How This Site Handles Budget Numbers And Sources

Source-linked Does Not Mean Official

The site links to official sources but remains independent and unofficial. It is not published by Montgomery County Government, Montgomery County Public Schools, or the County Council.

When a page uses a budget figure, the figure should name the fiscal year, the budget version, the source, and the date the source was checked. If those details are missing, the figure should not be used on a public page.

Source Order

Official Montgomery County budget pages and publications come first. Official dataMontgomery datasets are next. County Council press releases, budget resolutions, and MCPS budget pages are used when they answer a specific Council or school-budget question.

Local news can help explain context, timing, and public debate. It should not be the main source for an official budget number when an official source is available.

Data Download Process

Some official budget data is published through dataMontgomery, the county's open data portal. This site has local scripts that can search for likely budget datasets, download known CSV files, normalize them into a simpler review format, and check that each normalized figure has a fiscal year, version, source, and last retrieved date.

Those scripts do not automatically replace the public numbers on the site. If an expected FY27 dataset is not found, the site continues using verified page-based figures. A dataset-derived figure should be used on a public page only after the source, version, and validation results are checked.

Budget Versions

The site uses a small set of labels: Recommended, Council Straw Vote, Approved, Adopted, Actual, Amended, and Draft. A Recommended budget is a proposal. An Adopted budget should be used only after final adoption is verified from an official source.

This matters because the same line item can change as the County Executive, County Council, and agencies move through the budget process.

Rounding

Pages may round large figures so they are easier to read. When a figure is rounded, the copy should say "about" and the source note should point readers to the official source for the exact value.

Editorial Independence

This site is an independent editorial guide. It does not represent Montgomery County Government, Montgomery County Public Schools, the County Council, a political committee, or a campaign. It should explain what official sources say without asking readers to support or oppose a budget choice.

The site should not use Montgomery County's seal, official branding, or wording that suggests official approval. Source links are provided so readers can check the record themselves.

Update Practice

Pages should be updated when a source changes, a budget version changes, a link breaks, or a correction is accepted. If a live official detail can change frequently, such as a hearing date or testimony signup link, this site should point readers to the official page instead of freezing a stale detail.

What People Often Misunderstand

A proposed budget is not the same as a final budget. A dataset download is not always the newest official version. And a county operating budget figure may not answer a capital-project question.

The safest reading starts with the version label, then checks whether the page is discussing operating spending, revenue, debt service, or the capital budget.

Corrections

If a source changes, a link breaks, or a page describes a figure incorrectly, the correction should be handled in the open. The corrections page explains what information to include when reporting a possible error.