The last four years have been a whirlwind, since I was elected councillor in 2013 – but I have enjoyed the vast majority of it and have never shied away from making the tough decisions.
There is a great deal of change happening in the area and my focus will be to ensure that these changes remain positive for the community.
One of the key things for me is engaging with residents and communities with communities to make sure we are all pulling in the same direction and they feel their views are being represented well at County Hall.
I am from Belmont Division and feel passionately about the area, Gilesgate and Carrville and want to ensure it attracts investment, stages successful events and initiatives and that the people of the division have an area they can feel proud of.
While we are making progress at a local and county level, the challenging times we have endured since 2010 will continue; cuts made to Durham County Council through ongoing Government austerity will make things tough. As councillors and as a council, we will rally together to maintain essential front line service for as long as we can, under the relentless cuts we face every year.
It is incumbent on us, as elected representatives, to to let local people know exactly what is happening, why it is happening and what impact it could have for them. But we also must work with what we have and continue to deliver for County Durham.
Despite the cuts, there are exciting times ahead, with projects and developments springing up from Carrville to Gilesgate and across to Sherburn Road. We are committed to improving community associations and hope to make events like the Belmont Book Festival regular fixtures in the calendar.
I hope the people of this ward will once again see me as the right candidate to provide positive, proactive representation at a county level.
I and County Durham Labour are dedicated to providing communities with positive change, ongoing regeneration and help where it is needed.
Community engagement is at the heart of everything we do; our monthly surgeries and regular newsletters are testament to that.
As more cuts are made, it will not be easy for anyone in County Durham, but by maintaining our strong relationships with the communities we represent, we can face and overcome our challenges together.
Hear more from Katie about what is happening in and why #LabourWorks for County Durham: