Southaven again receives financial reporting award

An oversight organization that works to ensure transparency and full disclosure in financial reporting by state and municipal governments has given the City of Southaven its highest award for the fifth consecutive year.  

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States and Canada has awarded the city the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the city’s comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR) of Fiscal Year 2019, the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2019.  

Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite said it was an important recognition for the city that reflects one of his main goals when he began as mayor nearly eight years ago.  

“One of my main goals when I took office in 2013 was to restore trust in our government and provide unprecedented transparency to my citizens who’ve entrusted me,” Musselwhite wrote in his official Mayor’s Report blog post. “This involves many facets of our operation, but none more important than our accounting and financial reporting.  The team that surrounds me has proven to be nothing short of outstanding!”

Musselwhite points out that only five percent of the more than 89,000 local governments or districts in the country are recognized in this way from the GFOA. 

“Transparency and excellent financial reporting are an ongoing standard and priority with the City of Southaven and I am proud to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of Edi McIlwain, Director of Finance, Tish Cox, Comptroller, and Chris Wilson, Chief Administrative Officer,” Musselwhite stated. “This award is 100 percent credited to these super-talented people in our Finance and Administration Department and is important to the citizens of our city because it exemplifies the highest measure of financial integrity in our operations.”