THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2021 Page 23 Everett receives seventh achievement award for Excellence in Financial Reporting I By Christopher Roberson n recognition of Everett’s indepth financial report for fiscal year 2020, the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) once again awarded the City of Everett with the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. Everett has received this award every year since 2014. MAPC | FROM PAGE 22 annually. “It’s great to see this kind of data in one place, and to be able to show lots of measurable momentum toward building out a safe network of interconnected trails and bike lanes,” said MAPC Senior Transportation Planner David Loutzenheiser. “The goal is to get even more information, especially in light of how transportation patterns continue to evolve amid the pandemic, and to be able to use that to help cities and towns make a case for future investments.” “There’s great news in the report, showing the significant progress that’s been made since the time in the early 1990s when the Boston area bicycle and trail network consisted of the Paul Dudley White Path along the Charles River and the Minuteman Trail in Arlington,” said Malden Councillor-at-Large Stephen Winslow, who founded Bike to the Sea in 1993 to help create what is now the Northern Strand Community Trail, which connects Everett to Lynn and Nahant. Connecting the Northern Strand through to Salem is one of the five key regional routes identified in the report as a high priority for the region. “I’m hopeful that as more residents become familiar with the newest facilities being added through the Complete Streets and Shared Streets programs, that momentum will continue to build towards the vision of a transformative regional network,” said Winslow. Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Galen Mook said bicycling infrastructure helps to support a growing economy and attracts new development while alleviating traffic and pollution that is harmful to communities. “This ranking of bike lanes, trails [and bikeways] across the Metro Boston region by MAPC shows which municipalities are investing in their communities, and provides incentives and best practices for municMAPC | SEE PAGE 29 The city’s budget for fiscal year 2020 was $208,025,565, which reflected a decrease of $20,200 from the prior fiscal year. “The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management,” said Michelle Levine of the GFOA in her December 9 letter to Mayor Carlo DeMaria. “We hope that your example will encourage other government officials in their efforts to achieve and maintain an appropriate standard of excellence in financial reporting.” In addition to the Certificate of Achievement, the GFOA sent the city an Award of Financial Reporting Achievement to recognize those employees tasked with crafting the report. “I was very pleased to learn that the city received this award again for the seventh year in a row,” said the Chief Financial Officer Eric Demas. “This was a team effort by the administration as a whole, but I would like to specifically thank the entire finance team for all of their hard work and dedication.”
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