By Jeff Rebitski, Staff Writer
On an unseasonably cool morning, I was able to capture some time with Mayoral Candidate for Riverton, Timothy Hancock. In the phone interview, we discussed his hopes for some changes and improvements that Riverton voters have asked him for.
You will recognize the name Tim Hancock as an attorney for Fremont County. Working in the district office has given Tim a perspective that most would never see. His desire to run for office stemmed from the time he spent on the Riverton City Council. From 2017 to 2020 he spent productive time on the council and after being approached by a group of supporters, he made the decision to throw his hat in the ring.
“There are many issues to address,” says Tim. “I do not like the concept of a strong mayor” This is in direct contrast to Incumbent mayor, Richard Gard. “I believe that each decision needs to be debated and discussed by the council people who are elected to represent their respective districts. “Nobody should have supreme authority to make important decisions.
As a busy attorney for Fremont County, time management is crucial. Tim said,”I should be able to manage my time and complete each job. I managed my time while serving on the City Council and although the position of Mayor is vastly different and more important, the time spent on each job is doable for me.” When asked about the first thing to do as mayor, Tim replied, “with the recent resignation by our city Administrator, Tony Tolstedt, we need to hire an effective and highly qualified replacement. That will be a difficult task. As it took somewhere around 6 months to hire Tony.”
With a community the size of Riverton, attracting a City Administrator can be a challenge due to the pay disparity between larger towns and Riverton. The hope is to find a person who likes this community for what it can offer in the way of challenge and the lifestyle. Just enough challenge to make it interesting and a lifestyle that suits the person who is looking for a good education for their children and a strong, involved community to work with, in one of the most desirable places on earth.
The next issue is to attract businesses to Riverton by solving the issue of housing for the employees that will inevitably follow a new or relocating company. The rezoning of property within Riverton is essential for the building of multi-family residences to accommodate the families that will move here to work. This is a key element when attracting companies. CEO’s want to know, will my employees have a place to live?
Asked about the possibility of losing the “small town feel” because of new and growing businesses, Tim responded “there is a chance and it is important to the people who live here because they have asked. I believe that when you allow yourself to listen, people will tell you exactly what they want and need. I intend to listen more than I talk and that is a challenge for any attorney, but every citizen needs to be part of the conversation.”
The last thing that Tim Hancock said was that “all decisions must be data driven. Good decisions are always based on good data.” It takes time and effort to gather data and time often is translated by the community into lack of concern. Tim Hancock said he is very concerned about the future of Riverton and makes no apologies for his passion. Tim states, “I am asking for the voters to elect me, I am asking for their confidence in my abilities and for them to get out and be a part of the democratic process.”
The Primary will be held on the 16th of August. Voter guides are being published this week in the weekend edition of the Ranger.