Brookhaven honored for financial reporting

A North American finance organization has awarded its top honor for financial reporting to Brookhaven, town officials announced recently.

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada bestowed the award for the town’s financial reporting and accounting in fiscal 2009, officials said.

The award -- a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting -- illustrates that the town has made strides in making its finances “more transparent,” Supervisor Mark Lesko said in a statement.

The town’s application for the award noted that strict financial reporting was necessary because of “economic downturn” and its impact on the town’s revenue.

The town’s sensitive revenue streams have declined, leading to lower revenue from . . . two of three key drivers of town revenue: landfill fees and mortgage tax,  the application said.