UPCOMING
BUDGET
MEETINGS:
Wednesday, March 1
7 p.m.
City Council Workshop
Budget review:
Executive, Finance, Recreation, Library, and DoverNet departmental budgets
Wednesday, March 8
6 p.m.
City Council Workshop
Budget review:
School Department budget.
Will be followed by a regular meeting at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 15
7 p.m.
City Council Special Meeting
School budget public hearing
Wednesday, March 15
follows special meeting
City Council Workshop
Budget review:
Police, Fire and Rescue, and Planning departments
Wednesday, March 22
7 p.m.
City Council Meeting
City budget public hearing
Wednesday, March 29
7 p.m.
City Council Workshop
Community Services budget
Wednesday, April 5
6 p.m.
City Council Workshop
General budget review
Wednesday, April 5
Following Workshop
City Council Special Meeting
Budget adoption
Wednesday, April 12
7 p.m.
City Council Meeting
Fallback budget adoption date
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MORE
INFORMATION, RESOURCES
AVAILABLE AT:
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The Budget is Revealed
Proposed budget totals $183,821,915
Exceeds estimated tax cap by $483,092
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Last night, on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, I presented the proposed Fiscal Year 2024 budget to the City Council.
The budget can be viewed online here, and copies are available for review at the Public Library and City Hall. The video of my presentation is available online here.
In my letter to the City Council, included as part of the budget, I explain that the budget proposal continues to prioritize and support efficient delivery of core municipal services in the areas of public safety, education and infrastructure maintenance, along with other basic yet essential local government activities. It does so cognizant of the continuing challenges we face with the supply and delivery of certain commodities, the recruitment and retention of qualified employees and other inflationary pressures now being felt not only here in the United States but across the globe due primarily to the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine perpetrated by Russia.
Budget Considerations and Development
Beginning this year, the annual date for final adoption of the overall annual municipal budget was advanced by two months from June 15 to April 15. This change was initiated to support the School Department’s recruitment and retention efforts, ensuring an adopted budget will be in place, and school staffing decisions can be finalized well before the start of the coming fiscal year. Despite this adoption schedule change, the development of the Proposed Fiscal Year 2024 Budget still results from an ongoing year-round review of all municipal functions and service priorities by the elected Dover School Board and our administrative staff in consultation with the citizen members of various advisory boards and commissions. Ultimately, the proposed budget presented for Fiscal Year 2024, as in years past, has been directly influenced by identifying and responding to the varied needs and interests of our customers – our community’s residents, businesses and visitors.
In striving to meet the needs and expectations of our customers and to address the many other considerations that influence the budgeting process, including contractual obligations and regulatory requirements from other levels of government, this budget proposal reflects a total of $183,821,915 for spending across all funds. This is a 2.3% increase over the prior year, comprised of a 0.6% increase attributable to school-related expenses and a 3.8% increase attributable to all other non-school related expenses.
Please be aware that the estimated local school portion of the property tax levy for the proposed budget is $538,373 more than the related amount reflected in the tax cap formula. This overage is partially attributable to a recommended $420,000 increase in School Capital Reserve allocations. Since making their initial FY2024 Budget recommendation, the School Board continued to identify and voted to recommend further budget adjustments. These additional adjustments are reflected in the amounts reported above and the School Department-related calculations shown within the overall Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2024.
The tax cap overage attributable to the school portion of the tax cap formula, as noted above, is partially offset by the estimated city property tax levy being $55,281 less than the amount reflected in the City portion of the tax cap formula. As a result, the proposed budget as assembled exceeds the tax cap requirements of our City Charter by $483,092. Therefore, the adoption of the budget as currently presented will require a two-thirds affirmative vote by the City Council as opposed to a simple majority.
Budget Prioritization
The budget for Fiscal Year 2024, as proposed, reflects an allocation of resources that will continue to address our community’s overall strategic priorities and diverse requirements for municipal services. Those priorities have been derived and reinforced by listening to the “voice of our customers.” This is accomplished through a number of means, including the engagement of residents and business owners in collaborative planning and community problem-solving activities, citizen input provided during public hearings and public forums, formal and informal customer surveys, actual demand for services and the mandates imposed by state and federal agencies as directed by those legislative bodies. Ultimately, feedback from our customers drives the strategic planning incorporated into our community’s Master Plan and reaffirms the following strategic focus areas for the prioritization and allocation of available funds:
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Public Safety – To proactively protect citizens and mitigate losses from medical emergencies, crime, fire and natural/manmade disasters.
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Public Education – To support and provide access for all students to experience opportunities for a quality education.
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Public Infrastructure – To maintain safe and reliable public roads, drinking water, sewer and stormwater systems, and municipal facilities.
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Economic Development – To support and encourage a quality of life that sustains a robust economy and availability of quality employment.
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Fiscal Stewardship – To responsibly manage and ensure the sustainability of financial practices necessary for the ongoing provision of all essential municipal services.
Core Service Deliverables
The core services to be supported by the resources allocated within the Proposed Fiscal Year 2024 Budget include the essential functions of general government, public safety, public works, culture and recreation, human services, and education. Other resource allocations include our community's required share of funding for intergovernmental services provided by Strafford County.
In evaluating the funding requested and deemed necessary to include in the proposed budget for the core services and various activities and programs delivered by our municipal government, prime consideration was given specifically to those services that continue to be mandated or otherwise are legally required to be provided. Additional consideration was given to those services that substantially covered their costs via grants and/or user fees, those services with increasing demand for services and those services that were not otherwise readily available via the private sector.
Throughout the proposed budget, contracting of numerous services for delivery by private sector providers was evaluated and, if proven cost-effective, was recommended. This includes contracting in the areas of grounds care maintenance, road and utility construction, solid waste and recycling, specialized administrative, technical and consulting activities, facility repairs, and more. Where deemed necessary and proven to be the most effective and efficient means for delivering services, dedicated and competent staff have been employed and are proposed to continue delivering services in house.
As identified in the various sections of this document, the Proposed Fiscal Year 2024 Budget reflects certain adjustments to ensure that core service deliverables are not only maintained but remain sustainable for the long-term. In proposing the priorities and adjustments reflected throughout the proposed budget, additional consideration was given to ensure that our limited resources are also being invested wisely into the service areas that support leading practices.
Some of the more significant adjustments in this year's proposed budget include the following:
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Public Education – Reflects the funding amount most recently recommended by the Dover School Board to meet School Department obligations, including increasing funding for various School-related Capital Reserves.
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Public Safety – Utilizes 100% grant funding to add an additional social worker position due to the proven success the Police Department has realized in connecting residents with mental health and social services. Utilizes 100% grant funding for two outreach positions providing continuing youth drug and alcohol prevention programming. Continues funding of police officer positions utilizing the second year of grant funds that gradually reduce and allow for absorbing full expense over three years. Adds an additional part-time parking enforcement position and a new part-time traffic enforcement and event coordination position to assume responsibilities of retiring full-time police lieutenant. Funds additional firefighter/paramedic certification training for several existing employees to ensure a full complement of qualified on-duty personnel needed to provide 24/7 pre-hospital advanced life support services. Funds a continuing program for mental health and wellness for Police and Fire Department employees utilizing the second year of grant funds that gradually reduce and allow for absorbing full expense over three years.
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Inspection Services – Funds an additional building inspector position to address increasing demand for plan reviews and need to improve timeliness of permitting and inspection services related to existing and forthcoming commercial and residential building construction projects.
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Street and Sidewalk Improvements – Funds are increased to achieve the target level identified in the most recent Roadway Surface Management Analysis for pavement overlays and Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for sidewalk improvements.
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Infrastructure Project Management – Funds an increase to the Waterfront Project Manager position from part-time to full-time to provide oversight of the public improvements required to commence this construction season and to continue to serve as staff liaison with Cochecho Waterfront Development Advisory Board, consultants and the developer selected to complete private development on waterfront parcel. Replaces a vacant full-time utility maintenance mechanic position with a part-time project manager to provide oversight of other city-wide utility and infrastructure-related projects.
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Information Technology – Funds a new technician position supporting specific information technology equipment maintenance needs for public safety operations. Also funds a part-time position for data entry and document archiving to ensure preservation of municipal records in accordance with state record-keeping requirements. Continues cybersecurity improvements, including network device upgrades and application updates utilizing funds from the second year of a three-year grant.
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Human Resources – Funds across all city departments the implementation of the third and final year of a contractually negotiated classification and wage plan as recommended by an independent consultant and subsequently authorized by the City Council. Funds the administration of new employee pre-employment medical exams for all City departments within the Office of Human Resources.
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Public Transit – Funds a significant increase in Dover’s share of COAST public transit system for both inter- and intra-city routes by utilizing the second year of grant funds that gradually reduce and allow for absorbing full expense over three years.
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Grant Reimbursement – Funds continued for homeless support services, including shelter operations utilizing 100% grant funds for the second year of a three-year grant. Funds continued for COVID-19 related expenses, including reimbursement for existing positions involved with ongoing grant administration and reporting obligations, business assistance and public health communications utilizing the second year of grant funds that gradually reduce and allow for absorbing full expense over three years.
Conclusion
Over the course of the next few weeks, the School Board, department heads, and I look forward to providing more detailed information regarding the various revenue and expenditure items included in this proposed budget. In addition, we will have budget options to present that are currently being evaluated but were not able to be incorporated into the production of the final budget proposal. These additions may include further adjustments and other potential sources of non-tax revenue that you may wish to consider including as part of your final budget deliberations. Ultimately, it is with your thoughtful discussions and further adjustments that we will assure Dover’s citizens that the budget finally adopted for the coming year has been thoroughly reviewed and justified.
As always, I wish to thank the School Board, the school superintendent, our department heads and their staff for the effort invested in assembling this budget proposal, especially given the shortened timeframe necessitated this year by moving up the final budget adoption date. I also wish to once again thank and ask you to join me in acknowledging our Finance Director Daniel Lynch and his staff for the extra effort made this year in the timely production of this budget book and other supporting materials.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not also note again this year of the significant and extraordinary efforts our municipal employees make each and every day in delivering the many services and programs that contribute to the overall quality of life in our community. We are well served by the dedication, commitment and perseverance of our teachers, maintenance workers, administrative staff and public safety forces. Please join me once again in acknowledging and thanking them for the dedication and positive difference they make in our lives and for others each and every day.
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J. Michael Joyal, Jr.
City Manager
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The proposed budget for fiscal year 2024 is $183,821,915 across all funds, an increase over the previous year of $4,125,089, or 2.3%. The General Fund portion of the budget, funded primarily through property taxes, is $146,705,670, an increase over the previous year of $6,930,771, or 5%.
The total estimated tax rate, as proposed, is $21.01 per $1,000 valuation, an increase over the current rate of $1.17 per $1,000 valuation, or 5.9%. This estimated total tax rate breaks down as:
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City portion: $7.46, an increase of 24 cents, or 3.3%;
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School portion, local: $10.13, an increase of 47 cents, or 4.9%;
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School portion, state: $1.40, an increase of 38 cents, or 37.3%;
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Strafford County portion: $2.02, an increase of 8 cents, or 4.1%.
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Based on the average residential property assessment of $418,706, the estimated average property tax bill, based on the proposed budget, is $8,797, an increase of $490, or 5.9%.
The final tax rate for Fiscal Year 2024 will be certified by New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration in the fall of 2023 once they have information on the adopted budget and taxable assessed property values.
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Want to know more? In addition to the online resource for this fiscal year's budget, check out Budget Revealed for more information about the budget process, including previous budgets, insight into the budget cycle, and additional multimedia content.
Click on the image below to view:
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