Branco Running For Hamilton City Council
Businessman Michael Branco explained his reasons for running for the position of Business Councillor for the Corporation of Hamilton in next week’s Municipal Elections.
Mr. Branco said, “Becoming a Hamilton building owner in 2015 put me in the position of being both a landlord and a city ratepayer and has provided me with considerable insight over these last few years into how the city operates. It is these experiences, coupled with my desire to see Hamilton reach its greater potential, that has motivated me to seek to serve in this capacity.”
Mr. Branco has served on a number of Government boards including Immigration, FinTech and the Bermuda First advisory group and completed Board of Directors College training at Stanford Law School.
“As a city business owner, I have experienced both the best of Hamilton and the challenges. The July 2016 fire on Front Street was a reminder to me of how precious the city is. While my building was affected, the damage was insignificant in comparison to losses suffered by others,” he said.
“However, I had the privilege of joining with neighbours as we worked together to restore the operations of all those affected. It is this spirit of collaboration that I know runs through every business in Hamilton and that is the spirit in which I would serve should I be granted the opportunity. Listening to the concerns and ideas of ratepayers and city users will always be a top priority for me.”
Mr. Branco is the CEO and Founder of Fireminds, a technology solutions company, headquartered in Bermuda with offices in Halifax, Miami and Europe. He founded Premier Tickets in 2009, a leading online ticketing company serving Bermuda and global clients.
He earned his Computer Science degree from the University of Western Ontario, pursued graduate studies in Artificial Intelligence and Databases at Stanford University and earned his MBA from the Richard Ivey Business School.
As for his intentions if he were to be successful in his bid, Mr. Branco added, “My specific interests would be to work with the other councillors on the HR, Finance and Infrastructure committees.
“With my expertise in technology, I hope to make a significant contribution through Smart City initiatives to better serve both the ratepayers and users of the city. I am aware that the expense of the city makes it difficult for businesses to grow, so I also intend to focus on options for diversification of revenue so that businesses aren’t singularly carrying the burden of the city budget.”
Mr. Branco continued, “It would be a privilege to be afforded the chance to support Mayor Gosling. The four sitting Business Councillors have served the City of Hamilton admirably, but I hope that voters will consider adding a fresh perspective to the team.”
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