Powers and duties of offices
The Mayor and City Council is the governing body of the City of Dover and set policies for the city government. As it states in the charter, the Mayor and Council "shall bear full responsibility for the implementation of said policies through the hiring and supervision of the City Manager." Duties include adopting ordinances, authorizing City of Dover expenditures of $25,000 or greater, adopting an annual budget and appointing members to all committees, boards and commissions, other than the School Board.
The School Board is the governing body of the City of Dover's School Department, which is School Administrative Unit 11. Per state law, the duty of the School Board is "to provide, at district expense, elementary and secondary education to all pupils who reside in the district until such time as the pupil has acquired a high school diploma or has reached age 21." It is responsible for establishing school policies and programs and determining the budgetary requirements of the schools. The School Board hires and supervises the Superintendent, tasked with managing the school district.
Election officers manage the election and have different responsibilities.
- Supervisors of the Checklist are responsible for maintaining up-to-date voter checklist information for the ward to which they were elected following all applicable laws.
- Moderators are responsible for overseeing the election process at the polling place of the ward to which they were elected. Moderators also ensure all applicable laws and procedures are carried out and followed by all participants at the polling place.
- Ward Clerks performs whatever duties deemed necessary by the moderator, including verifying and recording ballot count information.
- Selectpersons are responsible for the "in" and "out" checklists at the polling place, including verifying voter information, handing out ballots, directing voters to booths, and any other duties deemed necessary by the moderator.
Compensation
City Councilors and School Board members receive a $1,000 annual salary as part of their compensation. The Mayor and Chair of the School Board receive an additional $200 per year, and the Deputy Mayor receives an additional $50 per year. Supervisors of the Checklist are compensated $222 per day, Moderators $250 per day, Selectpersons $9 per hour, and Ward Clerks $170 per day. Any elected official who chooses to volunteer may do so without compensation.
Qualifications
Candidates must be duly qualified voters in the city. For Mayor and City Council positions, candidates must have lived in Dover for at least one year preceding the election. Candidates seeking a specific ward position must live in that ward. The City of Dover maintains a city map that visually represents Dover's ward boundaries and polling locations, among other municipal information. Chapter 17 of the city's code has a written description of ward boundaries.
For more information, contact City Clerk Jerrica Vansylyvong-Bizier at 603-516-6018 or j.bizier@dover.nh.gov.