Page 12 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2023 ELECTION | FROM Page 1 The 2023 Revere City Council with President Patrick Keefe and Vice-President Joanne McKenna (holding the gavel) with, from left to right, city councillors Anthony Cogliandro, Ira Novoselsky, John Powers, Steve Morabito, Pres. Keefe and Vice-President McKenna, Daniel Rizzo, Ricky Serino, Marc Silvestri, Gerry Visconti, and Anthony Zambuto. “Life is about finding common ground,” he said. “It’s okay to disagree but it doesn’t mean we have to be foes.” “Councillors’ goals will always be aligned if Revere comes fi rst,” said Keefe who is in his second term as Ward 4 councilor and is active in many local organizations such as Revere Pop Warner, Revere Youth Baseball and softball. He also serves as treasurer for the Revere Democratic City Committee. After being sworn in by Melnick, McKenna also had people to thank as well. “They call me “Mum” McKenna on this council,” she said. “I want to thank my fellow councilors humbly for the vote of confi dence to be vice president of this council. And I want to thank my constituents for putting me on the council.” McKenna grew up in Beachmont. She taught at Revere High School for 32 years. She founded the Revere Beautifi cation Committee and the Beachmont Improvement Committee. ~ GUEST COMMENTARY ~ Questioning Whether Revere Can Afford a New High School Isn’t Really the Question to be Asked By Sal Giarratani JOB WELL DONE: Newly-elected City Council President Patrick Keefe presents a gavel plaque commemorating his service as the 2022 Council President to Gerry Visconti on Monday evening. T he proposed cost of building new high schools is always a big issue for homeowners and renters in any community. The longer communities wait, the higher the costs but as last week’s letter writer suggests, the approximate just under $500 million price tag could be a bridge too far for many city taxpayers to bear. Is it possible to put off construction of a new high school? Can the existing school structure be modifi ed, enlarged, remodeled providing additional space for student learning? I certainly hope City Hall and Revere Public Schools have done their due diligence. I am sure they have. As far as the seniors in this city are concerned, perhaps it is time to think about a new senior center. However, what I dislike is pitting the city’s children against the city’s senior population. Both demographics have a right to be served. Yes, it will cost taxpayers more money but that is the price to be made when we are citizens of a community. When it comes to spending money, I am a conservative. Most of us are. However, there are things a city needs to strive for going into the future and one of those things is educating our young people today growing into tomorrow’s leaders, tomorrow’s elected offi cials and tomorrow’s taxpayers too. The idea that homeowners who are childless or whose children have grown up get a dispensation because they don’t need public schools getting a tax break sounds good until you apply this principle elsewhere in city fi nances. Should younger resident taxpayers get a tax credit since they aren’t old and in need of a new senior center? Citizens of Revere like citizens everywhere else are in compact with each other to build up their communities. It is the price we pay to live together wherever we choose. My bottom line, however? It behooves our elected offi cials to be open and frank with citizens. Communication between the people and their voices in government needs always to be transparent. Moving forward together is always better than kicking and screaming into the future. Government is our business. We should all stay involved. That is the role of the people. Our governors on the other hand need to keep everyone in the loop and explain why every action needs to be taken which even could be costly but still necessary.
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