The City Council adopted the City of Dover’s fiscal year 2023 budget by an 8 to 1 vote during a special meeting on Wednesday, May 4, 2022.
The final adopted budget is $180 million, a $17.2 million, or 10.6%, over the current fiscal year budget. The general fund portion of the budget is $140,134,191, a $9,620,087, or 7.4%, increase above the current fiscal year budget. The adopted general fund portion of the budget is $3,173,706 above the amount allowed by the tax cap, requiring a two-thirds vote by the City Council to adopt.
The estimated tax rate resulting from the adopted budget is $22.46, a 76-cent, or 3.5%, increase above the current tax rate. The state Department of Revenue Administration will certify the official tax rate later this year.
Following the budget adoption, the Finance Director and the City Manager found a scrivener's error in the bottom line budget number that was $8,600 more than it should have been. City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr., will bring a resolution to the City Council on Wednesday, May 11, for a technical correction. The error did not affect any other part of the adopted budget.
The May 4 special meeting and vote 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
FY2023 Budget Revealed online resource.
City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr., first presented his proposed budget on March 23, 2022. Following the presentation, each department head presented its proposed budget to the City Council at subsequent budget workshops.
The Council held a public hearing on the education portion of the budget on April 13, followed by a public hearing on the city portion of the budget on April 20.
Recordings of all budget-related workshops and meetings and all budget-related documents are available on the
FY2023 Budget Revealed page.