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Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan

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Overview 

A Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is a flexible plan outlining the financial schedules for all Capital Projects over a five-year period (Fiscal Years 2025 – 2029). The CIP does not address all capital expenditures for Dorchester County, but it provides an overview of all large, physical improvements which are permanent. The schedules also include projections for long term operating expenditures associated with each project, if applicable. 

The goal of the 5-year CIP program is to establish a plan that outlines the projected infrastructure improvement needs of each department to assist in the planning and budgeting process. The plan includes a summary of all projects, an estimated cost, a timeline for the improvements, and the source of funding for each project. The CIP Plan is designed to be re-evaluated each year to either reaffirm or reprioritize the projects due to expected changes in the County’s goals and financial resources.  

To qualify for inclusion in the CIP Ranking Process, a project must be consistent with guidelines and goals outlined in the County’s Strategic Plan. Capital expenditures that are significant, non-routine and cost over $50,000 are placed in the CIP. The CIP Committee utilizes the Budget Scoring Matrix to determine project priority levels which are outlined on the following pages. The County Administrator recommends project funding to County Council based on the level in which projects were ranked varying from Critical to Low Priority. The current financial state of the County is also taken into consideration when selecting and prioritizing project funding. On an annual basis, funding for CIP Projects will be limited based on each department’s current fund balance or bonding capabilities. Projects identified in the CIP may be funded by various sources such as General Obligation Bonds, Revenue Bonds, Grants, or Existing Fund Balance.

Capital Improvement Policy

  1. The County has implemented a five-year capital improvement plan. The capital improvement plan is updated annually.
  2. The County will coordinate the development of the capital improvement budget with development of the operating budget. Operating costs relating to capital improvements will be projected and included in the operating budget.
  3. The County will identify the estimated costs and funding sources for capital projects before submitting to County Council for approval.

 

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