The Budget Process
The City Council adopted the City of Dover’s fiscal year 2025 budget by a 7-2 vote during a special meeting on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. The final adopted budget is $198,059,600 across all funds, an $11,383,089, or a 6.1% increase, above the current fiscal year budget.
The General Fund portion of the budget, funded primarily through property taxes, is $157,339,569. It is a $7,779,303, or 5.2%, increase above the current fiscal year budget.
It is $1,457,373 above the total amount allowed by the tax cap, requiring a two-thirds majority vote of the City Council to adopt the budget. The public education portion of the budget was $1,636,019 above the tax cap calculation, with all other city departments $178,646 under the tax cap.
General Fund appropriations include $55,648,201 for city operations, $78,420,675 for School Department operations, $12,554,186 for debt service obligations, and $10,716,507 for the county tax. These General Fund appropriations represent a $4,070,470 or 7.0% increase for city operations (inclusive of debt service), a $3,276,857 or 4.0% increase for School Department operations (inclusive of debt service), and $431,976, or 4.2% increase for the county tax payment.
The City Council reduced the City Manager's proposed General Fund appropriations by $653,677. These General Fund reductions include $153,577 from the city portion of the budget and $500,000 from the school portion.
Councilors Robert Warach and Fergus Cullen voted against the amended budget resolution.
For the average residential property assessment of $457,687, the estimated tax impact, based on the adopted budget, is a $427 increase in property taxes. The estimated tax rate resulting from the adopted budget is $19.63, a 93-cent, or 5%, increase above the current tax rate. The New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration will certify the official tax rate later this year.
The budget adoption also included the FY2025 Schedule of Fees that goes into effect on July 1, 2024. The schedule of fees consists of a water rate of $7.40, an 81-cent increase, or 12.3%, and a sewer rate of $10.68, a 42-cent increase, or 4.1% above the current FY2024 Schedule of Fees.
The City Council did not increase fees for parking or the solid waste bag and tag system as originally proposed in the budget.
The FY2025 budget adoption at the April 4 special meeting followed several weeks of budget meetings and workshops, including a budget workshop immediately preceding the special meeting. Wednesday's budget workshop, special meeting, and documents can be viewed on the city's FY2025 Budget Revealed online resource.
City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr. presented his proposed budget on Feb. 14, 2024. Following the presentation, each department head presented their proposed budget to the City Council at subsequent budget workshops.
The Council held a public hearing on the education portion of the budget on Feb. 28, 2024, followed by a public hearing on the city portion on March 20, 2024.
The School Board began its budget review on Nov. 20, 2023, and adopted its budget on Jan. 16, 2024.
The FY2025 proposed budget can be viewed here: FY2025 Proposed Budget.
The City Manager's Feb. 14 presentation and accompanying documents can be viewed below, as well as the budget schedule, and additional resources.
FY2025 Budget Presentation to the City Council, 2/14/2024
Budget Revealed newsletter
The City Manager's weekly newsletter, Budget Revealed, provides a host of information about the FY2025 budget process. Sign up for the newsletter here: bit.ly/doverdownload. Select "Budget Revealed" from the list of newsletters.
City Council budget workshop and special meeting, 4/3/2024
City Council budget workshop, 3/27/2024
City Council special meeting and budget workshop, 3/20/2024
(Public hearing, Parking, Community Services, Recreation)
Documents presented at the March 20 workshop
City Council budget workshop, 3/6/2024
(Planning, Police, and Fire and Rescue)
Budget documents presented at the March 6 workshop
Tax Cap Override History, FY2009 to FY2024
FY2025 State Aid Funding
FY2025 Federal Grant Funding
FY2025 Utility Fuel Budget Notes
FY2023 Financial Policy Compliance Review
FY2025 Proposed Organizational Chart
FY2025 Budget Presentation, Planning Department
FY2025 Budget Presentation, Police Department
FY2025 Budget Presentation, Fire and Rescue
City Council meeting, 2/28/2024
(Public hearing on the school portion of the proposed budget)
City Council budget workshop, 2/21/2024
(Schools, Executive, Finance, Library, Welfare, and DoverNet)
Budget documents presented at the Feb. 21 workshop
FY2025 Schedule of Fees, Proposed
History of Adequacy Aid, FY2013 through FY2025
Core Service Deliverables
FY2025 Human Resources Budget Notes
FY2025 Education Appropriations Summary
FY2025 Budget Presentation, Education
FY2025 Budget Presentation, Finance Department
FY2025 Budget Presentation, Public Library
FY2025 Budget Presentation, Welfare Department
FY2025 Budget Presentation, Information Technology
City Council, School Board preliminary FY25 budget discussions, 12/6/2023
As required by the City Charter, the City Council and School Board met on Dec. 6, 2023 for a preliminary budget discussion, which included the preliminary tax cap calculation.