List of mayors of Jacksonville, Florida explained

Post:Mayor
Body:Jacksonville
Insignia:File:Seal of Jacksonville, Florida.png
Insigniasize:100px
Insigniacaption:Seal of the City of Jacksonville
Flag:File:Flag of Jacksonville, Florida.svg
Flagsize:110px
Flagcaption:Flag of the City of Jacksonville
Incumbent:Donna Deegan
Incumbentsince:July 1, 2023
Style:The Honorable
Termlength:4 years, renewable once consecutively
Formation:1832
Inaugural:William J. Mills
Salary:$206,218

The mayor of Jacksonville is the chief executive for the city of Jacksonville, Florida. Jacksonville currently utilizes the strong mayor form of government in which the mayor currently has significant powers compared to the Jacksonville City Council. Ever since the land consolidation of Jacksonville as early as the late 19th century with the rest of Duval County, Florida, and further consolidation around 1968; the mayor is considered the administrator over the entire county. The incumbent is Donna Deegan, who was elected in the 2023 election.

History

The first mayor of Jacksonville, William J. Mills, was elected in 1832. A new city charter in 1841 changed the titled to "Intendant" until 1859 when it was changed back to mayor. The information on mayors of Jacksonville from 1832 to 1848 is limited, mostly due to the Great Fire of 1901 which destroyed some of the city's records. Most of the information available today was taken from newspapers published during the period.

There was no election for mayor in 1840, nor during the Civil War in 1862, 1863, and 1864. During the Reconstruction era, mayoral elections resumed but the position had no real power, with the city being administered by the United States Military. There was no set amount of time in which one person can stay as mayor.

On May 31, 1887, the city instituted a new charter, annexing several suburbs, including LaVilla, Springfield, Riverside, Brooklyn, East Jacksonville, and Fairfield. The mayor's term of office was also increased from one year to two. The mayor serving at the time, John Quincy Burbridge, had been elected on April 8 of that year, but the new charter required a new election to be held. On December 13, 1887, another election was held and Charles Bristol Smith, a Republican, won with support from members of the city's large African American community. After this, local Democrats petitioned the Florida State Legislature to change the city charter once again in an effort to curb Republican and black participation in local politics. The result was that direct election of mayors in the city was abolished from 1889 until 1893. Mayors during this period were elected by the city council, who were appointed by the governor of Florida.

The city's charter changed several times over the next several decades, and additional areas were annexed, expanding the city limits. The biggest change to local government, however, was the Jacksonville Consolidation, which took effect on October 1, 1968. In this measure, the Duval County and City of Jacksonville governments were consolidated, expanding the city limits to include almost the entire county. Mayor Hans Tanzler had just taken office on June 23, 1967; however, consolidation meant that he would have to run again for the office of mayor for the newly consolidated city government. Tanzler was re-elected and took office on March 1, 1968. Since that time mayors have been elected every four years. Voters in 1991 approved a two-term limit for Duval constitutional officers.[1]

Mayors of Jacksonville, Florida

The following is a list of mayors of Jacksonville:

Pre-Civil War mayors

MayorTook officeLeft office
1William J. Mills18321835
2Unknown18351838
3Stephen Eddy18391840
4None18401841

Intendant period

NameTook officeLeft office
1Unknown18411844
2Obediah Congar18441845
3Unknown18451846
4Joseph B. Lancaster18461847
5Oliver Wood18471848
6Unknown18481849
7Rodney Dorman18491850
818501851
9Rodney Dorman18511852
10Henry D. Holland18521853
11Isaac Swart18531854
1218541855
1318551856
1418561857
1518561857
1618581859

Pre-Civil War mayors revived

NameTook officeLeft office
1Holmes Steele18591860
2Halstead H. Hoeg18611862

There were no elections held in 1862, 1863, and 1864.

Pre-consolidation mayors

NameTook officeLeft officeParty
1Halstead H. Hoeg18651866Democratic
2Holmes Steele18661867Democratic
3John Clark18671868Democratic
4Edward Hopkins18681870Democratic
5Peter Jones18701873Republican
6J. C. Greeley18731874Republican
7Peter Jones18741876Republican
818761877Democratic
9W. Stokes Boyd18771878Democratic
10Luther McConihe18781879Democratic
11Peter Jones18791880Republican
12J. Ramsey Dey18801881Republican
13Morris A. Dzialynski18811883Democratic
14William McLaw Dancy18831885Democratic
15Marshall.C. Rice18851886Democratic
1618861887Democratic
1718871887Democratic
1818871888Republican
1918881891Democratic
2018911893Democratic
21Duncan U. Fletcher18931895Democratic
22William M. Bostwick18951897Democratic
2318971899Democratic
24J. E. T. Bowden18991901Democratic
25Duncan U. Fletcher19011903Democratic
26George M. Nolan19031906Democratic
27William H. Baker19061907Democratic
28William H. Sebring19071909Democratic
29William S. Jordan19091913Democratic
30Van C. Swearingen19131915Democratic
31J. E. T. Bowden19151917Democratic
32John W. Martin19171923Democratic
32John T. Alsop, Jr.19231937Democratic
3219371941Democratic
3319411945Democratic
3419451949Democratic
3519491965Democratic
36Lou Ritter19651967Democratic
37Hans Tanzler19671968Democratic

Consolidated city mayors

NameTook officeLeft officeParty
1Hans TanzlerMarch 1, 1968January 1, 1979Democratic
2Jake GodboldJanuary 1, 1979July 1, 1987Democratic
3Tommy HazouriJuly 1, 1987July 1, 1991Democratic
4Ed Austin[2] [3] July 1, 19911993Democratic
1993July 1, 1995Republican
5July 1, 1995July 1, 2003Republican
6July 1, 2003July 1, 2011Republican
7Alvin BrownJuly 1, 2011July 1, 2015Democratic
8July 1, 2015July 1, 2023Republican
9Donna Deegan[4] July 1, 2023presentDemocratic

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Hong . Christopher . Term limit increase set for vote Tuesday before Jacksonville City Council . 26 May 2023 . Jacksonville.com . Florida Times-Union . February 8, 2016.
  2. News: Former Jacksonville mayor Ed Austin preached fairness, justice. Mary Kelli Palka. The Florida Times-Union. April 23, 2011. April 25, 2011.
  3. Ed Austin, Jr. campaigned and was elected as a Democrat, but during his term as mayor he changed his party affiliation to Republican.
  4. News: Shelton. Shania. May 16, 2023. CNN projects Democrat Donna Deegan will become Jacksonville's first female mayor. CNN. May 16, 2023.