GULF SHORES, Ala.  — For the third year in a row the Financial Department of the City of Gulf Shores has been honored for work on the city budget.

Financial Director Cindy King and two members of her staff, Anna Fuqua and Michelle Mims, received a plaque from the Government Finance Officers’ Association during a recent council meeting.

“This award is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting and represents an outstanding achievement by your organization,” a letter sent to the city read.

Councilman Jason Dyken and other council members expressed thanks for the work of the Finance Department.

“As Finance Committee chairman I’d also like to add my congratulations to Cindy and the finance department,” Dyken said. “Y’all’s work is phenomenal and the effort that you put forth to support Carolyn (Doughty), Phillip (Harris) and I on the Finance Committee and humor us with our multitude of questions and issues that we bring to the table. And always do such a great job accommodating with the reports and making our jobs easy at the council level. I appreciate all your efforts.”

Mayor Robert Craft praised the department and the committee members as well.

“We do realize this is a team effort with you and your staff,” Craft said. “They are the committee that works the most around here and probably have the most important job in working with analyzing budgets and making sure we operate as an efficient machine. A great appreciation is due for everyone responsible for us receiving this award.”

City Administrator Steve Griffin has only been on the job a few months and said the budget is a great barometer for where the city is financially and where it is going.

“Being a newbie when you are trying to analyze the community it is one thing to look at your revenues and expenditures, but what that budget document contains is quite the snapshot of the community, our goals, what we are working on and what our accomplishments have been,” Griffin said.