The following was submitted by the candidate
I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for re-election to the Board of Selectman on April 28th 2015 in the town we all love and proud to call home. I was born and raised in Ireland and came to the US in 1988 at the age of 21. I’m a twenty two year resident of Milton, a husband to Mary (from Arlington) for 24 years and father to our three daughters, Emily (21), Northeastern University, Julia (20), Drexel University, and Olivia (17) MHS, all educated in Milton Schools. I am a business owner in real estate investment/development for 26 years; your current Selectman; a Town Meeting member for many years; a former School Committee member; and a member of multiple other town committees. I attended UMass Boston and Eastern Nazarene College for five years while raising my family and building my business, graduating at the age of 42 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Business.
I ran for Selectman three years ago to be an independent voice for all residents and not just some. My experience as a businessman dealing with unions, contracts, negotiating skills at a top level, as a school committee member and town meeting member brought a wide array of necessary experience to the Board. Running a town is quite similar to running a business. My top priorities were to bring an independent voice and positive attitude, foster communication and seek efficiencies.
I promised you that I would make changes in town hall, so that all residents, and not just some, could experience a welcoming environment. All town employees work for you. I delivered results on that promise and today we have our first ever female Town Administrator who garners the respect of all department heads, employee’s and residents of our town.
I promised you that I would change the attitude of Inspectional Services (building dept.) so that it could realize its full potential as a key revenue generator. I delivered positive results on that promise and today, more permits are being issued than ever before and revenues are substantially higher.
I promised you that after decades of delays I would move the East Milton parking over the expressway to the next level so that we can alleviate the parking issues and create a better traffic flow for our small businesses and residents. Within a couple of months of being elected I was able to get this issue on the agenda and successfully voted on. By this time next year we will be underway with the construction of 32 extra parking spaces on that deck, at no direct expense to the Milton taxpayer.
I promised you I would be your watchdog on unnecessary overtime, excess airplane noise, Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) for non-profits in town who are tax exempt but still utilize all our services, traffic problems in East Milton and much more. I have been that watchdog.
More than anything, I promised you that I would work hard for the good of all of Milton, to be visible and accessible for all residents, and not just some. I have delivered on that promise.
But there is much more to do. We have a number of proposed 40B housing developments on the horizon that may ultimately impact our schools. We are close to finalizing the site and construction of the new animal shelter. We are looking to create areas with our communications in town so that all residents, and not just some, can freely call and have someone respond in a timely manner. Our roads are in terrible condition after this winter and we are currently discussing a budget to repair and repave many of them. Finally, the proposed development at Governor Stoughton Lane is getting close to final approval after years of stalls.
For these reasons, my expertise is needed now more than ever on this Board to represent your interests. Business, real estate and budgets are my profession. Not being fearful of making decisions and getting the job done is my everyday life. I want to remain as your independent voice on the Board for another term so that I can continue to share my expertise in keeping Milton the beautiful town it is to live in. I respectfully ask you to put me there again by voting for Denis Keohane for Selectman on April 28th 2015. You won’t be disappointed.
If you would like to support my campaign, then please join me and many other supporters this upcoming Sunday March 8 2015 from 3-5pm at the Hoosic Club 193 Central Ave for a meet and greet/fundraiser. You can email me at denkeohane02186@gmail.com, follow me on Facebook at Denis Keohane for Selectman or follow me on twitter @deniskeohane.
The town of Milton needs an experienced Selectman and that person is Denis Keohane. I had the pleasure of serving with Denis on the Milton School Committee and experienced first hand his dedication to the community. Over the last three years as Selectman, Denis has drawn on his expertise as a businessman in property development and real estate, to bring about positive change in this town. With our current pending developments, and the completion of the East Milton deck, in addition to oversight of a nearly $100 million budget, we need his first-hand knowledge to complete the job. He is an independent voice who works tirelessly. His work is not yet done.
Denis is the best choice for Milton.
Lynda-Lee Sheridan
I hope you will join me in voting to re-elect my good friend, Denis Keohane, for a second term on the Board of Selectmen. Denis’ experience as a business owner who built his company from the ground up means that he brings a unique perspective and set of skills to the Board, including:
An ability to see the big picture, along with an attention to detail;
A laser-like focus and a willingness to tackle seemingly intractable problems;
24/7 accessibility and a willingness and ability to listen to and hear constituents and their concerns;
A willingness to take a stand and make decisions, whether or not the decisions are difficult or unpopular with some individuals; and
An ability to get things done.
Over the past three years, Denis has put his talents to work for the Town, accomplishing much, including tackling and moving forward a solution to the East Milton parking situation, reforming departmental overtime practices, saving the Town tens of thousands of dollars, and reforming the Building Department to make it more efficient, effective and user-friendly. Perhaps nothing demonstrated Denis’ accessibility, focus and doggedness than his efforts on behalf of residents during the debacle of this winter’s snowstorms when Denis was in constant communication with residents and pushing the Town to do a better job to address the unprecedented conditions.
Denis has an ambitious agenda for the next three years, including carrying forward his initiatives to make Town Hall more efficient, effective and communicative, to address the organizational, resource and communications issues made apparent by this winter’s snowstorms, to further address parking and traffic issues throughout town, including the construction of additional parking on the East Milton deck, and to continue to work to support commercial development in the limited areas where it is permitted and appropriate. There is much to do and Denis brings an important perspective and skill set that we need on the Board.
Please support Denis Keohane for Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, April 28.
Tony Cichello
Town Meeting Member
Denis Keohane is the selectman who gets things DONE.
I contacted the board of selectman a couple years ago about a concern. Alone among the selectmen, Denis responded. I know I’m not unique in that experience, such stories abound in town. A tree problem? Denis fixed it. The cemetery land deal? Denis made it happen. A valued business in town with a permit crisis? Denis ensured that the business’s doors did not close, the deficiency cured. If you monitored the Milton Neighbors Facebook page about all the snow grievances this past winter, who was the selectman stepping up, responding to concerns, going out in person to assess the situation? You know it was Denis.
It is difficult for citizens to participate actively in town governance when the meetings drag on and on, when agenda items are listed but not substantively reached. Who has time for that? When Denis presides, the meetings are open, fair, efficient, move along. If you care about subjects the board addresses, that’s important. Things get done.
Denis doesn’t just profess that he loves Milton, that he knows this community and its history as well as anyone. He backs that claim up with action and deed. Year after year, Denis is at town meeting, advocating for the town’s interests as a town meeting member. Before he even ran for selectman, he had already served the town for many years–served it well–as a school committee member. Words about such claims are not what builds credibility; the long, continuous hours of service does. Denis get things done.
Denis is an experienced, responsive, calm voice on the board. He has more than earned re-election. I will be voting for him and urge other voters to do likewise.
The Town of Milton needs an experienced Selectman and should look no further than Denis Keohane. He is an independent voice who works tirelessly for the town. He is a proud Irish American and the best choice for Milton. I hope you will join me in voting to re-elect Denis Keohane, for a second term on the Board of Selectman.
Tara Walsh
Dear Neighbors,
We are so fortunate that Milton is a town filled with devoted residents, volunteers and public servants. We are grateful so many run for public office. Entry level positions such as Town Meeting member provide the opportunity for many of us to see how town government works and from there decide whether to seek other offices. On the job training is so often a part of the process. It’s then that the reality of the challenges set in. The sense of the enormity of the task and the need for experience in leadership, budgeting with expenses in the millions of dollars, the capacity to multitask, prioritize and make hard decisions is no where more evident than with our town’s highest positions of leadership. Denis Keohane has demonstrated his ability to lead with clear thinking and consideration of the challenges facing all aspects of town life. He is respectful of all positions and adept at negotiations, essential skills for a Selectman to posses. Please join us in supporting Denis as he seeks to continue to serve the Town of Milton through his re-election to the Board of Selectman.
Priscilla Hayden-Sloane and Joe Sloane
The Selectmen’s race features incumbent Denis Keohane running for a second term, and David Burnes a newcomer to Milton politics who has never held an elected or appointed position in the town.
Keohane bases his re-election campaign on his experience and his first term record. Burnes points to his years leading the Recreation Departments in Westwood (as Director), and in Boston (as Deputy Director).
I supported Denis Keohane three years ago because I liked the stands he took and because I thought the incumbent he was running against had not done a good job. I also thought he would bring a different perspective to the Board of Selectman that would be beneficial.
I didn’t support him because I agreed with him on all the issues facing Milton. And I have not agreed with every decision he’s made as Selectman. But I think he’s done a good job and makes decisions carefully after listening to all sides. Why do I believe he’s done a good job?
· He properly identified a less than ideal working environment in certain areas of town government, and with respect to how residents were treated in some cases, and he took action that has improved those situations.
· He was concerned about the treatment of our first class Chief of Police, especially with regard to a year to year contract process that was unworthy of both his position and his performance. Today he has a three year contract. If you don’t think securing the services of a very effective head of the most important public safety department in town is important, you don’t know Milton
· He promised progress on the East Milton deck parking effort that had become mired in bureaucracy. We now have a plan to build 32 additional parking spaces on the deck. This will provide needed parking to serve the businesses of our most important commercial district and safeguard the commercial tax revenue we receive from them.
· He has been a major supporter of Milton Seniors. After some years of administrative contention on the Council on Aging budget, he supported the addition of a part-time Van Driver to handle the burgeoning need of Milton Seniors for transportation services to medical and other appointments.
· He has supported the move to a Strong Town Administrator, with appropriate safeguards for Board of Selectmen executive authority, a necessary measure to modernize town governance to fit the 21st century.
· As a past member of the School Committee, he is conversant in the needs of the Milton Public Schools and their budget is a strong supporter of the schools, based on actual actions as an elected official.
· Denis is world class at constituent services. He’s available virtually all the time, answering resident questions by phone, email and text message. He listens and tells residents whether he thinks their concerns are correct and takes action in appropriate cases.
Given these accomplishments, I was frankly surprised when an opponent entered the race. I was curious to watch the campaign unfold and discover what alternative Mr. Burnes might offer. I must say I haven’t seen much. Mr. Burnes seems to be a very likeable man. He touts his experience at running a very large department with a budget equal to the Town of Milton’s budget. He must be an able administrator. And he makes much of his love of Milton, which I don’t doubt, and the fact that he was born and raised here.
However, when it comes to experience appropriate to serving on the Milton Board of Selectman, Denis Keohane is clearly the most qualified. Running a large department in the City of Boston is not the same as serving as one of the Chief Executives of Milton. The latter involves a much broader role in areas like Public Safety, Public Works, Schools, Budgeting and a myriad of other functions. That’s why it is highly unusual to see a citizen with no elective office experience serve as a Selectman in Milton. In fact it is difficult to find an example of a Selectman in the most recent decades who doesn’t have service in Town Meeting, or Warrant Committee, or School Committee, or other committees of the Town before seeking our highest office. These roles provide invaluable insight into the workings and issues facing the town.
Yes, David Burnes was born and raised in Milton and Denis Keohane was not. I‘ve never felt that was much of a criteria for choosing our leaders. The fact is Denis has been a resident of Milton for over 20 years, a longer period of time as an adult than his opponent has spent in Milton, having spent the first decade of this century outside of Milton.
I do not see this as a difficult choice. We have an incumbent who has performed well in his first term and given past history will perform even better in a second term. And we have a promising young man who is an asset to the town, but who is not running for department head, or Town Administrator, but one of our Chief Executives. I hope David Burnes will involve himself as a Town Meeting member, or Warrant Committee member; and I suspect I might be supporting him at some point in the future.
I ask you to support Denis Keohane in his re-election bid as Selectman of the Town of Milton.
Phil Mathews
Judy White-Orlando and Steve Morash ask you to support Denis Keohane for Selectman.
We believe that Denis Keohane is the better choice for Milton Selectman on Tuesday, April 28th. Here are our reasons:
– Denis’s commitment to public education, which is the future of our community, comes from service on the school committee, having his three daughters in our schools and his commitment to all children in Milton.
– Denis’s commitment to public safety, which is the glue of our community, has been demonstrated by giving our Chiefs support, guidance and working side by side with both Police and Fire Departments.
– Denis’s commitment to solving problems, which is a true sign of a leader, is demonstrated by his work on problem solving on development, parking on the East Milton deck, and his commitment to the Council on Aging needs.
– Denis’s commitment to us and all of Milton’s residents is his promise of good communication, listening to the many voices and acting in the best interest of our children, our residents and seniors.
– Denis has a proven track record of getting things done, opening up communications and a dialogue with our fellow residents.
– Denis Keohane has a proven track record of accomplishments, not promises of political rhetoric.
– Denis is the right choice for Selectman on Tuesday.
We urge the voters of Milton to support Denis Keohane for Selectman.
A key difference between the two candidates is their experience in serving in elected positions and volunteer committees. Denis has been a Town Meeting Member for many years, a School Committee Member, and a Selectman. He has worked on numerous committees and task forces and in doing so has developed hundreds of productive relationships with other community leaders and volunteers. As a result, he has the knowhow and relationships to help our citizens get things done in an efficient manner. For example, he has recently worked with town officials and citizens on: airplane noise, parking, safety issues for school children and seniors, and traffic concerns.
Denis’ leadership style is both transparent and inclusive. When significant issues arise, he consults with other community leaders as well as local experts to gather the best ideas so he can act in the best interests of all Milton residents.
It often takes courage and integrity to make the best decisions. For example, very few citizens like tax overrides. And thanks to some of the savings from efficiencies we have been able to go six years without an override. But as we look forward, we will not have sufficient resources to support the services and schools that continue to make Milton an attractive place to live. If we were to reduce the quality of these programs and services, our town would become less attractive and our home values could decline. It would be politically expedient for Denis to oppose an override especially during an election but that would be a shortsighted decision.
Denis has demonstrated his expertise and management skills during his first term when he helped negotiate the purchase of the land off of Pleasant Street for the cemetery and worked with the Copeland foundation to finance it with the help of our great Police chief Richard Wells. That land expands the life of the cemetery by many years.
We experienced a difficult weather crisis this winter. Realizing that normal communication channels would be overtaxed,Denis worked extra hard to visible and accessible during these snowstorms. He personally communicated with over 500 Milton residents by phone, email and texts. In many cases, he was able to take a leadership role in making sure that the concerns of all residents were heard and acted upon.
Denis’ agenda for the next term includes important initiatives:
It is important to identify new opportunities to deliver existing services more efficiently. For example, town and school payroll services can be consolidated into one paperless system. The proper maintenance of Milton’s facilities will be especially important.
We spent $150mm into our schools 15 years ago and now preventative maintenance is the key to avoid costing the taxpayers huge sums of money in the future. Milton needs a new DPW yard facility that can potentially house multiple departments for efficiency and cost savings. Our fire stations are very old and outdated. We need a fire department space needs committee to advise the BOS as to how we can properly replace or maintain our stations. These are all real estate issues and Denis’ professional expertise will be very valuable in reaching the best outcomes.
Denis has done a great job for Milton and richly deserves to be re-elected. His passion, experience, expertise, and integrity combined with the productive professional relationships that he has developed through his many years of community service make him the best candidate for Selectman. We hope that you will support his candidacy and vote for Denis Keohane tomorrow so he can continue to move Milton forward.
I strongly support Denis Keohane for two primary reasons:
1. He is a leader who is willing to hold Town employees accountable. He remembers that the Town government is here to support the residents and not the other way around.
2. He works basically full-time for the residents of Milton. Spend 15 minutes with him on any given day and you will see the volume of phone calls he receives from people needing his assistance. He basically works non-stop for Milton. His work situation allows him to do this–most people could never be available the number of hours he is. If you call him, he will try his best to help you.
Denis would not be easily replaced. He has earned a second term.
Dear fellow residents, don’t forget that today is Election Day in Milton and I hope you will vote for Denis Keohane. I support Denis for a second term on the Board of Selectmen because he has built positive relationships with the Chief of Police, Fire Chief, Town Administrator, head of DPW, Superintendent of MPS, and has a strong working relationship with personnel across all departments. Denis holds his fellow Selectman in high regard and appreciates the expertise they bring to the Board with their diverse professional backgrounds that complement one another. I was impressed with Denis’ response to the incredible snowfall this winter and how responsive he was to the concerns of individuals. There was a week where I was frantically trying to hire someone to clear my mom’s roof of snow, and to dig out her entrance and exit doors. With no success, she said, “Why don’t you call Denis?” He drove by her home that very afternoon, and had a team show up the next morning. Denis is available when you call him, and a man of his word who you can count on to follow through with his actions. I am confident that Denis has the experience in town government that is necessary for public service. It says a lot about Denis that he counts among his many supporters in this election the people he served with on school committee, and like me, the parents of children who were in class with the Keohane’s at the Tucker School. There is no one more dedicated to the town of Milton than Denis Keohane. He will continue giving 100% to improving our schools, supporting our seniors, and strengthening public safety. When it comes to maintaining strong police, fire, and emergency services; and repairs of our roads, and sewer system, as well as preservation of our water supply, Denis is the right person to serve another three years on the Board of Selectmen. Please join me in voting for Denis Keohane in today’s election.
Sincerely, Maureen Cronin Peterson