By Meredith McCulloch
Two long-term board members will be stepping down from elected boards when their terms expire in March. John Linz will not seek another term, having been on the Board of Assessors since 1989, nor will Sandra Hackman, who has served on the Planning Board for four terms. In addition Kevin Wormstead has said that he does not plan to seek another term on the Board of Health..
In a telephone conversation Linz credited the other board members and the Assessors’ staff with making his long tenure satisfying, adding “Whenever there were concerns, whatever was in the best of the Town prevailed.”
The Town Caucus will meet Tuesday night January 7 at 7p.m. in the multipurpose room at Town Hall to nominate candidates for town offices. If you or someone you know wants to run for a Bedford town board, the Town Caucus is an opportunity to place that name on the ballot. At the Caucus each nomination is made and seconded. Candidates must be present to be nominated and are invited to say a few words about their qualifications and why they want to serve. Up to two Caucus nominees may be chosen for each position.
As previously reported in The Bedford Citizen, Selectmen Michael Rosenberg and Mark Siegenthaler each plan to seek another three-year term. (https://thebedfordcitizen.org/2013/12/06/rosenberg-and-siegenthaler-to-seek-additional-terms/ )
Below is a partial list of elected boards and the number of expiring terms on each.
- Assessor – 1
- Bedford Housing Authority-1 (five-year term)
- Board of Health-2
- Library Trustees-2
- Planning Board -2
- School Committee-2
- Selectmen-2
Nominations can also be made by collecting signatures from registered voters. Papers are available from the Town Clerk now and must be returned by January 20. For details see https://thebedfordcitizen.org/2013/12/06/two-ways-to-throw-your-hat-in-the-ring/
Members of many boards and committees are appointed, and therefore are not subject to nomination and election. Residents who are considering serving on one may complete the volunteer questionnaire found at Town Hall and in the Annual Warrant or may contact the Volunteer Coordinating Committee at https://www.bedfordma.gov/volunteer-coordinating-committee. The committee seeks new volunteers on an ongoing basis.
Caucus is a sure sign of spring