Brian Hander is asking Denison voters to choose him as the next Mayor of Denison when they hit the polls this May. Hander, who currently sits on the Place 6 seat on the city council, will face off against fellow City Council member Robert Crawley during the city’s May 4 elections.
The Herald Democrat recently reached out to both candidates for their take on the issues facing the city and why voters should choose them of the city’s highest elected seat.
The questions and answers can be found below:
Q: For voters who may not be familiar, who are you and where may they know you in the community?
I am a fourth generation Denison High graduate, proud member of the class of 2008. I was born and raised in Denison and returned after pharmacy school to practice as a pharmacist for the Choctaw Nation. After serving on several local boards, I made the decision to run for City Council and have since served on the council for five years. Throughout this time, I have written eleven local history books with all proceeds going to public art and improvements in Denison. To date, we have awarded over $30,000 from these proceeds. I want to be able to help guide our city forward while respecting our rich past and culture. We need someone with the knowledge of our city to help make decisions that will benefit all of our community, not just the elite. I’m a huge proponent of our community and truly believe that it’s always great to be a yellow jacket!
Q: What led you to decide to run for mayor while sitting on the council?
With the unprecedented growth that Denison is expecting, the time is right for a change in leadership. After serving on the council, I’ve seen the need for more transparency, more public input and engagement, and better fiscal responsibility. We, as a community, need leadership that is willing to listen, to gather feedback from multiple sources, and make a decision that is best for the whole community. Far too often I hear from citizens that regret not being able to provide feedback to the council or that never hear back when they reach out to their councilmember. By having work sessions and quarterly town hall meetings we will be able to provide a way for the public to interact with the city and be involved in decisions that affect our community.
Q: What unique skill sets, traits or backgrounds do you feel you will bring to the mayoral position if you are elected?
I’m currently halfway through a master’s degree in strategic communication at SOSU. Throughout this program I have gained incredible insight into ways to manage and lead, learned different methods to effectively communicate with the public and receive feedback, and gained the tools necessary to better balance large budgets to get the best value for the money. As a pharmacist, I’ve been able to build trust with patients, collaborate with providers and team members, and find the answers to questions I may not know. I remain open-minded and ready to embrace ideas other than my own that may benefit our community. Most importantly, I can stick with a job until it is finished, I can bear an injustice without the need to get even, I can carry money without spending it, and I can do what’s right without having to be supervised.
Q: What topics and matters do you see as priorities if you are elected?
First and foremost, we need to create council work sessions and quarterly town hall meetings. The citizens of Denison need to see their council at work and need to have multiple forums to talk with their elected officials and city staff. Citizens need to be informed of how their tax money is being spent and be able to hold the city accountable to spend those funds wisely. We must also make sure we are staying competitive with pay and benefits, especially for our police, fire and other civil service members. It is our duty to make sure those providing services for our city can afford to actually live in our city and continue to serve the citizens of Denison with integrity and pride. Other priorities include reviewing impact fees, creating a dedicated street maintenance fund, hiring a city manager that lives in Denison, and developing our city’s future leadership base.
Q: What challenges do you see facing Denison in 2024, and how do you plan to address them if elected?
Our biggest challenge is tremendous growth potential alongside ongoing infrastructure needs. Our city is 150 years old with much of our infrastructure extended beyond its useful life. Pair this with rising product costs and additional needs to serve new growth, you’ve got a recipe for fiscal insolvency. We must repair our existing infrastructure before we overextend ourselves by taking on new projects and developments. I plan to create a dedicated street maintenance fund without raising taxes to help address our aging streets, as well as the water and sewer needs that run under that street. We must also look at existing city facilities such as parks, the police station, fire stations, and the library to assess what maintenance needs to take place, create a plan of financing for the improvements, and ensure that we are taking care of existing facilities and infrastructure to better serve our current residents and potential new residents.”
Q: While Sherman is the epicenter of growth focused on TI and GlobalWafers, Denison is also poised to take advantage of this growth. How do you think Denison should position itself to best take advantage of this?
To best capitalize on new growth, we must make the development of growth (new homes, new businesses, new industry) an easier process. Denison needs to be at the forefront of attracting large employers and businesses, and a huge part of that is creating an avenue for these types of growth that is easy to understand, fair to all involved, and helps us grow in a responsible manner. We may not be able to compete with Sherman’s tax abatements or incentives, but we can be competitive with development processes and customer service. Maintaining open lines of communication between the City Council and the Denison Development Alliance will also ensure that we are providing them with the tools they need to position us to take advantage of the growth that is coming our way. Working together will be key to a bright future that benefits all of Denison.
