APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna announced Monday that his sixth term as Mayor will be his last.
Hanna announced that he is not seeking re-election in April after serving as Mayor for 24 years.
“I have decided the time is right to make this my last term as mayor of Appleton. This wasn’t an easy decision to make. This city and its people are my home. I was born here, went to school here, raised my family here and will continue to call Appleton home. I love this city, it is my home, it always will be my home, I am not leaving but it is time to close this chapter in my life.”
He said he will be taking the opportunity to spend more time with family, making the announcement at the Appleton City Center where he first announced that he was running for Mayor.
“The first time I ran for City Council, my daughter was three years old, and now she has a three-year-old.”
Looking back on his years as Mayor he says what has been accomplished as put Appleton in a pretty good position.
“For years, Appleton has shown by example, how much can be accomplished through visioning, strategic planning and most importantly, collaboration. Since I first took office in 1996, I have focused on setting the direction for the city and then building momentum in that direction to shift the culture of our community. Serving as mayor has always been about the people in this community, not the boundaries in which they live.
He says that means whoever takes over as the next Mayor will have a good place to start. He says the city is in a great place financially and there has been a lot of progress with some more projects to come.
“I honestly don’t think I can be leaving Appleton in a better position.”
Hanna said even though the end of the chapter is near, he still plans to work hard until the final day.
“This is not a funeral okay? I have six more months as Mayor and we have a lot more work to do. If you do this job right, you set up your successors for success so that is what I am going to continue to work on for the next six months.”
Hanna laid out the plans for the rest of his term.
“My goal over the next six months is to work hard so the next mayor can capitalize on all the momentum we have created. Thank you for trusting me and allowing me to lead the community for the past 23 years. It is an honor to serve the people as mayor of Appleton. As I have been for the last 23 years, I remain steadfast in the city’s work at hand and am committed to working until the very last minute of my last day in office on April 21, 2020.”
He spent Monday time looking back at his time as Mayor.
“There are a lot of things that I am proud of as mayor, but they may not be what you think. It would be really easy to point out the accomplishments that everyone can see, but I am most proud of what you don’t see, and that’s the culture; the culture inside of city hall and within the community. I believe in our team because they’re not only good at what they do and how they do it, but they understand why it’s important and why they come to work each day.”
The election will take place in April. If necessary a Primary election will be held in February.
