Fenton Leadership: In One Era and Out the Other

Thursday night, the transition from one Fenton mayor to the next was a simple matter.

There were no brass bands or inaugural speeches. There was no elaborate installation ceremony or a procession by a College of Cardinals.

When it was time to make the leadership change, Fenton business owner Mike Polizzi merely moved from a chair in the audience to take a seat in the mayor's chair with the other members of the city's Board of Aldermen. He had been sitting with his wife and a granddaughter, Savannah.

Longtime Fenton mayor Dennis Hancock (he served six, two-year terms as the leader of the city) reversed the process, taking a seat in the audience with his wife and a granddaughter after vacating the mayor's chair on the aldermanic panel.

It was an orderly transition to the new city leadership witnessed by a packed house of friends, family and supporters at City Hall.

Hancock already had made a farewell speech, thanking some key city officials and pointing out that Fenton taxes had "not gone up one penny" during his 12 years in office.

Related: Dennis Hancock's Farewell Speech

He also had kind words for his successor, Mike Polizzi, president and owner of ABF Security, 507 Rudder Road, Fenton.

"Mike Polizzi is a leader," Hancock said. "I feel confident I'm leaving the city in very capable hands."

Polizzi was one of two candidates who entered the mayoral fray following Hancock's announcement last spring that he would not seek re-election for a seventh two-year term. Polizzi defeated Alderman Paul Seemayer in the Apr. 2 municipal election to win the mayor's job.

Following the mayoral transition, several aldermen were sworn in who had either been newly elected or re-elected Apr. 2, including new aldermen Wesley Paul Verble (Ward 2)  and Andrew Sobey Jr. (Ward 1). Alderman Joe Maurath was sworn in to fill a one-year unexpired term in Ward 2. James Mauller (Ward 4) and Chris Clauss (Ward 3) also were sworn in for two-year terms after winning re-election.

Polizzi then called for nominations for president of the Board of Aldermen, which was won by Maurath, who also was elected as the board's liaison to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Claus was elected by the board to be the aldermanic liaison to the Park Board.

Having no business that required an executive session of the board, Polizzi then adjourned the aldermanic meeting so that friends, family and other attendees could partake in coffee and cookies in the lobby of City Hall.