Mayor of Gainesville - Misplaced Pages

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Mayor of Gainesville
Incumbent Harvey Ward since January 5, 2023
Term length	Four Years renewable once
Salary	$44,696.22 (as of July 1, 2022)
Website	Office of the Mayor

The Mayor of Gainesville is, for ceremonially purposes, receipt of service of legal processes and the purposes of military law, official head of the city of Gainesville, Florida and otherwise a member of, and chair of, the city commission, required to preside at all meetings thereof. The mayor is also allowed to vote on all matters that come before the city commission, but has no veto powers.

History of the Mayor's Office

On May 26, 1866, E. W. Perry was elected intendant (mayor) when the aldermen of Gainesville met to incorporate for the first time. On April 12, 1869, Gainesville re-incorporated, and mayors were elected for one-year terms except when they filled an unexpired term. In 1891, because the city charter was amended, two general elections were held that year. From 1927 to 1997 mayors were not elected, the position being simply that of mayor-commissioner, but as of 1998 mayors are again elected, initially to three year terms, but as of 2022, to four year terms.

Election

The mayor is elected in a citywide nonpartisan election using a two-round system, i.e., if no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a runoff election ensues between the two candidates who received the most votes.

The mayor (like other commissioners) is elected to a four-year term (as of 2022, but currently in transition from a three-year term); in any case, the mayor may not serve more than two consecutive terms, excepting following a partial term created by a vacancy; however, mayoral terms are reckoned separately from terms as another commissioner, allowing a commissioner to serve more consecutive terms by alternating between the positions.

Succession

Per city code of ordinances, the mayor-commissioner pro tempore performs the functions and duties of the office of mayor in the absence of the mayor. If the mayor's seat is vacated, and less than 6 months remain in the unexpired term or until the next regular election, then the commission appoints a successor to serve until a new mayor is elected. If there is more than 6 months remaining in the term or until the next general election, the seat is filled by a special election not more than 60 days after the occurrence the vacancy.

The mayor is subject to recall as provided by Florida law.

Mayors of Gainesville

Years of service	Mayor	Notes / Citation
1869	Samuel Y. Finley	First mayor of Gainesville, son of Jesse J. Finley Mayors elected to one-year terms
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1873	Josiah T. Walls	First African-American mayor of Gainesville
1874	Watson Porter
?
1877	S.J. Burnett
?
1882	John Varnum
?
1885	J.B. Brown
1886	S.J. Burnett (2nd term)
1887	W.W. Scott
1888–1889	J.B. Brown (2nd term)
1890	S.J. Burnett (3rd term)
1891	J.B. Brown (3rd term)
1891	H.E. Day	The city charter was amended in 1891 and two general elections were held that year
1892	L.C. Lynch
?
1897	Clarence Stringfellow	Died in November 1897
?
1899–1900	J. F. Bartleson
1901–1907	William Reuben Thomas
1908–1909	Horatio Davis
1910–1917	Chris Matheson
1918	Gordon "J.B." Tyson
1919	Robert W. Davis
1920–1921	J.C. Adkins
1922	George S. Waldo
1923–1924	H.L. Phifer
1925–1927	J.R. Fowler	After Fowler's term, mayors were appointed by the City Commission to one-year terms
1927–1929	Lee Graham
1929–1930	C.R. Layton
1930–1931	Hal C. Batey
1931–1932	Lee Graham (2nd term)
1932–1933	C.R. Layton (2nd term)
1933–1934	Hal C. Batey (2nd term)
1934–1935	M.H. Baxley
1935–1936	B.M. Tench
1936–1937	Hal C. Batey (3rd term)
1937–1938	R.B. Livingston
1938–1939	J.M. Dell
1939–1940	J.M. Butler
1940–1941	J.B. Carmichael
1941–1942	C.S. Brooking
1942–1943	J.B. Carmichael (2nd term)
1943–1944	J.M. Dell (2nd term)
1944–1945	Fred M. Cone
1945–1946	J.M. Butler (2nd term)
1946–1947	C.S. Brooking (2nd term)
1947–1948	Henry Gray
1948–1949	J.M. Butler (3rd term)
1949–1950	Roy L. Purvis
1950–1951	J. Milton Brownlee
1951–1952	Fred M. Cone (2 term)
1952–1953	Roy L. Purvis (2nd term)
1953–1954	C. B. Bohannon Jr.
1954–1955	Joseph C. Wise
1955–1956	S. Clark Butler
1956–1957	R.M. Chamberlin
1957	J.M. Steadham
1957–1958	Walter E. Murphree
1958–1959	Myrl J. Hanes
1959–1960	S. J. Adkins
1960–1961	Harry C. Edwards
1961–1962	Norwood W. Hope
1962–1963	Edwin J. Andrews
1963–1964	Byron M. Winn Jr.
1964–1965	Howard Towles McKinney
1965–1966	Edwin B. Turlington
1966–1967	James G. Richardson
1967–1968	Walter E. Murphree
1968–1969	T.E. "Ted" Williams
1969–1970	Walter E. Murphree
1970–1971	Perry McGriff
1971–February 1972	Neil A. Butler	First post-Reconstruction African-American mayor of Gainesville
February 1972–March 1972	T.E. "Ted" Williams
1972–1973	Richard T. Jones
1973–1974	James G. Richardson
1974–1975	Neil A. Butler (2nd term)
1975–1976	Joseph W. Little
1976–1977	James G. Richardson
1977–1978	Aaron A. Green
1978–1979	Roberta Lane Lisle	First female mayor of Gainesville
1979–1980	William M. Howard
1980–1981	Mark Kane Goldstein
1981–1982	Courtland A. Collier	also served as mayor from 1990–1991
1982–1983	Gary R. Junior
1983–1984	W.E. "Mac" McEachern
1984–1985	Jean Chalmers
1985–1986	Gary Gordon
1986–1987	Beverly Hill
1987–1988	N. David Flagg
1988–1989	David Coffey
1989–1990	Cynthia Moore Chestnut	First female African-American mayor of Gainesville
1990–1991	Courtland A. Collier
1991–1992	Rodney J. Long
1992–1993	Thomas McKnew
1993–1994	James Painter
1994–1995	Paula M. DeLaney
1996–1997	Ed Jennings Sr.
1997–1998	Bruce L. Delaney
1998–2001	Paula M. DeLaney	First elected mayor of Gainesville since 1927
2001–2004	Thomas D. Bussing
2004–2010	Pegeen Hanrahan
2010–2013	Craig Lowe
2013–2016	Ed Braddy
2016–2023	Lauren Poe
2023-present	Harvey Ward