Town Government
Boards & Commissions
What Boards & Commissions Are
Beyond the Select Board and the School Committee, much of Bedford’s governing happens on volunteer boards and commissions. They approve new development, hear zoning appeals, protect the town’s wetlands and open space, weigh in on historic places, and guide services for residents. They are the rooms where an ordinary resident can have the most direct hand in a decision.
Who fills them is a real question here, and Bedford’s charter answers it in three places. Nine bodies are elected outright under section 4-1: the Select Board, the Board of Assessors, the Board of Health, the Bedford Housing Authority, the Planning Board, the Trustees of the Bedford Free Public Library, the Moderator, the School Committee and Bedford’s two seats on the Regional Vocational Technical School District Committee. Fourteen more are appointed by the Select Board under section 3-3, listed there by name with their size and term. And the departments themselves are staffed by the Town Manager under section 5-1(b), with the board’s approval.
Elected by the Voters
| Select Board | 5 members, 3 year terms. The chief executive body of the town. |
|---|---|
| School Committee | 5 members, 3 year terms. Appoints and evaluates the Superintendent. |
| Planning Board | 5 members, 3 year terms. Subdivisions, site plans and zoning. |
| Board of Health | 5 members, 3 year terms. Inspections, clinics and public health rules. |
| Board of Assessors | 3 members, 3 year terms. Property valuation and abatements. |
| Library Trustees | 7 members, 3 year terms. Governs the Bedford Free Public Library. |
| Bedford Housing Authority | 4 members, 5 year terms. Runs the town’s public housing. |
| Moderator | 1, a 3 year term. Presides over every session of Town Meeting. |
| Regional Vocational Technical School District | Bedford’s 2 seats, 3 year terms, on the Minuteman committee. |
Appointed by the Select Board
Charter section 3-3 lists these by name, with the size and term of each, plus any temporary committee the board decides to create.
- Conservation Commission, 7 members, 3 year terms.
- Council on Aging, 9 members, 3 year terms.
- Youth and Family Services, 9 members, 3 year terms.
- Recreation Commission, 5 members, 3 year terms.
- Historic District Commission, 5 members plus 2 alternates.
- Historic Preservation Commission, 5 members, 3 year terms.
- Volunteer Coordinating Committee, 5 members, 3 year terms.
- Registrars of Voters, 3 members, 3 year terms.
- Zoning Board of Appeals associates, 3, 3 year terms.
- Constables, 4, 3 year terms.
- Town Counsel, appointed for one year at a time.
- Town Historian, a 3 year term.
- MBTA and Metropolitan Area Planning Council representatives, one each.
The Money Committees
Two committees exist only to look hard at spending before Town Meeting votes it, and neither one is appointed the way anything else in town is.
- Finance Committee. Nine members, three year terms, appointed by the unanimous vote of three people: the Chair of the Finance Committee, the Moderator and the Chair of the Select Board. It reviews the budget and advises Town Meeting, and every elected board has to file its budget with it by the second Monday in January.
- Capital Expenditure Committee. Nine members. The Select Board, the School Committee and the Finance Committee each send one of their own; the other six are appointed by the unanimous vote of those three chairs. It reviews and comments on every warrant article that spends capital money.
How to Serve, and the Rule That Makes It Fair
Bedford runs an unusual gate in front of most appointments, and it works in a resident’s favour. Under charter section 3-5 the Volunteer Coordinating Committee finds and screens candidates for appointive offices, and then hands the appointing authority a list of every applicant with a recommendation on whether each is qualified. The charter is blunt about what follows: the appointing authority may not appoint an applicant whose name does not appear on that list. So the way onto a Bedford board is to apply, in writing, and be on the list.
- Find an opening on the town’s Boards and Committees page at bedfordma.gov.
- Apply to the Volunteer Coordinating Committee, or to the Town Manager’s Office, which runs the annual reappointment cycle for terms expiring on June 30.
- Interview. The Select Board interviews candidates in open session as a numbered item on its own agenda, so you can watch one happen before yours.
- Serve: attend the public meetings and help make decisions for your town.
Serving on a board is one of the most direct ways to shape Bedford.