Chelle Paul of Dover is the founder of Divided We Fall of Delaware. The following was also sent to members of Dover City Council and the city manager.
Last year, when Dover’s proposed budget was released, City Council was asked not to advance the budget as submitted and instead take the time to thoroughly review it and make necessary cuts to ensure long-term sustainability.
Based on that proposed budget, it was projected that the city would be approximately $3.1 million short. Constituents asked council to make the tough but responsible decisions needed to address that shortfall, rather than ignore the warning signs and kick the problem down the road.
As part of those requests, the city manager was asked to take several recommendations under serious consideration:
These recommendations were made for clear reasons. The city’s budget is already top-heavy, and at the current rate of compensation and staffing structure, the city will not be able to sustain operations, while also meeting long-term pension obligations. This is not fiscally responsible or sustainable.
Additionally, some positions do not require degrees, yet current hiring standards unnecessarily restrict the applicant pool. Lowering the criteria for those specific positions would reduce costs, expand the workforce pipeline and increase diversity and equity, while improving customer service and accountability.
Next, we must address the police academy. The police chief stated that the academy is not generating revenue and is instead costing the city money. If the city is paying what constituents are paying for an academy that is not producing the candidates needed for our own department and is not offsetting its costs, then this does not represent sound financial management.
This observation is not meant to slight officers. In fact, there has been a noticeable improvement in officer engagement and attitude, which may be the result of increased community interaction and efforts to rebuild trust. As a community advocate, I continue to work toward bridging that gap, while remaining firm that no one — officers nor constituents — is harmed unnecessarily.
City manager Dave Hugg, you were asked directly whether this budget was solid, and council was asked the same question. It cannot now be claimed that you were unaware of the risk of not receiving anticipated federal funding. Constituents, including myself, repeatedly raised this issue through emails, public comments on the chamber floor and by outlining the concerns directly from the budget itself. These same issues were raised publicly during the last election.
Despite those warnings, no meaningful effort was made to revisit the budget, cut costs nor address the foreseeable deficit.
Further, Councilman David Anderson publicly stated to the media that the city had a budget surplus, which we knew at the time was false. Providing false information to the public, especially while holding the position of council president, is unethical and undermines public trust.
These may be seats in a lower level of government, but they are the most important seats in this city, and they must be treated as such. Holding these seats requires integrity, honesty and accountability.
Let me be clear: I have never asked any of you to vote a certain way nor have I attempted to influence your vote. My only request of all of you has been to listen, review the evidence and information in front of you, and make sound, informed decisions on behalf of the constituents who elected you.
There is nothing uninformed or careless about me. I have taken the time to review this city’s budget year over year for the past four years, something this council should be doing as part of its core responsibilities. Based on that review, it is clear that the reason many positions remain unfilled is not strategy nor timing; it is because the city cannot afford to fill them.
This is a financial problem, not a personnel problem.
Until council is willing to confront that reality, stop unnecessary spending and make the structural changes required to stabilize the budget, the city will continue to operate in a deficit position.
I am asking you now to do what should have been done already: Slow down, review the budget honestly, make the hard cuts and begin restoring the city’s financial stability.
You can hate the messenger but receive the message.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
