Methodology

Sources and scope

Records prioritize Stafford County adopted budgets, audited financial statements, Board agenda packets, resolutions, executed agreements, contracts, procurement records and payment records. A linked agenda proposal is not proof of a final vote. Reporting and analysis are linked as context, not substituted for primary proof of a figure.

Financial stages

Proposed

Under consideration; no adoption implied.

Budgeted

Included in an adopted financial plan; not proof of payment.

Appropriated

Legally made available for a stated purpose.

Authorized

Approved for an action or maximum commitment; may remain conditional.

Encumbered

Reserved against an obligation under the applicable accounting system.

Contracted

Covered by an agreement or award; not proof of an invoice or payment.

Invoiced

Billed or requested; not proof that a payment cleared.

Paid

Disbursed according to payment records.

Actual expenditure

Recorded as expenditure under the relevant accounting basis and period.

Debt

Borrowed principal and associated repayment obligations, stated separately.

Capital project

A multi-year investment tracked separately from operating expenditure.

Incentive

A conditional public commitment, distinguished from any reimbursement actually paid.

Calculations and comparisons

When a comparison is published, Save Stafford labels its own math. Percentage change is (current − original) ÷ original × 100, provided original is nonzero and the amounts cover the same scope. Revenue shares use the relevant official total as denominator. Fiscal years, nominal versus inflation-adjusted dollars, budget versus actual, and fund boundaries must be explicit. No calculated remaining balance is inferred from unrelated totals.

Gaps, updates and corrections

“Data not currently available” means a source has not yet been checked or obtained. Records carry a last-verified date; a material correction should update the record and the site’s corrections history. Send the document and suggested correction through the contact page. Downloads will be added only for checked, redistributable datasets with source and modification notes.