Moving Forward on Productive Budget Deliberations in Dover

I am often asked how I feel about the tax cap in Dover. When I first ran, I was told to keep my views quiet on it, that it was too much of a hot button issue. But I felt strongly then and after working through four budget cycles, feel even more strongly now.

The tax cap doesn't serve Dover well. But I also disagree that saying that means I'm a 'tax and spend' Councilor. I take budget deliberations very seriously. I take the input of our City staff seriously. I take the input of our residents very seriously. I consider what the implications might be for homeowners and renters and businesses. I make my decisions with a lot of thought.

I have voted different ways each year on the budget based on what investments I felt the city needed and what the impact of that spending might be. I voted 'yes' for two budgets that were above the cap, 'yes' for one that was below, and 'no' on one that was below the cap because I disagreed with breakdown of the funds within the budget.

I have significant experience working with federal budgeting from a previous job so I take the role on Council very seriously when it comes to budgets. I review them carefully and weigh options before making a decision. I've spent a lot of time thinking about the role of the tax cap in our community and in our budget deliberations.

I personally feel that the focus on the tax cap anchors the discussion around whether the proposed budget is above or below the cap, not the more important discussion around what the true needs are, what tax burden the community can afford, and where we need the state and federal government to contribute.

Over the past four years I have worked with other Councilors to try to move the discussions to spend more time focused on how to use our resources most efficiently, for example partnering across departments or making investments before we get into crisis mode on infrastructure. I've had many discussions with City staff about possible ways to improve the presentation of budget materials to ease understanding of complex information (on that front I always point people to the Department slide shows for info, not the big budget book). I've advocated for budget priority setting discussions earlier in the process.

I believe that we can continue to make improvements in the process that will lead to more fruitful discussions about investments and resources and what is best for our community.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about my views.