Town Hall · Dover

Dover, DE town hall & government

Dover spent $150.7 million in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,906 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Dover's government.

Local leadership

Who runs Dover

Robin R. ChristiansenMayorTerm ends 2027 302-736-7004Email Source ↗ Out of date? Sign in to tell us

From public records (Open States and Wikidata), which can lag behind an election. If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.

Town budget · Census estimate

Where Dover's money goes

Spent
$150.7 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2024
Per resident
$3,906
spending per person
Long-term debt
None
none outstanding at year end
Water & other utilities
$86.5 million57%
Police
$25.4 million17%
Sewer & trash
$11.2 million7%
Administration & buildings
$6.6 million4%
Roads & transportation
$3.5 million2%
Parks & libraries
$2.8 million2%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$1.4 million1%
Fire
$1.3 million1%
Paid to other governments
$421,000<1%
Housing & development
$291,000<1%
Health & welfare
$125,000<1%
Interest on debt
$46,000<1%
Other
$11.1 million7%

Where the money comes from

  • Utility sales 69%
  • Fees & charges 14%
  • Property taxes 10%
  • Other taxes & licenses 3%
  • Interest, fines & other 2%
  • From the state 1%
  • Sales taxes <1%

Dover didn't report all of its 2024 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau's estimates.

Town workforce · Census estimate

Who works for Dover

Full-time staff
330
33 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$93,500
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
99
full-time, with power of arrest
Police
132 full-time2 part
Administration & buildings
78 full-time12 part
Water & other utilities
54 full-time
Roads & transportation
28 full-time
Parks & libraries
20 full-time15 part
Sewer & trash
15 full-time
Fire
3 full-time
Health & welfare
0 full-time4 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate. Dover didn't report its staffing to the Census Bureau, so these are the Bureau's estimates.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Capital School District

Dover's K–12 school district, shared with Cheswold, Hartly, Little Creek and Leipsic. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$23,521
Delaware: $22,312
Students
6,547
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$170.2 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Delaware districts overall: 32% local, 57% state, 11% federal

  • Local 24%
  • State 60%
  • Federal 16%

Of the $23,521 per pupil, $12,903 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Also serving Dover: Caesar Rodney School District ($18,902 per pupil).

Property tax

What homeowners in Dover pay

Typical tax bill
$1,470
a year · Delaware typical $1,768
Effective rate
0.57%
of home value · Delaware 0.50%
Typical home value
$258,900
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact Dover's government

🏛️ Official websitecityofdover.com ↗

Town hall & decisions in Dover →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Dover

Dover is represented in Congress by Senators Christopher A. Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester and Representative Sarah McBride. Matt Meyer is governor.

All of Dover's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

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Dover

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