Town Hall · Dover

Dover, MA town hall & government

Dover spent $44.9 million in the year to June 30, 2023, about $7,625 per resident.

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

Town budget

Where Dover's money goes

Spent
$44.9 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2023
Per resident
$7,625
typical Massachusetts towns: $6,187
Long-term debt
$18.5 million
$3,131 per resident
Schools
$14.5 million32%
Paid to other governments
$13.4 million30%
Administration & buildings
$2.8 million6%
Police
$2.3 million5%
Roads & transportation
$1.8 million4%
Parks & libraries
$1.3 million3%
Fire
$721,0002%
Interest on debt
$672,0001%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$573,0001%
Health & welfare
$426,0001%
Sewer & trash
$380,0001%
Water & other utilities
$106,000<1%
Other
$6 million13%

Dover runs its own schools, so school spending is part of its budget. Comparisons are with other Massachusetts towns.

Where the money comes from

  • Property taxes 87%
  • From the state 7%
  • From the federal government 2%
  • Fees & charges 2%
  • Other taxes & licenses 1%
  • Interest, fines & other 1%
  • Utility sales <1%
  • Sales taxes <1%
Town workforce · Census estimate

Who works for Dover

Full-time staff
128
91 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$85,900
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
21
full-time, with power of arrest
Schools
72 full-time45 part
Fire
4 full-time36 part
Police
21 full-time
Parks & libraries
12 full-time5 part
Roads & transportation
8 full-time
Health & welfare
5 full-time
Sewer & trash
2 full-time
Housing & development
1 full-time1 part
Other
3 full-time4 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2022. 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

Dover-Sherborn School District

Dover's K–12 school district, shared with Sherborn. The schools are run by Dover, so this money is part of the budget above.

Spending per pupil
$27,480
Massachusetts: $26,530
Students
1,105
in the whole district
Long-term debt
None
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Massachusetts districts overall: 49% local, 43% state, 8% federal

  • Local 72%
  • State 25%
  • Federal 4%

Of the $27,480 per pupil, $18,066 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: Dover School District ($26,028 per pupil).

Property tax

What homeowners in Dover pay

Typical tax bill
$10,000+
a year · Massachusetts typical $5,992
Typical home value
$1,340,300
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

Town hall & decisions in Dover →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Dover

Dover is represented in Congress by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey and Representative Jake Auchincloss. Maura Healey 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

Massachusetts · MA · Norfolk County
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