The mayor of Peterborough is an elected official who serves as the head of the municipal government of Peterborough. The mayor is a member of city council, which is an elected body that is responsible for developing policies, programs and services of the municipality; representing constituents in municipal government; and providing governance over the corporation of the municipality. The Mayor leads Council and acts as the Chairperson of council meetings, as the Chief Executive Officer for the corporation, and as the representative for the municipality.
Between 1850 and 1859, when Peterborough first became a township, aldermen were elected every January and these elected officials appointed a mayor, reeve and deputy reeve from among their numbers. In 1860, this changed and the public was able to vote for mayor at the polls.
On Canada Day 1905, the town of Peterborough and the village of Ashburnham amalgamated — creating the City of Peterborough. This merger changed Peterborough's municipal status from 'town' to 'city' and accordingly Peterborough Town Council became Peterborough City Council.
Currently, municipal elections are held every four years and voters are able to cast their ballot for a mayoral candidate as well as candidates in their home ward. Mayors serve a term of four years and may run for re-election indefinitely as there are no term limits.
List of Peterborough Mayors Peterborough Town Council (1850-1905) + Peterborough Town Mayors 1850-1905 No. Portrait Mayor Selection method Took office Left office Additional notes 1 Thomas Benson Appointed 1850 2 Charles Hudson Appointed 1851 3 James Hall Appointed 1852 4 James Stevenson Appointed 1853 5 James Hall Appointed 1854 6 Wilson Seymour Conger Appointed 1856 W.S. Conger (1804-1864) sheriff of Peterborough County 1850-56, County warden 1859. Conservative M.P. Peterborough 1856-64. 7 James Stevenson Appointed 1857 1859 8 Augustus Sawers Elected 1860 His nomination first appeared publicly in "The Examiner" on 17 November 1859. 9 Charles Perry Elected 1861 May 1865 Disqualified as an insolvent under the Insolvent Act of 1864. Peterborough Review, 19 May 1865, page 2. 10 William Adam Scott Elected May 1865 December 1865 Election held May 22-23, 1865, Scott 196, Nicholls 99, Declared mayor 24 May 1865. Peterborough Review, 26 May 1865, page 2. 11 Walter Hepburn Scott Elected 1866 1871 William Hepburn Scott (1837-1881), Mayor and MPP, by Elwood Jones, in Heritage Gazette of the Trent Valley, 10 (1), May 2005, page 22-3 photo. 12 George Albertus Cox Elected 1872 1874 13 William Toole Elected 1875 1878 14 John James Lundy Elected 1879 1880 15 Henry Hall Smith Elected 1881 1883 16 George Albertus Cox Elected 1884 1885 17 James Stevenson Elected 1886 1891 18 James Kendry Elected 1892 1895 19 William Yelland Elected 1896 1897 20 Alfred Lawrence Davis Elected 1898 1899 21 James Kendry Elected 1900 22 T. H. G. Denne Elected 1901 1902 23 George M. Roger Elected 1903 1904
Peterborough City Council (1905-present) + City of Peterborough Mayors No. Portrait Mayor Selection Method Took office Left office Additional Notes24Henry BestElected1905190625R.F. McWilliamsElected190726H. RushElected1908190927W. George MorrowElected1910191128William H. BradburnElected1912191329William H. BullerElected1914191530Joseph James DuffusElected1916191731George H. DuncanElected1918191932A.A. McIntyreElected1920192133William H. TaylorElected1922192334J.J. TurnerElected1924192535Dr. W.T. HollowayElected1926192736Roland DenneElected1928193537George A. MacdonaldElected1936194038James HamiltonElected1941194539William G. OvensElected1946194840Maxwell J. SwanstonElected1949195141H.F. WaddellElected1952195342N.G. GrahamElected1954Died in December 1954.43A.B. BurrowsAppointed1954Replaced N. G. Graham December 1954.44J.A. DewartElected1955195845D.A. LouksElected1959196046Stanley A. McBrideElected19611962Resigned in October 1962 to become sheriff47Alene HoltAppointed 1962Replaced Stanley A. McBride October 1962, becoming Peterborough's first female mayor.48Clarence W. BoormanElected19631964Died October 1964, replaced by W. G. Powell.49W.G. PowellAppointed19641966Completed term of C. W. Boorman.50Joseph J. BehanElected1967196851J.D. CsumrlkElected1969197052P. Douglas GalvinElected197153Philip H. TurnerElected1972197454Joseph J. BehanElected1975197655Cameron D. WassonElected1977198056R.J. BarkerElected1981198557Sylvia SutherlandElected19861991Sutherland was Peterborough's first elected female mayor.58J.A. DorisElected1992199759Sylvia SutherlandElected1998200660D. Paul AyotteElected2007201061Daryl BennettElected2011201862Diane TherrienElectedNovember 26, 201863Jeff LealElectedNovember 15, 2022
References
External links
Mayor's Office City of Peterborough.