ACCOMPLISHMENTS
TAX RATE: From 1989 through 2001 helped keep the tax rate nearly level.
SAFETY CENTER: Found the land and building for the new Safety Center, which saved on investment, operating costs, and taxes. Tenant pays all costs of operating the building!
WEST BEDFORD FIRE SUBSTATION: Supported the jointly-operated Fire Station at the Air Force Tracking Station, saving costs/taxes for the three towns of Amherst, Bedford, and New Boston.
TRANSFER STATION/RECYCLING CENTER:Supported the new Transfer Station and Recycling Center to replace the old Landfill, which was overfull and obsolete.
LIBRARY: Supported the construction of the new Library, to replace out-dated, out-grown facility.
STAGGERED SCHOOL STARTING TIMES: Recommended staggered school starting times, which eliminated 10 buses, saving over $300,000+ a year, which goes into classrooms instead of a bus company.
SCHOOL LIABILITY INSURANCE: Recommended getting bids on school insurance. Result: twice the coverage, half the cost, with the savings going to education rather than an insurance company.
PERFORMANCE PAY FOR TEACHERS: Recommended Merit Pay for Bedford’s teachers, which was adopted, perhaps the only such school pay plan in New Hampshire.
BEDFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT ENDOWMENT FUND: Formed the Bedford School District Endowment Fund, the interest of the Fund to pay for some or all of future Bedford school costs once Bedford’s tax base stops growing.
OFFICIAL BALLOT VOTING (SB 2): Initiated Official Ballot Voting (SB 2) on all school district warrant articles in the privacy of the voting booth or by absentee ballot on election day. Now 6000 (or more) vote on all issues, where 100 (or less) did before at traditional school meetings. In 2002, more than 8200 voted!
RIDDLE BROOK SCHOOL: Supported the construction of Riddle Brook School. In 2001, opposed the addition to Riddle Brook because it would not solve overcrowding. Proposed a new Upper Elementary School.
BUDGETS: Over the past 8 years or more, BTA has supported all final Town and School Budgets
JOPPA HILL FARM: Supported the purchase of Joppa Hill Farm for conservation and recreation use only.
SCHOOL LAND PURCHASE: Opposed, helped defeat purchase of unneeded, overpriced, unsuitable Flatley land at corner of Rt. 101 and Rt. 114; school distract had already owned land on Nashua Road.
TUITION AGREEMENT: Petitioned BSB for new vote on Manchester contract, to save millions of $$$.
BEDFORD HIGH SCHOOL: In 2002, opposed, helped defeat, a then-unneeded, overly expensive $45+ million high school. In 2003, initiated talks with BHC and TQE and came up with a so-called “compromise agreement.” Not enough voter turnout caused it to fail at November ’03 special election; an unpopular amendment at February ’04 deliberative session caused failure at March ’04 election. At March ’05 election, a divided BTA board supported a much-needed 7-8 Middle School, along with a High School, at a very reasonable two-for-the-price-of-one cost, which passed by 68%.
GOALS
CHANGE ELECTION DAY: Urge Town/School District to Change Election Day from 2nd Tuesday in march to 2nd Tuesday in April to avoid blizzards (as in March 2005) and enable more citizens to vote.
EFFICIENCY STUDIES: Initiate continuing studies to increase productivity and cut costs, by both Town and School District – energy, insurance, greater use of facilities, shared costs, out-sourcing, etc.
OFFICIAL BALLOT VOTING (SB 2) by TOWN: Urge Town to adopt OBV (SB 2), so 6000 or more will vote on Town warrant articles on election day, instead of just 94, as happened in March 2005.
TAX-BREAKS FOR SENIORS: Urge Town to enact larger tax-breaks for seniors, low-income citizens.
GREATER UTILIZATION OF FACILITIES: Explore additional sources of income from night and summer use of Town- and School-owned properties, both land and buildings, to help defray costs of same.