Election Day is just about here. Now is the time, if you haven’t already done so, to study the issues and examine the candidates for office in our local town and school races.

One issue you may not be familiar with is Article 2 Amendment 1 on the Town Warrant, which deals with the Bedford Zoning Ordinance. Because zoning amendments are long and often hard to understand, it is easy for them to get overlooked on the ballot.

However, this is one you should pay attention to.

Bedford residents will be asked to change the way zoning amendments are approved in town. Right now, amendments must be voted on by residents on the town ballot. If Amendment 1 passes, zoning amendments would be in the hands of the Town Council. After a minimum of two public hearings, the council would approve or deny the amendment.

This could mean the lot next to yours could be rezoned to commercial land. Instead of a new family moving in next door, you could find yourself trying to share morning coffee with a shopping mall.

This is a bad idea. It gives a decision that was once made by more than 16,000 registered voters in Bedford to as few as three or four people on the Town Council.

Why would Bedford residents want to give up this power? When has it ever been a good idea to give more authority to the government?

In fact, even the Town Council thinks it’s a bad idea. At its Jan. 27 meeting, it voted 5-2 against the amendment.

Also on the ballot for town voters to decide is Article 3, which asks voters to approve a $30 million road bond to continue reconstruction and rehabilitation of the town’s road system. $30 million is a lot of money, even broken into three smaller bonds, as the Town Council proposes.

But what is the cost of doing nothing? This project began in 2003, but hasn’t been finished since voters have rejected it for the past two years. The roads aren’t getting any better. By waiting longer, more expenses will inevitably stack up from not taking action.

In addition, low interest rates and construction costs make it a favorable time to get this work started. On the school side, voters will decide on a $7.8 million bond to make necessary renovations to McKelvie Intermediate School.

Again, it’s a lot of money, but there are several ways the burden will be lighter by approving the bond now. When you go to the polls, take into account the low interest rates, plus the $2 million in state building aid that likely will not be available next year.

As with the roads, the school renovations need to be done. This is another situation where taking the hit now could pay off in the future.

Another major article on the school warrant asks voters to approve contracted pay increases totaling more than $1 million for teachers and school staff.

The increases for teachers average about 5 percent for the 2010-11 school year.

We understand the importance of teachers throughout the district and would like to reward them for a job well done.

However, many residents are faced with an increase to pay for these raises when they may have not had one at their own jobs in several years. Worse still are those who may have been laid off and will face an increase.

Many in the public sector have had to sacrifice pay raises, and we urge voters to say no to teacher salary increases this year.

But will that really mean no increases will go into effect? The state’s new “evergreen clause” seems to indicate no.

We applaud everyone who plans to vote this season. You help to make the difficult decisions in town. This is when you get your say.

Vote March 9!

- Editorials published by Neighborhood News Inc. are written by an editorial board.

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