Dover approves $4.79 million budget

DOVER — The Dover City Council unanimously voted to adopt a $4.79 million budget at a special council meeting Aug. 22.

The budget was adopted with little council or city comments on the budget and there were no public comments, written or in person. The council voted 3-0, with councilors Merlin Glass, Dan Parkin and Keith Congleton all voting in favor of the proposed budget. Council president Kim Bledsoe was absent.

The council held multiple hearings over the past several months on the budget, ultimately setting the budget at $4,974,036, which was approved in a quick 15-minute meeting. 

The budget earmarks $1,588,583 for the city’s general fund, $719,514 for the street fund, $1,080,328 for the water fund and $1,584,311 for the sewer fund.

The budget includes $109,205 in property taxes with $1,479,378 in general fund revenue, $462,077 in street fund revenue, $995,809 in water fund revenue, and $1,584,311 in sewer fund revenue. The city’s FY 2025 budget also includes a capital funds carryover of 341,956.

The meeting also included approval of a motion to levy $4,071 in forgone property taxes for Fiscal Year 2025. Foregone taxes allow a taxing entity to take a tax increase it opted to pass on in previous years.

Of that amount, $1,018 will go toward salaries in the city from the general fund for maintenance and operations and $3,053 from the general fund for a capital project involving a new post office being built at 105 Fourth St.

Work on the new post office began June 10 with construction expected to continue through spring 2025.

Businesses in the area and the Selkirks-Pend Oreille Transit bus stop will remain open. No road closures or detours are expected at this time, Dover officials said.

However, the property will not be available for parking for the duration of construction.