In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Community Services Director John Storer, Library Director Denise LaFrance, and Information Technology Director Annie Dove about the proposed FY26 budget.

John Storer discusses Community Services' fifteen budget areas totaling about $35 million (3.6% increase from last year). He explains how they track historical data on expenses like electricity and fuel to make projections. A major change involves transitioning from the current pay-as-you-throw trash bag system to an automated cart collection system. While the city will continue using bags for the next two years under a contract extension with Waste Management, they'll eventually move to automated pickup with costs rolled into the general fund rather than direct resident fees. Storer also highlights increases in street maintenance funding for paving, traffic signals, bridge repairs, and sidewalk improvements.

Denise LaFrance explains the library's focus on balancing physical and digital offerings. Despite library renovations, they'll continue purchasing physical books while increasing digital resources by 23% to meet growing demand. She describes how she offset these increases by cutting underutilized databases, saving almost $7,000. The library is maintaining staffing levels and increasing programming funds, supported in part by Friends of the Library.

Annie Dove details IT's approach to budgeting, which involves tracking hardware replacement cycles and software costs. FY26 includes enhanced network services for water and sewer facilities, replacing aging network equipment at communication towers, and accounting changes that reorganize subscription costs into a dedicated line item.

In This Week in Dover History, we learn about the devastating 1889 fire that destroyed Dover's second City Hall. The site of the fire, known as "the Hot Corner," saw multiple structures burn over the years.