Town of Bedford Finances at a Glance
Bedford’s Visual Budget is a way for citizens to see how property taxes and other revenues contained in the annual operating budget will support Bedford’s governmental services and activities. This page and the links above provide a visual representation of where revenue comes from, how the money will be used, and dedicated funds. Included is more detailed information about the current budget, as well as prior years’ actual revenue and spending. The charts below display all of the Town’s budget categories. By clicking on a budget category, you’ll see the total amount for that category.
To see how property tax dollars contribute to the budget, enter an amount for an annual property tax bill in the box below. Then hover over the graph below to see how much of your annual contribution is spent on every service provided by your Town and Schools. You can click on each budget to dive into more detail. (More information about expenses.)
(After entering a tax bill amount, click here to refresh the page.)Where does the money come from?
There are several sources of revenue and funding, but most of the Town’s revenue comes from property taxes. Other revenue sources come from state aid, local receipts such as fees, permits and licenses, and money taken from funds. (More information about Revenues)
How much do we have?
The Town maintains a number of reserve, stabilization and other funds to help smooth out year-to-year expenses and provide funds for emergencies. ( More information about reserves and funds)
How much do we owe?
Most major expenses by the town, such as Town and School buildings, water/sewer infrastructure, fire trucks and other large projects are paid through borrowing, by issuing municipal bonds. These loans from investors are paid back over several years through debt service appropriations in the annual operating budget. (More information about debt)