BOXFORD – The Town of Boxford is proud to announce that it has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for its Fiscal Year 2026 budget. This prestigious award reflects the Town’s commitment to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and excellence in public finance.
The award is the highest form of recognition in government budgeting and is a significant achievement for Boxford. To earn this honor, the Town’s budget had to meet nationally recognized guidelines that assess how well the budget serves as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide, and communications device.
Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories and in fourteen mandatory criteria to receive the award.
“This recognition from the GFOA is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff and elected officials,” said Town Administrator Matt Coogan. “We are committed to making our financial information accessible and understandable to residents, and this award validates that effort.”
For the first time, the Town of Boxford created a dedicated budget website in partnership with ClearGov, a leading provider of digital budget transparency tools. The site was launched to ensure residents had easy access to financial information ahead of the Annual Town Meeting. The FY26 budget website can be viewed at: https://town-boxford-ma-cleardoc.cleargov.com/7405/288960/d
“Our goal was to make the budget process more transparent and user-friendly,” said Assistant Town Administrator/Finance Director Brendan Sweeney. “By leveraging ClearGov’s platform, we were able to present our budget in a way that’s both visually engaging and informative. We’re proud that our efforts have been recognized on a national level.”
Boxford joins over 1,900 communities across North America that have received the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. The Town remains committed to continuous improvement in financial planning and public engagement. ♦
