~ Op-Ed ~ On the Campaign Trail

By Patrick Keefe

This week marks exactly six months since I took on the role as Mayor for our City. While officially the title is “Acting Mayor,” the duties and the responsibilities of this role are every bit as real. As I said at the outset, “Acting” means “Action.”

Some might wonder about the value of six months experience running a municipality like Revere. Well, let me put it this way, from day one you learn quickly to become alert and decisive. So six months into my duty as Acting Mayor, we are safe and sound. Revere continues to move forward and thrive. Any concerns about transition or an absence of leadership were quickly dismissed.

As acting mayor, I passed a budget that the City Council approved with less than .001 percent change. We have staffed vital city positions specifically in our public safety and public works departments—despite the efforts of my opponent to challenge every move along the way, only in an attempt to disrupt vital city functions. We broke ground on a new Point of Pines fire station and we just completed a brand-new state of the art public works facility. We continue to invest in our community’s infrastructure and our educational programs and we continue to enhance our youth and senior services. We are almost ready to unveil our new Robert J. Haas Wellness center.

We have had great days and festivals celebrating successes, our cultures, traditions, holidays and held wonderful public events. We have had our share of tough days where we lost friends and family and have grieved together. We have had fires, floods and water breaks. We’ve had disputes and disagreements, and we’ve had the satisfaction of overcoming all of these challenges through patient and level-headed judgment. Yes, we have experienced all that you would expect in a normal term as mayor. I’ve seen my fair share. Plain and simple I have served you with less than 4 week’s notice, with one hand tied behind my back, I am doing the job and doing it well.

My parents taught me the value of an honest day’s work. I will always show up to put in the time, energy and effort this role requires. You should expect nothing less from your Mayor. All of the work of a full-term Mayor has been done and will continue to be done. The record never skipped a beat and we intend on playing the music through the next 4 years. I look forward to earning your vote this November 7th.