Capital Improvements Program

Dover's City Charter requires the City Manager to annually submit a six-year Capital Improvements Program plan to the City Council as part of the annual budgeting process. It is based on the recommendations of the Planning Board and includes a clear general summary, a list of all capital improvements proposed during the six fiscal years, cost estimates, the financing method, and the estimated project time the improvement will occur. Project schedule and costs may be revised annually. The CIP also links infrastructure spending to the goals and values outlined in the city’s Master Plan.  

FY 2028-2033 Capital Improvements Program presented Oct. 7

The proposed CIP for fiscal years 2028-2033 was presented to a joint session of the City Council and Planning Board on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026.

The Planning Board will review the CIP on Oct. 13 and Oct. 27. Following the Planning Board’s input, which includes a public hearing, the City Council will hold its review and also hold a public hearing. The City Council is likely to refer the CIP to a public hearing on Oct. 28, with a final adoption vote anticipated for Dec. 9.

The City Council’s CIP adoption process includes three resolutions: adopting the six-year document, approving FY28 capital reserve fund appropriations for non-debt-financed projects,  and authorizing appropriation and bonding for FY28 debt-financed projects. The CIP’s first-year projects and appropriations will become part of the FY28 municipal budget that the city manager will present to the City Council in February. While the City Council will vote to adopt the entire six-year plan, it will approve funding only for the first year of the program: $30,645,418 for FY2028, as proposed.

The current and previous fiscal years' CIPs are available online.  

Understanding the CIP

The CIP prioritizes all capital spending of $25,000 or more for items with a useful life of three years or longer. Based on City Council financing policy, funding for these items includes bonding, the annual operating budget or other types of financing. This six-year program links infrastructure spending to the goals and values outlined in the city’s Master Plan. Through this process, the city identify projects within the six-year timeline, based on the priorities established in our Master Plan.

Once adopted, the first year of the adopted CIP is built into the proposed citywide operating budget, which is presented to the City Council in annually in February.

Many of the items included in the CIP are annual, ongoing capital projects, such as improvements to streets and sidewalks, wastewater and water system maintenance and improvements, police cruisers, facility maintenance and more.