DOVER (WJER) - The city’s auditor says the city ended 2019 in good enough shape to allow them to pursue more capital improvement projects in the coming year. 

The city will allocate about $350,000 more in income tax money to capital improvements in 2020 after council’s approval Monday. Auditor Nicole Stoldt says the city’s financial standing makes that possible.

“Usually, each year the general fund decreases just a little bit because the expenditures are going up, things are going up. This year, we’re just ahead of where we started the year so that gives us a good background to start on. I mean, I have to give kudos to our department heads. Everybody’s cracking down and spending’s down,” she says.

Stoldt says the capital improvement fund is projected to receive about $2.4-million in income tax money in 2020, up five percent increase from past years. The money can be used for street paving, vehicle and equipment purchases, and other big projects. Stoldt says a bump in revenue from the state gas tax increase will help offset the change in income tax distribution.  

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