Accountability posts

**What Really Happened at Bedford's Select Board Meeting — February 23, 2026**

The agenda listed a charter amendment public hearing. What unfolded was one of the more contentious Select Board meetings Bedford has seen in recent months — and residents who couldn't attend deserve to know what was said, and what wasn't.

The central dispute: a proposed charter amendment that would give the town manager authority to hire and fire the Library Director, shifting that power away from Bedford's elected Library Board of Trustees. The Library Trustees chair, Padma Chowdhury, appeared at the public hearing and stated on the record that she believes the process has been "disingenuous for a long time." Resident Allison Jimmerson asked detailed questions about why the amendment is necessary, expressed disappointment in how the process has been handled, and explicitly asked that her questions be answered openly. The board chair thanked her and moved to the next speaker. None of her questions were addressed on the record. A third resident, Emily Mitchell, spoke in support of the trustees' proposed counter-language. Same result. The hearing was closed. The board has not finalized charter language.

Two other concerns from the same meeting warrant attention. First, a resident raised a pointed concern about proposed charter language that would allow a simple majority of three Select Board members to move town election dates — with no guardrails described. The board did not substantively respond before closing the public hearing. Second, conflicting legal opinions exist about the scope of the town manager's authority over department heads, including the Board of Assessors. Rather than standing behind their own town counsel's interpretation, the board directed the town manager to seek a written second opinion from outside municipal counsel. When your own board doesn't trust its own lawyer's answer, that's worth watching.

On the fiscal side: Bedford's FY27 school budget projects a $490,000 draw from the Special Education Stabilization Fund, on top of a projected $200K–$217K deficit this year. The board acknowledged the situation and directed staff to confirm numbers offline. No formal action was taken. The board also voted unanimously to place 34 warrant articles before Town Meeting — including a shift of three vehicle purchases from free cash to bonding, adding over $1 million in borrowing costs over 10 years. These are decisions that will affect Bedford's finances for years. They deserve full public engagement before Town Meeting. https://meetingwatch.org/ma/bedford/select-board/2026-02-23/ #MeetingWatch #BedfordMA