The Current Mayor of Perth Amboy is Helmin Caba, who was elected on December 15, 2020, after defeating Wilda Diaz and was sworn in on January 1, 2021. Perth Amboy, New Jersey is governed under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government under the Faulkner Act. Members of the City Council are elected at-large on a non-partisan basis to four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election in even years. The mayor also serves a four-year term of office, which is up for election the same year that two council seats are up for vote.[1] In October 2010, the City Council voted to shift the city's non-partisan elections from May to November, with the first balloting held in conjunction with the General Election in November 2012.[2] Terms run from January 1 to December 31. A royal charter was issued on August 4, 1718. Perth Amboy was incorporated as a city on December 21, 1784.
The mayors are:[3]
| Mayor | Birth and death | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| (born 1964) | 2008 to 2020 | She has served for . Wilda Diaz is the first Latina mayor in New Jersey. Wilda Diaz was the first and currently serving female Mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey.[4] She was defeated by Helmin Caba in the December 15th 2020 runoff election. | |
| Joseph Vas | (born 1955) | 1990 to 2008 | He served as mayor for 18 years.[5] On May 20, 2009, Vas was indicted by a federal grand jury for six counts of mail fraud, one count of misapplication of funds, two counts of making false statements to the Federal Election Commission, one count of making false statements to federal agents, and one count of making contributions to a federal candidate in the name of others.[6] |
| George John Otlowski | (1912–2009) | 1976 to 1990 | He served for years.[7] [8] |
| Alexander Jankowski | 1972 to 1976 | The change of municipal government to direct mayoral election, led to election of Jankowski. | |
| ... | 1971 | ||
| James J. Flynn, Jr. | 1950 to 1970 | He served for years. | |
| ... | 1941 to 1949 | ||
| (1905-1994) | 1934 to 1940 | He served for years.[9] | |
| ... | 1927 to 1933 | ||
| William C. Wilson (mayor) | 1921 to 1926 | He served for years. | |
| John F. Tenbroeck Jr. | 1918 to 1920 | [10] [11] | |
| ... | 1896 to 1917 | ||
| E. W. Barnes (mayor) | 1895 | [12] | |
| E. R. Pierce | 1893 | [13] | |
| ... | 1882 to 1893 | ||
| Uriah Burdge Watson | (1838-1919) | 1881 | He was also President of Middlesex County Bank when money went missing.[14] [15] |
| Eber H. Hall | 1879 to 1880 | ||
| William Paterson (mayor) | 1874 to 1878 | This was his fourth term. | |
| 1872 to 1873 | |||
| Joseph L. Crowell | 1870 to 1871 | ||
| 1869 | |||
| Alfred Hall (mayor) | 1863 to 1868 | He served for years. | |
| 1862 | |||
| Edward I. Hall | 1861 | ||
| William Paterson (mayor) | 1858 to 1860 | This was his third term. | |
| ... | 1857 | ||
| William Paterson (mayor) | 1856 | This was his second term. | |
| (1806-1872) | 1855 | This was his third term. | |
| Joseph D. Forbes | 1854 | ||
| (1806-1872) | 1853 | This was his second term. | |
| Theodore Frederick King, M.D. | (1804-1868) | 1852 | He was a physician. |
| Lewis Compton (mayor) | 1851 | He was related to Lewis Compton. | |
| (1806-1872) | 1849 | This was his first term. | |
| (1789–1868) | 1848 | [16] | |
| Francis William Brinley | (1796-1859) | 1847 | This was his second term. |
| William Paterson (mayor) | 1846 | This was his first term. | |
| Francis William Brinley | (1796-1859) | 1845 | This was his first term. He served as Surveyor General of New Jersey from 1845 to 1859.[17] |
| James Harriott | 1844 | ||
| Joseph Marsh (mayor) | 1834 | ||
| (1776–1868) | 1831 to 1833 | This appears to be James Parker II (1776–1868) | |
| John Ratoone | (1744-1823) | 1808 | |
| Thomas Farmer (mayor) | 1785 | ||
| (1725–1797) | 1784 | This appears to be James Parker I (1725–1797). Perth Amboy was incorporated as a city on December 21, 1784. James Parker was the first Mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey after incorporation. James Parker Sr. (1725–1797) was the father and James Parker Sr. (1776–1868) was the son. The father may have served the first term and the son the second term. History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey assigns the two terms to one person. | |
| 1758 | Royal colonial mayor. | ||
| 1718 | Royal colonial mayor. | ||