Major Initiatives - Annual Action Agenda Each year the Board adopts a 15-Year Strategic Plan incorporating its policy agenda and action items. In many instances, items selected for the Board Policy Agenda are explored more fully in a strategic plan year, and then become part of future strategic plans as Administration Agenda Items or within the department actions or major projects. This process ensures that Board-driven strategic planning is prioritized as part of the budget process. We have seen major initiatives, such as the sidewalk plan including routes to schools, the Legacy Trail Extension, athletic field complex and destination playgrounds, water quality, mobility, and the future of County Administration locations, move through the strategic planning process from Board priorities to departmental implementation. This is essential to aligning the Board-adopted Strategic Plan with the annual Financial Plan. The 2024 Strategic Plan identifies 15 Board Policy Items as the Board’s top priorities: 2024 Septic to Sewer Financing Options 3rd Reservoir at Peace River Manasota Regional Water Authority Facility: County Plan Boat Access and Possible Opportunities for the County to Create More Code Review to Promote Public Safety Collaboration Affordable Housing Options Continued Investment in Water Quality for Health of the Bay Corrections Master Planning Environmentally Sensitive Lands Communication and Education Fairgrounds Highest and Best Future Use Hi-Hat Planning and County Resources Impact Options to Improve North to South Water Flow and Flooding Parking Garage Options Dearborn Street Reopen South County Sheriff Substation River Road Regional Interstate Connector South County Regional Park There are 233 actions identified in the 2024 Policy Item and Action Agenda. In each case, a department owner is responsible for the management of the action. Department owners work in collaboration with their counterparts to track and report action progress. Through this process, the organization is evolving to focus efforts on the strategic plan while continuously making improvements. Since the adoption of these priorities, the County has aligned work plans to emphasize efforts in these areas which are funded as part of the fiscal year 2024 Adopted Financial Plan. Awards and acknowledgements The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to Sarasota County for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023. This was the fortieth consecutive year that Sarasota County received this prestigious award. In order to be awarded a Certificate of Achievement, a government must publish an easily readable and efficiently organized Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. This report satisfied both generally accepted accounting principles and applicable legal requirements. A Certificate of Achievement is valid for a period of one year only. We believe that our current Annual Comprehensive Financial Report continues to meet the Certificate of Achievement Program requirements and we will submit it to the GFOA to determine its eligibility for another certificate. 15
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