$38 Million missing from March 8th ballot in Bedford

As thousands of Bedford's registered voters take to the polls on Tuesday, March 8th, more than $38 million dollars of the town operating budget will be missing.

On March 8th you can vote on nearly $85 million dollars of school expenses, and all the candidates vying for seats on the school board or town council - the very same people who build the budgets that become your taxes. But, significantly, you cannot vote on the Town's operating budget or other budgetary items.

You read that correctly.

On March 8th you can vote on everything except the Town's annual budget.

To actually vote on the town operating budget you need to show up the following day at 7:00pm in a dark auditorium, and raise your hand to vote on items that will consume almost 30% of your annual local taxes.

With more than 20,000 residents, Bedford has outgrown old-style meetings where mere handfuls will vote on a $38+ million dollar Town budget.

Bedford's voters and taxpayers deserve a modern and accessible ballot process for town budgets, not just school budgets.

As you talk to candidates and current town councilors over the next two weeks, ask them to take action to put the budget on the ballot.

Jay Nash

2022 Sample Town Ballot - No $$$
https://bedfordnh.org/Document...

2022 Sample School Ballot - $85+ million
https://drive.google.com/file/...