MARYSVILLE — City of Marysville Financial Planning Manager Denise Gritton has been named the city’s Employee of the Month for April, for the pivotal research role she played in assembling financial information that netted two prestigious finance awards for the finance department and the city.

Marysville Mayor Dennis Kendall presented Gritton with the award at the April 13 City Council meeting, while her husband, Randy, and her finance department co-workers looked on.

Gritton is an 8-year veteran of the finance department who is responsible for processing and accounting financial information for the city payroll, accounts payable and receivables.

Last fall, the city of Marysville received the 2008 Washington Finance Officers Association Budget Award. In March, finance officials were notified that the city was also awarded the Governmental Finance Officers Association Award for Marysville’s 2007 Comprehensive Annual Financial Reporting. A CAFR represents and reflects the city’s financial operations and condition to city residents, elected officials, management personnel, financial institutions, bonding houses and other parties interested in the financial affairs of the city. The document is also useful for identifying long-term statistical trends.

Gritton was instrumental in collecting, preparing and coordinating the additional information necessary to meet the criteria of these awards, according to city of Marysville Finance Director Sandy Langdon, who nominated her. This additional information is required when preparing a bond issue, and Langdon added that having the information documented historically, as the city moves forward, will be a tremendous asset to Marysville in the bonding community, as well as for any assessment of current bond ratings.

“Successful completion of these awards indicates that we have taken our financial status to a higher level of reporting,” Langdon said.

The budget award requires that more than 40 criteria be met, and the CAFR has more than 130 items. Both documents require analysis of the criteria for meaning, presentation and submittal, within a very short time frame from adoption and completion.

Gritton accomplished this work while successfully completing her regular duties and responsibilities, as well as the several special projects that Langdon has assigned her.

“I am sure Denise would tell you that she could not have done it alone,” Kendall said at the Council meeting. “Information was needed from other departments, districts, the county and the state, but it was her persistence that made the difference.”

Various City Council members and directors thanked Gritton for working with them on financial and budgetary issues.