Stafford Center moved to separate financial system; city and SEDC staff stress reporting and oversight

Board members and the public pressed staff for clarity about how Stafford Center funds are handled after multiple commenters suggested separation could obscure activity. Michelle Sharp said Stafford Center "moved from the city's financial system... midyear, June 1," and that the Center now manages its own financial statements and files a separate budget and resolution.

Brian Blum (Stafford Center/FMSquare) and other staff clarified that the operating and escrow accounts for Stafford Center are City of Stafford accounts, that the Center uses its own accounting software and that staff submit reconciling bank statements and reports monthly. Residents said that because the Center can appear off the city's main system, the public needs simple, accessible reporting; staff agreed to provide monthly reconciliation and to work with the city secretary to ensure packet materials are available in advance.

The board did not take formal action but directed staff to make the Center's key financial reports available to the board and public in a clearer format so that assigned project funds and actual available balances are easier to find.