Because of changes made this year in the FCPS financial system and accounting format, it was very difficult to prepare this analysis using a consistent base year. The data series published in the FY99 proposed budget volume were not all reconciled back to the same base year, and not all data series were published for multiple-year periods. Most of the data series in past volumes are not compatible with the data series in this volume, so it was not possible to construct historical series by digging through past budget volumes.
Economists have a variety of indices they use to measure inflation.
The one most commonly used in Fairfax County is the CPI-U for the Washington metropolitan area. This measures the rate of inflation for a fixed market basket of goods and services of constant quantity and quality consumed by typical urban consumers. It has recently been the object of some controversy as it is alleged to overstate the rate of inflation. The problems with measuring the general level of inflation are compounded when trying to measure inflation in a service industry. Economists have been working on developing an inflation index for the service sector.