APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – In just over a month, the City of Appleton will have a mayor not named Tim Hanna for the first time in over two decades.
“I never expected it to be 24 years,” Tim Hanna says, “It’s probably only in the past month that I’ve taken the time to look and think ‘Holy Cow we’ve really accomplished a lot'”
Hanna was elected to lead the City of Appleton in 1996.
“It’s pretty humbling to be elected six times. This is the city where I was born and where I grew up, and it’s just an awesome honor to have led the city and to see all of the positive changes we’ve been able to affect,” Hanna says, “I think peoples minds automatically go to the physical changes – the things that you can see – and there have certainly been a lot of those.”
So what all has changed in Appleton over the course of 24 years?
“Every arterial street has been reconstructed in the last 24 years. All of our major parks have had major renovations. There was basically no development on the river when I started, and now it’s – from one end to the other – really incredible developments,” Hanna explains, “The locks weren’t open. I played a role in that, in convincing Governor Thompson to make a state investment to match the local investment so that we could get the locks reopened.”
There has also been major growth of business parks along Interstate 41 on the city’s north side – along with a more recent boom of the south side business park.
While the physical evolution of the city has been remarkable over the past nearly quarter of a century – changes deeper into the heart, soul, and cogs of the community have also taken place.
“The thing that people don’t see, they don’t think about – is how we go about our business. And the changes we’ve made to our approach as an organization, a city government,” Hanna tells WTAQ News, “We actually hit a high of about 681 city employees and we’re at 636 today. But we haven’t substantially reduced services, there haven’t been major changes in that regard. So we’ve worked really hard to become more efficient and to focus our efforts on achieving our mission – and that’s meeting the needs of the community and enhancing the quality of life.”
There are still tons of plans still in the works, but Hanna says he’s coming to terms with letting someone else take the reins of the day-to-day pressure.
“I think my announcement was a shock to some people because we’ve got big things on the horizon and they thought ‘Oh I thought he’d want to stay and get those things done,’ – that’s always bothered me a little bit because the truth of the matter is that you’d better never be done as the mayor. There is no finish line. There will always be things that we could accomplish if I stayed, but those are going to get accomplished with a new mayor,” Hanna says.
Among the major projects that are ahead of the city – the inclusion of a new library.
“They’re not the kind of places where you walk in and everyone tells you to be quiet, they’re centers of learning, activity, programs – they really are a hub of community activity. But we just haven’t gotten over the hump with deciding the best place and how we marry a new library with other development. But it’ll happen,” Hanna says.
Another project he has been working on for quite some time is the placement of a US Venture headquarters on the bluff near downtown.
“The US Venture project is one that is just really complicated. I had hoped that we would be at a point where we would’ve broken ground – but it’s not just the city and US Venture, there are other parties involved, which adds to the complexity of getting a plan in place that satisfies all parties,” Hanna says, “The best thing we can do is put a plan together that looks at the future and the potential for uses down there that can exist at the same time with the uses that are there now that are being successful.”
Despite the potentially daunting tasks ahead of a new mayor and city leadership, Hanna expressed confidence in the future of the city – no matter who takes his place.
“I think the city is well-positioned for a lot of success going forward,” Hanna says, “Organizationally, we’re in a really good place. Our employees are engaged, they’re passionate about what they do, they know how their job helps the city accomplish bigger goals that we have in mind.”
Many have asked Hanna what his legacy will be, and his answer is simple.
“The best legacy I could have is the success of my successor. Which means we have set them up to be successful – and that, to me, is truly a meaningful legacy.”
That legacy also includes serving the longest tenure as the mayor of Appleton. So what exactly kept drawing him back?
“I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something different here. People are so friendly, the place is so clean – and on and on – it’s that intangible thing that’s here,” Hanna says, “There’s a reason why we end up on these national lists over and over again. It’s not about me, it’s not about the city government, it’s about the people and it’s about the culture.”
Another commonly asked question is whether he has any regrets from his time in office. In a word, the answer is no.
“That’s not to say that I haven’t made mistakes and that the city hasn’t made mistakes, because we have. But the reason I have no regrets is that we’ve learned from them. Those mistakes have made us better,” Hanna says, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not growing. If you’re not taking risks, you’re not moving forward. With risk comes the possibility you may make a mistake, and that’s okay.”
As for the future, Hanna will serve as the Executive Director for the Local Government Institute of Wisconsin – which fosters greater collaboration amongst all units of local government across the state. He also plans to take on consulting work.
“It’s a way for me to stay engaged, work with my colleagues around the state, but not have all the day-to-day pressures that come with being the mayor,” Hanna explains.
The job also allows him to work from home and spend more time with his family.
“I love what I do, I love the city, I love the people.”
The general election is set for April 7th. Jim Clemons and Jake Woodford are the two finalists in the race for mayor.
