Upcoming City Council Budget Meetings
- Wednesday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m. Regular meeting: School budget public hearing
- Wednesday, March 5, 7 p.m. Workshop: Police, Fire and Rescue, Planning, and Recreation departmental budget presentations
- Wednesday, March 12, 7 p.m. Regular meeting: City budget public hearing
- Wednesday, March 19, 7 p.m. Workshop: Community Services, Library, and DoverNet departmental budget presentations
- Wednesday, April 2, 7 p.m. Workshop: General budget review
- Wednesday, April 2, following workshop: Special meeting: Budget adoption
- Wednesday, April 9, 7 p.m. Regular meeting: Fallback budget adoption date
Dover City Manager Presents Proposed FY2026 Budget to City Council
Dover City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr. presented the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget to the City Council on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025.
The proposed budget totals $207,557,289 across all funds, reflecting a 4.4% increase over the previous year. This includes a 5.2% increase in school-related expenses and a 3.6% increase in non-school-related expenses, such as solid waste management and public water and sewer utilities.
The proposed budget exceeds the city’s tax cap requirements by $2,389,687. While the estimated local school portion of the property tax levy exceeds the tax cap formula by $2,526,603, the city’s portion is $136,916 below the tax cap. As a result, a two-thirds majority vote from the City Council is required to adopt the budget as currently proposed.
The full budget document can be viewed here, and will also be available at the Dover Public Library and City Hall.
The City Manager's presentation can be viewed below. This page will be updated throughout the budget process with budget documents, videos, and other budget information.