Assembly member Keogh won’t seek re-election

To the editor:

I will not seek re-election this year for another term as borough assembly member for District 1. The time has come to tend to elderly parents and take care of other personal matters. It is unlikely I can devote the endless hours to the Mat-Su Borough that I have these past three years.

I hope that a thoughtful public servant will step up to the task that is the closest government that affects our daily lives. My thanks go out to the hundreds of people who called, shared ideas and tried to make our borough a better place. While the job is not always easy, I truly feel honored and humbled to work with Valley residents.

I have enjoyed problem solving with a wide variety of opinions. There have been a lot of disappointments while holding office. It has been frustrating on many fronts, particularly when the mayor exceeds the authority of his office, when assembly members meddle in the local matters outside their districts, when assembly members turn a deaf ear to the public on various issues, when the assembly is not fiscally responsible and when the body acts outside the public’s best interest.

Though some assembly members came to the table with rather narrow agendas, they sometimes changed their minds when we were able to get down to real facts and real needs.

I won’t rule out other future political possibilities, but home and family always come first. I’ll consider other options on the political front later.

In the mean time, I’ll continue to work hard until the end of my term in mid-October.

I am willing to counsel candidates who are interested in the job about some of the challenges, time commitments and rewards of serving on the Mat-Su Borough Assembly. I can be reached at 440-1356.

Warren Keogh

Chickaloon