Nearing a Decision on FY21 Budget

Tomorrow night City Council will continue our budget deliberations with a workshop discussion at 6pm followed by a planned vote on the FY21 budget resolution during our regular Council meeting at 7pm. As we continue to look for ways to reduce spending while still making important strategic investments, we are faced with a challenge: what level of spending can our community afford right now and what level of investment is needed to position our community to rebuild and recover from this crisis?

It goes without saying that many members of our community are struggling right now. All Councilors see, hear, and feel that ever day. I don’t think anyone is approaching this as a business as usual budget. We have worked hard over the past few years to build important dialog between the Council and School Board. We have worked hard this budget season to consider the needs of each Department and to look carefully at what investments need to be made now and wait can wait until next year.

I think we are getting close to an agreement that focuses on moving Dover forward while also being cognizant of the added stress our community is under right now. I’d estimate that with a few additional changes that I think most Councilors will support, we’re looking at a possible budget for FY21 that would increase the average resident’s tax bill by about $150/year (about $12.50/month) on a $300,000 property or about $75/year ($6.25/month) on a $150,000 property. Beyond the reductions or delays we’ve been discussing so far, we’re likely looking at needing to delay capital investments and infrastructure in order to reduce much further (every $100,000 in the budget equates to an average of $8/year in taxes for a $300,000 property or $4 on a $150,000 property). Are you comfortable with this budget? Are there further changes you'd recommend? Investments you think are needed right now? Items that you'd like to see delayed? Input can be sent to the whole Council by email at CityCouncil-All@dover.nh.gov or phone message at 603-516-MEET (6338).

This is also the time for those in our community who are not hurting as much to be willing to step up and invest in those groups who are supporting all our residents. This includes non-profits, businesses, and the City itself. You can donate to City efforts like the 400th celebration, recreation scholarships, police or fire support, and more through the green envelops included in tax and water/sewer bills, contacting the respective departments, or mailing a check to City Hall with a note in the memo line regarding it’s purpose. I also encourage folks to think about revisiting their own personal giving to see what more they can do to support groups in our Community (see the “giving wave” effort as well).

We still face many questions about what the coming months will look like for employment rates, stimulus grants, federal infrastructure investments, and more. If you or any of your neighbors are facing challenges with rent, food, tax payments, etc. please make sure to reach out to the Dover Cares program to discuss the additional resources available from the City and partners to help in these challenging times (www.dover.nh.gov/dovercares/).