KEENAN SEEKS RE-ELECTION AS
COUNCILOR-AT-LARGE
Councilor-at-Large
John F. Keenan has announced the kick-off of his re-election campaign. Keenan
has served as a Councilor-at-Large for the past five years. “I have completely
enjoyed my time on the Council,” said Keenan in making his announcement, “and while we have accomplished quite
a bit over the past few years, still much remains to be done. I am seeking re-election
because I want to keep working on behalf of the people of Quincy to ensure that the City remains a great place to
live and work.”
Keenan stated that
as a Councilor-at-Large he has focused on citywide issues, including preservation of the quality of life in the neighborhoods
throughout the City, and on the City’s finances.
“One of the things
I highlighted when I first ran for the City Council,” said Keenan, “was preserving our neighborhoods.” Last year Keenan drafted and introduced the Residence B Moratorium, a measure that
halted multi-family development that was out of character with the City’s neighborhoods.
“It was clear that multi-unit developments were destroying the character of many of our neighborhoods,”
stated Keenan. “Although the moratorium was somewhat controversial, it
has stopped these developments and has given us the opportunity to prepare reasonable zoning restrictions in order to preserve
our neighborhoods.” The Council also passed Keenan’s ordinance that
halted the paving of entire front yards. “The unchecked paving of front
yards was unsightly, and was causing drainage problems,” noted Keenan. “The
ordinance which I introduced limits the amount of paving, prohibits the parking of vehicles on lawns, and yet does provide
for off-street parking.” Keenan also co-sponsored the resolve, which called
for a Code Enforcement Officer. “The Code Enforcement Officer has been
busy in the neighborhoods, advising residents of the City’s ordinances pertaining to such things as paving, parking,
when to put trash out, and illegal apartments. “As the population of our
City continues to grow, it becomes even more important to keep our focus on the neighborhoods,” said Keenan.
As Chairperson of the
Finance Committee for the past four years, Keenan has led the Council’s efforts as a check on the City’s finances. “Given the large expense of the new high school,” said Keenan, “we
have made sure the City properly funds its Stabilization Account. With this,
we have helped improve the City’s bond rating. We have also been able to
provide the funds necessary to improve our schools, ensure public safety, and invest in our neighborhoods. Even though we have been able to stabilize the City’s finances, we must continue to be vigilant.”
Keenan also has introduced
several major cost-saving initiatives, including special pension financing legislation.
“The pension legislation which I drafted and introduced was passed by the City Council, the state legislature,
and was signed by the Governor,” said Keenan. “According to the City’s
bonding consultant, the program established by the legislation could save the City nearly $80 million over the next twenty
years.” Keenan has also urged the Mayor over the past two years to explore
establishing a retiree medical trust. “We all are aware of the rising costs
of health insurance, and this type of plan could help the City save millions of dollars in long-term health insurance costs.”
As past chairperson
of the Council’s Business and Economic Development Committee, Keenan spearheaded the Council’s passage of sweeping
financial programs and zoning changes to spur development in the downtown area. “Quincy became the first City in Massachusetts
to pass and have the State approve a District Improvement Financing (DIF) zone,” Keenan pointed out. “This first of its kind program in Massachusetts will provide Quincy with a competitive advantage in attracting significant private
sector investment in the downtown.”
In his first
year on the Council, Keenan took the lead on the $10 million Natural Resources Investment Initiative, strongly advocating
for renovations to the City’s athletic fields and for the purchase of open space, including Lot 23 at Marina Bay, the Bayswater Road/Parkhurst Salt
Marsh, and land on Quarry Street. “We have been able to preserve critical parcels as open space, have planted hundreds of trees, improved
beaches, and renovated recreational facilities, all to be enjoyed by generations to come,” stated Keenan, who also pointed
out that bonds for these efforts will be paid for with the proceeds from the hotel/motel tax.
Keenan has also supported the re-zoning of the Houghs
Neck Maritime Center
land to open space, land at the top of Penn’s Hill, and several other parcels throughout the City. “Open space preservation, through acquisition and re-zonings, is critical,” said Keenan.
As a member of the
Public Safety Committee, Keenan introduced a measure calling for the study of the Quincy Fire Department, which has since
been completed. “So much has changed relative the fire service,”
stated Keenan, “and the study of the fire department has been critical to ensuring that we provide the best in public
safety to all our citizens.” Keenan pointed out that many of the recommendations
from the Fire Study are being implemented, including the scheduled lease/purchase of three new fire trucks and the repair
of the City’s fire stations. Because of the Fire Study, according to Keenan,
for the first time in many years, representatives of the firefighters’ association, officers within the Department,
members of the Administration and a representative from the City Council are meeting regularly to chart the course for the
Fire Department’s future. Keenan also serves as chairperson of the Council’s
Veterans Committee.
Keenan is the Executive
Director of the Norfolk County Retirement System, a system with approximately $560 million in assets and nearly10,000 active
and retired members. He previously was the Financial Coordinator for the Norfolk
County Advisory Board, and before that served as Executive Secretary to Quincy Mayor James A. Sheets for nearly four years,
starting in 1997.
Keenan attended the
Wollaston Elementary School, Central Jr. High School, and graduated from North Quincy High
School in 1982. He went to Harvard University, where he studied government,
and graduated with honors in 1986. He is a 1989 graduate of Suffolk University Law
School. In May 2005, he
received a certificate of recognition upon completion of a nine-month seminar program on municipal governance and policy at
the Rappaport Institute at Harvard University’s
Kennedy School of Government.
As a graduate
of the Quincy Public Schools, Keenan is committed to providing essential resources to teachers and students. As Chairman of the Finance Committee and a member of the Council’s Education Committee, he has supported
the allocation of additional resources to the school department. “While
other cities and towns have been cutting education funding,” stated Keenan, “we have worked hard with the School
Committee to provide additional resources to our schools in a financially sound manner.”
Councilor Keenan resides
at 37 Hobomack Road with his wife, Dr. Jeanne Hopkins, and their three children, Christopher, age thirteen, Timothy, age twelve,
and six year old Kevin. He is a member of the Merrymount Association, the
Ward One Democratic Committee, the Quincy City Club, Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library, and the Harvard Club of Quincy. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of Quincy Neighborhood Housing, and
served for seven years as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals. He is also
a coach in the Sacred Heart Youth Basketball Program.
With his service on
the Council, his financial and educational background, and with his nearly four years of full-time service as Executive Secretary,
Keenan brings a unique background to the Council. “We continue to face
tough times in local government,” he said, “but whether you are a young family like mine, or seniors like my parents
who call Quincy home in retirement, we all want the same things.
We want good schools, clean parks, tree-lined side streets, programs for our children and seniors, vibrant local business
communities, police and fire response just seconds away, the efficient delivery of services like trash collection and street
and sidewalk repair, and reasonable taxes. I will continue to put my experience
to use, work hard every day, and continue to push new ideas. I’ll do everything
I can to ensure that Quincy remains a great place to live
and work. ”
John F. Keenan
Dated: June 11, 2007
