July 11, 2019

Texas Comptroller's Office Wins National Communications Award

(AUSTIN) — The Texas Comptroller’s office recently won first place at the National Association of Government Communicators’ (NAGC) Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards for its February 2018 edition of Fiscal Notes: A Storm to Remember — Hurricane Harvey and the Texas Economy.

In the special report on Hurricane Harvey, one of the costliest storms in American history, Fiscal Notes analyzed a wide variety of data to estimate the net economic impact of the storm: a net loss of $3.8 billion in gross state product during the year after the storm, followed by a cumulative gain of approximately $800 million over three years due to rebuilding and recovery.

The Fiscal Notes entry won first place in the “Technical or Statistical Report” category, which was one of more than 30 categories that featured contest entries from governmental entities across the country. The NAGC is dedicated to advocating, promoting and recognizing excellence in government communications.

“I am very proud of the team we have that publishes Fiscal Notes month after month,” Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said. “They are dedicated to telling the stories behind some of the most important numbers in the state, and the beneficiaries are more than 55,000 Fiscal Notes subscribers, including state and local government officials, teachers, businesses, taxpayers and the media.”

The “Storm to Remember” report is exceptional not only in the story it tells, but also because it was published so soon after Hurricane Harvey — just as policymakers were weighing their responses.

“This annual national awards program recognizes superior government communication products and those who produce them,” said NAGC President Chris O’Neil. “The Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards honor the creative excellence of federal, state and local government communicators and demonstrate to those who use our services that we produce high quality and effective products.”

Fiscal Notes is available online and can be received by subscribing via the Comptroller’s website.