While the nation as a whole may seem at times hopelessly politically divided, Mayor Patrick Keefe highlighted themes of unity at the annual State of the City address.
Keefe delivered the address at the Susan B. Anthony Middle School on Wednesday, March 11, reeling off the names of longstanding and new local businesses, city leaders, programs, and residents who all fit with the “Good Government” theme of his speech.
During the speech, Keefe highlighted the city’s investments in housing affordability, modernized public safety, economic growth, and education.
“When we are divided, we are not looking forward. When we are divided, we are not seeing clearly at all. I often think that it is intentional, creating a divide, and will not fall into the trap. I choose to bring us closer together rather than pull us apart,” Keefe said. “We are Revere, where the best example of good government marches in step with its people.”
On the theme of housing and affordability, the mayor highlighted several affordability initiatives aimed at keeping Revere accessible for longtime residents and the middle class. Some of those initiatives included a first-time homebuyer program that provided $50,000 in down payment assistance to retain local workforce talent, affordable development projects on Salem Street and Ocean Avenue, a seniors home repair program, and the Revere Power Choice utilities savings program.
“Creating and implementing policies to make housing available and affordable for our existing and future residents is one more example of good government,” Keefe said.
Keefe highlighted infrastructure and economic revitalization in Revere, including the Portico groundbreaking at Suffolk Downs, a $226 million investment bringing union jobs, housing, and 33,000 square feet of retail space.
In addition to the development, the mayor said the city has also seen quality of life investments, noting that a revitalized, newly headquartered Department of Public Works paved four total miles of roads and sidewalks last year. The DPW is currently executing the long-awaited renovation of the iconic McMackin Field, expected to reopen by late summer, Keefe added.
“A city, especially a predominantly residential city like Revere, must cultivate a vibrant business community to provide a solid commercial tax base, create local jobs, and to give our residents local options for shopping, working, and recreation,” Keefe said. “A community’s identity is enhanced, and its neighborhoods enriched, by the character of its local business foundation.”
The city has also supported small businesses by awarding over $120,000 in grants to local businesses to improve technology and curb appeal, Keefe added.
Touting public safety modernization and initiatives, Keefe celebrated the historic appointments of Police Chief Maria LaVita, the first woman to hold the title in Suffolk County, and Fire Chief James Cullen, praising their work to modernize both departments.
Over the past year, Revere Police implemented body-worn camera technology and a new officer wellness program, Revere Fire opened the long-awaited Alden A. Mills Point of Pines Fire Station, reactivating Engine 2, and the city approved the design of a state-of-the-art Regional 911 Call Center at the McKinley School, combining dispatch operations for Revere, Chelsea, and Winthrop, Keefe said.
Stressing that “education is a sacred priority,” Keefe provided an update on the city’s most ambitious infrastructure project: the new Revere High School at the former Wonderland Dog Track site. Structural steel and concrete foundations are expected by this summer, keeping the project on track to welcome the Class of 2029, the mayor said.
Keefe also talked about how the city has prioritized workforce development, employing nearly 270 students through the YouthWorks program last year and securing over 400 early college credits for local students.
“In modern society, government plays an influential role in people’s lives,” Keefe said. “And, while local government – and government in general – is an easy target for complaint and disapproval, the truth is that the quality of government and the availability of government services can shape favorable or unfavorable effects in our quality of life, financial security, and emotional well-being. When we in the public sector do our job properly, we are effective, efficient, and compassionate stewards of public trust. We are public servants who care, as there is much to care about.”
The mayor concluded by noting that “While our beliefs and opinions may differ, our values are similar when it comes to what really matters, like raising a family, starting a business, gaining an education, building a home, and living as a productive member of our community. We act with compassion and in fellowship to each other, and we protect these values fiercely for our younger generations.”