Mike Hancock (Canadian politician)
Encyclopedia
Mike Hancock was the previous mayor of the city of Brantford, Ontario
, Canada
. He was elected to the position in the 2003 municipal elections
, defeating three-term incumbent Chris Friel
by 11668 votes to 11653. He did not stand for re-election in 2010 municipal elections and was replaced by the returning Friel.
Born in Toronto
and educated at York University
, Hancock worked for Dun & Bradstreet
of Canada as an analyst and then manager from 1961 to 1971. From 1971 until his retirement in 1998, he took a series of senior positions in the federal government's employment department. He moved to Brantford in 1981.
position on municipal tax levels and advocated for the reduction of the city's debt
, which was eliminated. He chaired the council's finance committee from its formation in 1990 until a new structure for committees in 1998; from 1999 to 2003 he chaired the Corporate Services Sector Committee; in 2002, the city became debt-free.
From 1998 to 2003, he was executive director of the Brant Skills Development Group, supporting skills training for youth in Brant County.
In his 2003 Inaugural Address, he identified council's top challenges as developing new industrial
lands, and revitalizing Brantford's downtown
, especially by growing to accommodate Brantford's rapidly growing population of post-secondary students and by reconditioning brownfield land
s.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was elected to the position in the 2003 municipal elections
Ontario municipal elections, 2003
In the 2003 municipal elections in Ontario, voters in Ontario, Canada, elected mayors, councillors, school board trustees and all other elected officials in all of Ontario's municipalities.-Results of election:...
, defeating three-term incumbent Chris Friel
Chris Friel
Chris Friel is a politician in the Canadian province of Ontario. He was the mayor of Brantford from 1994 to 2003 and was re-elected to the same position in the 2010 municipal election.-Early life and private career:...
by 11668 votes to 11653. He did not stand for re-election in 2010 municipal elections and was replaced by the returning Friel.
Born in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and educated at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
, Hancock worked for Dun & Bradstreet
Dun & Bradstreet
Dun & Bradstreet is a Fortune 500 public company headquartered in Short Hills, New Jersey, USA that provides information on businesses and corporations for use in credit decisions, B2B marketing and supply chain management...
of Canada as an analyst and then manager from 1961 to 1971. From 1971 until his retirement in 1998, he took a series of senior positions in the federal government's employment department. He moved to Brantford in 1981.
Brantford leadership
Hancock was first elected as Ward Three city councillor in 1988, and re-elected continuously until his mayoral run. Hancock took a fiscally conservativeFiscal conservatism
Fiscal conservatism is a political term used to describe a fiscal policy that advocates avoiding deficit spending. Fiscal conservatives often consider reduction of overall government spending and national debt as well as ensuring balanced budget of paramount importance...
position on municipal tax levels and advocated for the reduction of the city's debt
Debt
A debt is an obligation owed by one party to a second party, the creditor; usually this refers to assets granted by the creditor to the debtor, but the term can also be used metaphorically to cover moral obligations and other interactions not based on economic value.A debt is created when a...
, which was eliminated. He chaired the council's finance committee from its formation in 1990 until a new structure for committees in 1998; from 1999 to 2003 he chaired the Corporate Services Sector Committee; in 2002, the city became debt-free.
From 1998 to 2003, he was executive director of the Brant Skills Development Group, supporting skills training for youth in Brant County.
In his 2003 Inaugural Address, he identified council's top challenges as developing new industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
lands, and revitalizing Brantford's downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
, especially by growing to accommodate Brantford's rapidly growing population of post-secondary students and by reconditioning brownfield land
Brownfield land
Brownfield sites are abandoned or underused industrial and commercial facilities available for re-use. Expansion or redevelopment of such a facility may be complicated by real or perceived environmental contaminations. Cf. Waste...
s.