December – Councillor Shane Keating’s Report

There are few things more humbling than a re-election campaign, especially for an incumbent. I ran on my track over the last 7 years. What I was offering to residents of Ward 12 was my same dedication and passion for the priorities that I have been fighting for since 2010.

I was humbled that 73% of Ward 12 voters agreed with my approach. I’m thrilled to be returning to represent Ward 12 for another 4 years—I’m back because I’m committed to finishing what we started. As part of my commitment to Ward 12, I have identified three key priorities that I want to work towards over the next 4 years:

1. Green Line LRT

We need to maximize what we can accomplish in Stage 1 of the project. I believe we can get to Mckenzie Towne Station within the initial funding envelope, and I will continue to push for that. We also need to agree on what future stages will look like. That needs to be complimented with additional funding so that future stages could be constructed concurrently with Stage 1.

2. Community Safety

I see two key issues that need to be managed with respect to community safety:

1. Local crime. Much of the local crime we see in our communities is entirely avoidable: unlocked vehicles, leaving valuables in plain sight, etc. We need to work with CPS and communities to communicate how we can all contribute to keeping crime away from our communities instead of inviting it in.
2. Street safety. We have a duty to make sure that people can get to where they are going safely in our communities. That means getting enforcement where it needs to be and getting the right infrastructure into the right places.
3. Value for your tax dollars.

Value for money means finding a balance. Are we achieving the best possible service delivery with the resources that we have? Is our tax burden appropriate and is there a positive return on your tax dollar investment? When Council sets our four-year budget, we need to be prepared to make difficult decisions and find ways to improve our essential service delivery without automatically resorting to increasing our revenues.

I’m a results-driven person, and I believe that is reflected in my track record as your Councillor over the last 7 years—and I want to continue pushing for positive results for our communities over the next 4 years. We have a lot to get done, so let’s get to it!