DEARBORN — For the fourth consecutive year, the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) has awarded the city of Dearborn its Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, recognizing its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025.

In a press release, the city described the award from the longstanding organization as renewed recognition of its continued commitment to financial transparency and prudent management under Mayor Abdullah Hammoud.

Founded in Chicago in 1906, the GFOA includes more than 30,000 financial officials from various levels of government, federal and local, in the United States and Canada.

The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting program, established by the association in 1945 and considered the highest level of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, aims to encourage state, county and municipal governments to meet minimum standards for accounting and financial transparency.

The association’s prestigious awards are granted after government financial reports are submitted to an impartial evaluation panel, which reviews them and determines whether they meet accounting and transparency standards that provide the public with a clear and comprehensive picture of the government’s financial condition.

“Continued recognition from the leading organization for government finance officials reflects our steadfast commitment to carefully reviewing accounting practices and ensuring their accuracy, while guaranteeing transparency and full disclosure in all our annual financial reports,” Dearborn Chief Financial Officer Michael Kennedy said about winning the award for the fourth consecutive year.

For his part, Mayor Hammoud emphasized that his administration has made fiscal responsibility “a promise and an established standard in Dearborn” over the past several years.

“This recognition highlights our dedication to delivering balanced and transparent budgets to ensure a stronger financial future for the city,” he added.

Hammoud took office in early 2022 as Dearborn’s first Muslim and first Arab American mayor. He was reelected in a landslide last year to a second four-year term.

Dearborn has historically maintained a strong record with GFOA, having previously received the same certificate for 14 consecutive years before 2013.