DuPage County's budget documents have again met the highest national standard for government transparency, earning the county its 22nd consecutive Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association.

The county, headquartered in Wheaton, announced the recognition on Tuesday, July 21. The GFOA award is the organization's top honor in government budgeting, given to entities whose financial documents function as a clear policy guide, financial plan, operations manual, and public communications tool.

DuPage County has held the distinction every year since FY2005, according to the county Finance Department's website.

What the award measures

The GFOA represents 21,000 public finance officials across the United States and Canada. It established the Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program in 1984. About 1,900 governments nationwide earn the recognition each year, including states, cities, counties, special districts, and school districts.

Under criteria the GFOA revised in 2026, applicants must score more than 100 points across content categories including community priorities, long-term financial outlook, revenue and capital budgets, and budget process. The updated standards also evaluate a government's digital communications: budget websites, dashboards, videos, and other multimedia, not just the traditional printed document.

What it means for taxpayers

The award carries no funding or tax implications. It signals that independent reviewers found the county's spending plan clear enough for residents to understand where their tax dollars go and how officials plan to use them in the year ahead.

DuPage County also publishes an interactive OpenGov Budget Book online, which the Finance Department describes as an accessible, engaging version of the annual budget available to all residents.

The county's FY2027 budget is in preparation, with Finance Committee Chair Paula Deacon Garcia having approved the budget calendar and preparation instructions at the committee's Tuesday, May 12 meeting. Budget adoption follows in late fall. Residents can view documents and track the process at dupagecounty.gov/government/departments/finance.