Stafford County has received a national award for its efforts to improve digital government services. The Center for Digital Government named Stafford as a winner in the county category of the seventh annual Government Experience Awards, recognizing jurisdictions that use technology to provide more user-friendly services.
Stafford was recognized for its use of artificial intelligence, particularly for being the first county in Virginia to launch a website chatbot and later upgrading it with advanced ChatGPT models. This move aimed to make it easier for residents to get answers to their questions and access essential services online.
“We are honored to receive this recognition, which reflects our commitment to elevating technology standards in ways that truly benefit our residents,” said Deputy County Administrator Donna Krauss. “This award is a testament to the hard work of our team and our shared vision of building a county government that serves residents with excellence today and into the future.”
Chief Information Officer Andrew Spence said, “As AI has grown more robust, we wanted to grow and innovate with it. In turn, it benefits our residents. As AI changes and our digital experience and offerings continue to improve, we are working to make sure everyone can access our offerings.”
The county’s GPT-powered chatbot, Ask Blu, guides users through processes by identifying their needs and helping them complete requests step-by-step. Stafford is expanding this technology by training its language model on legislative materials used by the Board of Supervisors so users can ask detailed questions about legislation and get instant responses.
To address internet access issues among some residents, Stafford recently completed a project in Hartwood that connected over 650 people who previously lacked reliable broadband service. The county continues efforts to reach remaining areas without high-speed internet.
Stafford also focuses on creating a consistent experience across all its services through centralized branding and design standards.
For more information about the Government Experience Awards or other winners, visit https://www.govtech.com/government-experience-awards-2025-winners-announced.
The only public school district in Stafford County enrolled 31,700 students during the 2023-24 school year according to data from the Virginia Department of Education (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home). Brooke Point High School had the highest enrollment among local schools with 2,242 students during that period (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home). White students made up nearly 39% of total enrollment while Hispanic students accounted for about 25% (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home). Overall student numbers increased by 1.7% compared with the previous year (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home). Rising Star Early Childhood Education Center at Melchers enrolled 292 pre-kindergarten students—over half of all pre-K enrollments in the county (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home).
