Take a Look at an Annual Report People of All Ages Will Want to Read

Suwanee, Georgia, fights super villains and snooze-inducing financial reporting

Slam! Wham! Kaboom!

A scene from the comic book annual report by the City of Suwanee, Georgia

Image courtesy City of Suwanee, Georgia

A "Popular Annual Financial Report" for a community is a scaled down version of the formal, number-dense annual report that businesses, nonprofits and municipalities produce as a document and disclosure of its money matters. Since a PAFR is intended to be understood by non-accountants, staffers in Suwanee's government decided to create a report for 2016 that's both accessible and fun. Among the characters in the comic book are Suwanee's mayor and City Council members.

Number-Crunching With Character(s)

Image courtesy City of Suwanee, Georgia

Located 35 miles northeast of Atlanta and established in 1817, Suwanee is home to about 20,000 people. After the city's historic downtown became little more than a passing glance along the freight rail line running through it, local leaders decided to start from scratch and create a new, planned, active, larger and more centrally located walkable downtown of shops, restaurants, public spaces, housing and more.

Enemies of the State

Image courtesy City of Suwanee, Georgia

Within Suwanee's 11 square-miles are numerous parks, many financed by voter-approved, bond-funded open space initiatives. The most visible park — self-described by Suwanee as its "front yard"— is the 10-acre Town Center Park, which is a destination unto itself and a connection to the four-mile-long Suwanee Creek Greenway hiking-biking trail. The 2016 report celebrates the approval of a new, larger, downtown park.

Happy, Shiny City

Image courtesy City of Suwanee, Georgia

The report's storyline was crafted around the wins and information that needed to be shared, such as the fact that Suwanee is home to Gwinnett County's first bike share program. Wayfinding signage (i.e. signage with arrows and instructions about which way to go and for what) are an important but often overlooked element of creating a sense of plate.

A City Sings Its Praises

Image courtesy City of Suwanee, Georgia

For the financial figures, the comic book mini-me version of the city's finance director goes head-to-head against the villain Status Quo. He tries to frame Suwanee's money matters into a problem rather than a success that resulted in a AAA bond rating (the highest rating) from Standard & Poor's.

Public Places and Outdoor Spaces

Image courtesy City of Suwanee, Georgia

Many suburban towns and cities don't have downtowns or destinations for getting out of the house and having fun. Having a place to go for both daily outings and big events is important for people of all ages.

Helping Hands

A scene from the comic-book style annual report from the City of Suwanee

Image courtesy City of Suwanee, Georgia

The Unextraordinary League of Villains is soon captured and jailed. Disinterested Cat isn't pictured because his head literally exploded on page 9 after becoming interested in the community's activities.

Getting Around

A scene from the comic book-style annual report by the City of Suwanee, Georgia

Image courtesy City of Suwanee, Georgia

A reader needn't live in Suwanee or have any interest in the community to learn something from this helpful glossary. After all, how many people can truly explain or understand the meaning of "Net Investments on Capital Assets."

Money Matters

Image courtesy City of Suwanee, Georgia

This image shows the top portion of a comic book cover, yes. But as the 2016 Popular Annual Financial Report (more later about what that means) for the City of Suwanee, Georgia, it's a comic book that's both useful for number-crunchers and enjoyable by residents too young to even count to 10.