Georgetown, Del., Dec. 18, 2007: For the fifth consecutive year, Sussex County has won the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR) for fiscal year 2006. The award is among the highest forms of recognition for governmental accounting and financial reporting.

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada, based in Chicago, awarded the Certificate of Achievement to the county this summer. Sussex County Council formally received the award at its Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007, meeting. The CAFR was judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the association’s program.

The award is an acknowledgment of Sussex County’s comprehensive annual financial report, or CAFR. The document includes the county’s annual audit, showing assets, liabilities, equity, revenues and expenses. It also contains information about county demographics and the local economy. That information helps those reviewing the report – such as investors – to better gauge the county’s financial condition.

“Sussex Countians once again can be confident that their local government is making the grade when it comes to financial accounting,” said County Finance Director Susan M. Webb. “While finances can change with the variable nature of the economy, the one thing that should remain constant is sound accounting practices.”