Atkinson was mayor of Hartney, Manitoba from 1981 to 1989, and owned a small farming implements business in this community before relocating to Brandon in 1994. He was elected as Mayor of Brandon in a by-election on September 24, 1997 after the previous mayor, Rick Borotsik, was elected to the House of Commons of Canada. Atkinson was 49 years old.
Mayor of Brandon
;Hog processing In late 1999, the president of Maple Leaf Foods announced that Brandon had been selected out of 42 possible communities for construction of a $112 million hog processing plant. Atkinson welcomed the decision, saying that it could increase the city's population by 10,000 in a short period of time. Maple Leaf selected Brandon, in part, because it was known to be one of the least expensive areas in Canada to raise hogs. Atkinson spoke against a proposed Clean Environment Commission review of the Maple Leaf project in 1998, describing it as a stalling tactic, and supported provincial Environment Minister Jim McCrae's conclusion that a formal review would not be necessary during the construction phase. He also opposed a request from councillors in the nearby Long Plain First Nation for a federal environmental assessment. Construction of the plant began in April 1998, and operations began in August 1999. Atkinson was easily re-elected in 1998, defeating two minor challengers who criticized aspects of the Maple Leaf deal. The following year, he led council in approving a plan for the city to own and operate a wastewater treatment plant to serve the Maple Leaf facility. The project ultimately cost $13.5 million, and was derided by critics as "corporate welfare". The city administrator responded to this charge by arguing that most of the money went to improving Brandon's existing capacity for water and wastewater treatment. ;Other issues Atkinson helped coordinate other projects for the city. Simplot opened a new Brandon facility in 1999, setting up a $230 million plant for liquid and granular fertilizers. The Dutch firm Installatie Techniek Boxmeer set up a plant to manufacture livestock ventilation equipment in the same period. Atkinson rejected at least two proposals from aboriginal groups to construct a casino in Brandon. He opposes casinos on principle, arguing that they contribute to gambling addictions and provide few social benefitsin return. He also opposes the separate taxation system for urban reserve lands, and believes that aboriginal Canadians should fall under the same tax apparatus as non-aboriginals. Notwithstanding his views on casinos, Atkinson supported using Video Lottery Terminals to raise revenues, and rejected calls for a plebiscite on the issue. Atkinson was a prominent supporter of a plan to move the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry from Winnipeg to the Canadian Forces Base Shilo in Brandon, and welcomed Defence Minister Art Eggleton's decision to approve the transfer in early 2001. Late in his term, Atkinson led council in approving a comprehensive by-law against indoor smoking, with no age limits or exemptions for bars. ;Style Atkinson promoted a "down-to-earth" and populist approach to politics. He wore a loud yellow shirt and happy face tie to an all-candidates debate in 1998, and was quoted as saying, "I don't use a lot of big words because I don't know them". The journal Manitoba Business once described his political style as "gregarious". ;Retirement from municipal politics Atkinson unexpectedly announced that he would not seek re-election in 2002. Atkinson is the current Reeve of the Rural Municipality of Cornwallis which surrounds Brandon on three sides.
113 of 121 polls reporting. Atkinson was elected mayor of Hartney in either 1980 or 1981, and re-elected in 1983 and 1986. All provincial election information is taken from Elections Manitoba. The 1998 mayoral results are taken from the Winnipeg Free Press, 29 October 1998, A13. The final results did not significantly change Atkinson's margin of victory.
