Page 8 - Bedford-FY25-26 Budget

History of City

Geography
The City of Bedford is located in Northeast Tarrant County in the region of North Central Texas. It lies approximately fourteen
miles from downtown Fort Worth and twenty-two miles from downtown Dallas along SH 121. Bedford is central to area airports
situated ve miles west of DFW International Airport, twenty-two miles west of Dallas Love Field, and twenty-two miles
southeast of Alliance Airport. The City has a total land area of approximately ten square miles, or 6,393 acres.

History
Settlers rst arrived in the Bedford area in 1860. In 1869 Weldon Wiles Bobo migrated to the area from Bedford County,
Tennessee and established a store named “Bobo’s Store.” He secured the rst post of ce in 1877, and the town was named
Bedford for his home county. By 1882, the community had grown to a population of about 2,000 and had 28 businesses along
Bedford Road, including three general stores, two drug stores, two blacksmith shops, two saloons, two cotton gins, and a grist
mill.

The public school system was established in the area after 1894. Bedford Elementary School was constructed at the current site
of the Old Bedford School in 1912 and remained in operation until 1969. It was the rst use of brick as a building material in the
area. The turn of the twentieth century saw a steady decline in the Bedford population. A new growth period began with World
War II as military bases and defense contractors began to build in surrounding areas. Following World War II, the Bedford Boys
Ranch was established on a 253-acre tract of land in 1949.

Form of Government
Bedford incorporated on January 22, 1953 with a population of approximately 475 in a two square mile area. At that time, the
City had a mayor-commission type of government. However, on September 24, 1966 the citizens adopted a home rule charter,
along with the council-manager form of government.

Currently, Bedford operates under the council-manager government. It elects a Mayor and six Council Members at-large to
serve staggered three-year terms. All powers of the City and the determination of policy are vested in the elective Council,
which enacts legislation, adopts budgets, determines policies, and appoints the City Manager - who executes the laws and
administers the government of the City. The City Manager is directly responsible to the Council and each of the department
directors report to the City Manager’s of ce.

City of Bedford, TX | Proposed Budget FY 2025-2026 Page 8