submitted to GFOA, Clay County’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report was independently audited by an external accounting firm, then evaluated against rigorous national standards and accounting principles, officials said.

GFOA calls the certificate “the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting.” County leaders said the award reflects an ongoing focus on clear communication, fiscal responsibility and public trust.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.