Windham’s 2005 town report stands out among the many town reports published by New Hampshire communities this year.

The publication recently won first place among towns with a population of 7,501 and higher in the New Hampshire Local Government Center’s Annual Report Contest.

“This award recognizes excellence in the production of annual reports – publications that are creative, accurate, informative, and easily understood by the average citizen,” the center wrote in a letter to David Sullivan, Windham’s town administrator.

Awards to winners in six town population categories and in the city category were bestowed at the LCG’s annual conference this month. The LGC, based in Concord, is home to the N.H. Municipal Association.

Windham’s 2005 report, which was printed in early 2006, includes budget information; reports from organizations, committees and department heads; vital statistics; information on how to reach local officials; the proposed budget and warrant articles for 2006 and more.

A pie graph shows how the town’s 2005 tax rate is apportioned.

Bar graphs illustrate how much money the town has spent since 1989 and how much money different spending categories are receiving with a budget increase for 2006.

“We try to make it easy to understand by putting (graphs) in there,” Sullivan said.

The report’s front and back covers feature digital imagery of various locations in town as part of the town’s new geographic information system.

The town prints about 1,000 copies of the town report each year.

This is not the first time that Windham has been recognized.

The town tied with Plaistow for first place last year, placed third in 2003 and came in second place in 1998, Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the town strives to produce reports that are informative, attractive, and can be understood by people who work outside government.

He gives credit for this year’s award to anyone who submitted reports that were included in the publication but he also singled out two employees: Assistant Town Administrator Dana Call, the town’s finance director, for providing accurate financial reports, and secretary Wendi Devlin, who edits content and is responsible for the publication’s layout.