Bedford City Council (Dallas: comparison, MBA, letter)

[loves2read]

thanks for the heads up---

so Dorothy is rearing her head/raising her voice again--why do I start to hear the Jaws theme in the background...

[my2cents2u]

If you think you can do a better job, then why don't you run for office and show everyone the great job that can be done.

[my2cents2u]

let's see what next years tax rate is after you defeat those you don't want on Bedford City Council.

[loves2read]

MY2CENTS2U (new member, huh?)--read your post to the person looking for apt info--saw you recommended that because of growth of petty crime in Bedford, he choose Hurst for apt search---nice to know you value the Bedford community enough to send someone to Hurst

Yes, petty crime in Bedford is growing--(could it be because we don't have enough police patrols since our budget was cut)--our streets need to be resurfaced--we have an aging population which is statistically more likely to be calling for EMT services--when the new road goes through on several years from now much of the restaurant/commercial development along 183/121 is going to be cut back---there are few commercial developments moving into this town compared to Hurst/NRH/Colleyville/Southlake...

HOW are we going to pay for future services/growth/maintenance --- there is only so much blood that you can get from a stone--
our police/EMT/fire and other city workers are not pulling down salaries that other cities can offer--how do we staff these important jobs --by OUTSOURCING...

get a grip---putting a freeze on seniors' taxes does not make them the rulers of the town--there are plenty of seniors who have more resources/more equity/more income than young families with 2 kids who are trying to buy a home, save for college and retirement--maybe we should have based the tax freeze on income not age--how about that???

If our schools don't raise their TAKS scores--which is how many people decide what makes ISDs "quality" ones--we are gong to keep losing ground to areas like Keller/Colleyville/NRH who right now are generally PERCEIVED to have better schools than HEB--I am not saying that is the case--I think HEB offers a quality education considering the challenges it faces with the growiing number of lower socioeconomic and ethnic students now moving to our town/district...

this is not the go-to community in NW Tarrant county that it was in the early 80s--when the freeway is restructured in the next several years, then Bedford which has retail/commercial very close to the 183 will lose even MORE of the commercial tax money and have to depend even more heavily on residential taxes....

the problem with having a residential base for city taxes/services is that if the demand for the homes does not grow with the need for higher taxes and encourage the growth of equity/value in homes people will resent and fight the higher tax rates that are required to produce an adequate money supply to fund city services....our homes in Bedford have not apprecated--we are basically land locked and have been for ten+ years...

there has been little development to bring new companies to help our tax base--we lost Wal-Mart on Harwood (although there is company there now, it does not match the revenue from Wal-Mart)...the assisted living developments have helped to add tax monies and the new medical office that is going in on Forest Ridge will help...the Carter Blood Center was a great way to take advantage of our prime location in Tarrant co...

but JUST CUTTING TAXES is not going to cut it ...
why was it necessary to spend all the money now and in the future to open that pool on Central--because senior citizens want to swim there---
I just find that many of the city council members have a niche market--and yet they don't admit to it...
they don't have anything really to worry about if they did --most of the residents in Bedford don't vote--and they don't care--THAT is the real problem...not discussion and debate and differing opinions--but the apathy...

[tailoma]

my2cents2u, we don't necessarily need to run for city council to be involved and know what goes on in our city. There are only 7 seats there but most seats in the city council chambers are unfilled at city council meetings. Most citizens have their heads in the sand (or else where) and unaware what goes on. Some I've spoken to blame the city council for voting for Splash. That was voted on by the citizens, at least, the ones that bothered to vote.

It's more a matter of knowing what is going on, reading up on it, watching or attending city council meetings, calling or emailing the council and asking questions. Otherwise, we'd be like the other citizens and I don't like sand in my hair.

[my2cents2u]

Loves to read, WalMart moved over to 121 and it is an even larger store today. They also opened a store/market with gas station at Bedford road and Central. What loss are you talking about?

In regard to salaries, the Bedford HR director and Chief of Police were opposed to a plan that would have allowed those who are below average salary levels to have their salaries increased. The Chief makes around $125,00/year with benefits. He got a 5.5% raise last year and is looking at a 6% raise this year. While his staff go the same percent increases, it would have made more sense to raise salary grades for those being under-paid rather than give raises that make the department heads well paid, but do not take care of the rank and file who are out there doing their job.

The reason crime is up is due to the Chief saying he has his team selectively enforce the law. Rather than patrolling, currently police sit in some of the parking lots of resturants with liquor service and stop patrons leaving for having alcohol on their breath. I am all for not allowing DUI to take place, but if you had one beer at Bennigans along with a sandwich is that justification to be stopped and checked for sobriety? If you are stumbling around or your driving indicates there is a problem fine, but these individuals are being stopped for simply coming out of the establishment. I believe this is tantamount to "profiling" which is against the law! That is where a number of the officers are and part of the cause for the so called shortage and failure to reduce petty crime! The officers in taking this approach are stiffling the economic growth you say we need! They are chasing away business. Why would a business come here to be put out of business by the police sitting out front scaring away any patrons.

I do agree with you and Tailoma that the average citizen in Bedford is not doing what they should be in staying aware of what is going on with-in the city, making their thoughts, needs and desires known and voting.

However, both of you are telling us about the problem, but offer no solution as a contributor. It is easy to sit back and criticize as I am doing with you and not provide any options.

As an option if you are unhappy with the elected officials, then you should make your points known publically by starting your own PAC and get candidates that you believe will handle the city as you deem best.

You will also need to help fund the campaign if you want your candidate to win. In looking at the elections over the last twenty-five years or so, it is glaringly apparant that the ones who won had the backing of a PAC and anyone who attempted to run against the one with the backing lost.

While you say you are active in writing, asking questions, etc, that is far short of what is needed if you want change. The fact is, the average citizen that doesn't vote most likely never hears a word you say. Unless you get active at election time, you're wasting your time with these blogs.

Now I think I will go over to Bennigans or Dukes this afternoon and see how many police cars are out there. Yesterday there were quite a few.

That my friends is why, people are spending their money in other cities and moving away from Bedford.

[Synopsis]

I am sorry to hear of problems in Bedford. We lived in Bedford in the 90s before moving to Hurst, and I always liked Bedford. In fact, before we saw our home in Hurst, we told the realtor that we didn't want to look anywhere other than Bedford. It was mostly out of ignorance, as we had not really looked a Hurst, specifically North Hurst at all. But the homes that we looked at in Bedford were just way to expensive for our taste, and the ones that were within our price range were south of 183 and were in terrible condition and in a bad area.

From an outsider's point of view, it appears to me that the politicians have been doing a sorry job in Bedford. Hurst is making many new improvements to its infrastructure and is attracting new business, while Bedford appears to be having issues with funding and other such things. It's too bad, because Bedford is and always will be one of my favorite municipalities in the metroplex. Get it together Bedford, we're rooting for you!

[loves2read]

My fault--I thought the Wal-Mart on 121 was not in Bedford (and the WalMart on Bedford Euless is grocery not full retail store)...

I see police cars drive though my neighborhood during the day--morning and afternoon--a times but not every day---I eat at Pappadeaux's, Chili's, Lupe's and Jason's fairly often (not so much Bennigan's because I find it too smoky) and can't say that I have seen police cars parked in their parking lots like they are "staking out the lot" but I will be looking for that now --- could it be that Bennigan's has a problem with over-serving?
If so then Liquor Control Board should be notified...

I think I have noticed a distinct drop in the number of speeders who are stopped on our streets--Cummings drive seems to have quite a few as do Forest Ridge and Bedford Rd...I wish we would have more police there, looking for speeders....

As far as growth of crime--I don't think your reasoning is the most important reason for the uptick in crime....(and I think I read that crime was generally down in Bedford last year)--the economy for min-wage earners is bad--rent and gas and food are all more expensive month by month....people get angry and often do things to remedy that which are illegal--either with drugs or stealing or fighting...

Bedford is located in middle of freeways--people can come here from all over--how many of the people in Bedford jail are Bedford residents? Could the rise of low-socio-economic-ethnic residents be a reason for increasing crime---PC or not PC, more crime like assaults, burglaries, public mischief/intoxication happens in lower-socio-economic areas than upper class ones--or at least people are arrested there (for a lot of reasons)...
Bedford is just not the middle-class yuppie mecca it was 15-20 years ago...crime is not what drove people out...



If you think the city needs more police presence, have the number of police officers or police cars increased in past 4 years? I was not aware of it...

[loves2read]

interesting letter to the editor in the FTW paper from husband of Bedford City Council member--regarding the situation commented on in this link--and another one in today's paper from someone else...
maybe people are starting to care and become involved---looking forward to the next election...

[my2cents2u]

Loves to read...suggest you go back and check who wrote the article you reference. As I read it, the author was not the spouse of a City Council Member.