“Hurricane Hazel” to run for another term as Mississauga mayor

Bravo Hazel, the true commen sense politictian.

From 680 News:

Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion doesn’t run a formal campaign, yet she has been elected 11 times as mayor.

And now, she confirmed to 680News that she will run for another term in that city’s 2010 municipal election.

“I have been saying that quite a lot lately, I am going to run, if my health holds out. I am in perfect health now, and a very heavy agenda, [and] if I can continue to cope with that heavy agenda, I will offer myself to the people again,” the 88-year-old McCallion told 680News.

She’s been the mayor of Mississauga for over 30 years, and is the longest serving mayor in Canada, outlasting eight prime ministers as well.

She treats the smallest barber shop in Mississauga as equally as the largest developers in North America, and she even answers calls at home from her constituents.

McCallion puts in 16-hour work days quite regularly, attends dozens of meetings and keeps up to a rigorous schedule of personal appearances, but also has time to play hockey, work out in the gym and fish.

“I love it! I get up early in the morning excited and rearing to go,” she said.

McCallion runs a city that is debt-free, has lower taxes than Toronto and has $700-million in reserve.

She said the secret is her success in office is to look after your people, to keep taxes down and to bring lots of jobs to the city.

“They know I give them a straight answer when they call. [If] they’ve got a problem and they want me [us] to do something, I tell them straight up whether I feel I can do it or whether we can’t do it … I think people like a forthright answer to their concerns. And, I spend their money like I spend my own, which is seldom,” McCallion said.