The Mayor of Gainesville is, for ceremonial purposes, receipt of service of legal processes and the purposes of military law, the official head of the city of Gainesville, Florida. The person holding the office is otherwise a member and chair of the city commission, and is 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
ImageYears of service MayorNotes / Citation 1869 Samuel Y. Finley First mayor of Gainesville, son of Jesse J. Finley Mayors elected to one-year terms ? 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 1908–1909Horatio 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 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-presentHarvey Ward
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