Let me introduce myself. My name is Laura Fahey and I am running for Bedford Town Council as your neighbor and to be your voice. I am a long-time Bedford resident who believes responsible, data-driven spending is essential to preserving what makes our town a great place to live.
Professionally, I am a full-time QA Analyst, and I also teach an online course in American Government with Southern New Hampshire University. I work with data every day and data tells the full story. It shows early trends, how decisions are interconnected and where we can improve effectiveness. When we look at the town budget through that lens, we can better understand what is driving growth, where small changes can make a meaningful difference and what spending may not be delivering real value.
Using that same data-driven approach, I believe the current Town Council is trending in the right direction and the proposed 2026 Town Council budget demonstrates fiscal prudence and a more disciplined approach to spending. Recognizing what is working is just as important as identifying where we can continue to improve.
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One of the main reasons I am running for office is the continued rise in property taxes and the lack of clarity around the value residents are receiving for that spending. Over the past 15 years, I have taken a strong interest in government policy and how local decisions directly affect everyday people. Podcasts and civic discussions often encourage people to get involved locally if they want to affect change and after beating cancer five years ago, I decided I no longer wanted to sit on the sidelines.
My husband, Craig, and I moved to Bedford 23 years ago. Craig was born and raised here and when we decided to start a family, Bedford felt like the right fit. Craig owns a local business in town and served on the Bedford Fire Department for eight years. Our son, Jake, went through the Bedford school system and is a 2024 graduate of Bedford High School. Like many families, we have deep roots here and a strong interest in Bedford’s future.
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Bedford is a great town, known for excellent schools, strong services and thoughtful planning. However, I am concerned about the direction we are heading, particularly the growing tax burden on the residential homeowners. Many residents I have spoken with feel that the property taxes have become a second mortgage.
Looking ahead, I see Bedford facing some challenges:
Sustainability – How do we preserve what makes Bedford exceptional without placing additional strain on residential homeowners? This will require long-term planning, disciplined budgeting and creative thinking.
Growth and infrastructure – As we see more apartments, condominiums and commercial development there are real impacts on town services, public safety and our overall tax structure. Planning for the future means thinking 10 or even 20 years ahead, rather than revisiting the same proposals in the same way.
Community consensus – Bedford is diverse community. One of the most important roles of the Town Council is to listen, find common ground and bring people together around solutions that a broad cross-section of residents can support and see value in.
A vote for me is a vote for:
- Data driven, practical thinking
- A relatable, everyday resident
- Fiscal discipline grounded in local values
- Facts first, community always
- Less politics and more progress
- Real people, real solutions
I do not have a personal agenda or pet project. I am running as a neighbor who wants to apply financial discipline to the town budget, bring fresh ideas to the table and focus on solutions that work for the entire community.
I would be honored to receive your vote on March 10th!
To learn more about me and my priorities for Bedford, please visit LauraFahey.net
