Dover Finance Committee Plans Capital Review Overhaul and Budget Software Adoption

DOVER — June 24, 2026 — Dover Finance Committee holds planning session with no reserve fund votes, eyes new budget software and state funding pipeline. The committee, meeting remotely on June 24, approved its June 3 minutes 5-0 with one abstention — Steve, who joined the panel after that meeting — and then spent the bulk of the session on forward-looking business after anticipated ambulance and police reserve fund transfers were not ready for action. Select Board member Dave and state legislative contact Kyle briefed the panel on a new practice of maintaining a standing list of town funding requests to insert into state supplemental appropriation and bond bills, noting legislators often have fewer than 48 hours to file amendments; the first item submitted, a fuel island study at the Department of Public Works, has already cleared an initial bond bill round. The committee also discussed potentially adopting ClearGov budget management software at a one-time cost of $18,150 and $37,000 annually, with the startup cost targeted for state funding; member Gavin flagged data-portability and pricing risks tied to the vendor's private equity ownership, and Finance Director Chris Costello is expected to demonstrate the software at the July 8 meeting alongside a briefing on a 164-page capital planning report from the Collins Center.