The mayor was not directly elected until 1982. Palm Springs Mayors serve a four-year term. There are no term limits for the mayor or members of the city council.
| Mayor | Picture | Term(s) | Notes | Significant civic events during term(s) of office |
|---|
| 1 | Philip L. Boyd | | April 1938 – April 1942 | First mayor under the original city charter. The city was 16 square miles and represented by seven wards. | - Fire Protection District dissolved and Palm Springs Fire Department formed[3]
- City establishes Palm Springs Public Library, July 5, 1939[4]
- The Welwood Murray Memorial Library opens February 19, 1941
- Palm Springs High School opens; students no longer travel to Banning
|
| 2 | Frank V. Shannon | | April 1942 – April 1944 | | - The 21st Ferrying Group of the USAAF Air Transport Command occupies PS Muni Airport – April 1942
- General Torney General Hospital opens in the former El Mirador Hotel – October 12, 1942
- 459th Force Support Squadron joins the 21st Ferrying Group – October 28, 1942
|
| 3 | Eugene E. Therieau | | April 1944 – April 1946 | | - Thomas A. O'Donnell donates the O'Donnell Golf Course to the city, which names it the Thomas A. O'Donnell Municipal Park (1944–1945)[5]
|
| 4 | Clarence E. Hyde | | April 1946 – April 1948 | | - Executed Lease Agreement No. 209 between the City of Palm Springs and the O'Donnell Golf Club on July 1, 1947. Lease ends on December 26, 2043
|
| 5 | Charles Farrell | | April 1948 – July 1953 | | - The Committee of Twenty-Five formed to promote civic activities and sponsor visits of influential and important persons in business[6]
|
| 6 | Florian Boyd | | July 1953 – November 1957 | | - Boyd joined Governor Goodwin Knight in welcoming President and Mrs. Eisenhower to PS on their way to Smoke Tree Ranch as guests of businessman Paul Helms[7]
- City rejects the Agua Caliente's land-use strategy plan for Section 14 prepared by Victor Gruen and Associates claiming it would "pull business away from downtown Palm Springs"[8] [9]
- New City Hall, designed by architect Albert Frey,[10] opens
|
| 7 | Gerald K. Sanborn | | November 1957 – April 1958 | Acting mayor | |
| 8 | Frank Bogert | | April 1958 – January 1966 | | - City purchases land from Agua Caliente Indians for present day airport
- New Police Station opens on McCallum Way, October 12, 1959
- Municipal Golf Course opens with 18 holes on October 28, 1959
- President John F. Kennedy visits Palm Springs on December 9, 1962[11]
- City authorizes the demolition and razing of homes and structures on the Agua Caliente Reservation in Section 14 – February 19, 1962
- Vista del Monte Park (present day Victoria Park) and neighboring Fire Station dedicated on November 15, 1964
|
| 9 | George Beebe, Jr. | | January 1966 – April 1966 | Acting mayor | |
| 10 | Edgar L. McCoubrey | | April 1966 – April 1967 | | - City installs the Pearl McCallum McManus fountain at PS Airport. McCoubrey voted against funding it.[12]
|
| 11 | Howard Wiefels | | April 1967 – March 1974 | | - Proposition R provided funding for the following projects:
- Sunrise Park
- PS Public Library
- Leisure Center
- The Pavilion
- PS Swim Center[13]
- Desert Highland Park (present day James O. Jessie Park)
- Community Center
- Gymnasium
- Playground and baseball field
|
| 12 | William Foster | | April 1974 – March 1977 | | - PS Tennis Center opens
- PS Library Center opens on October 28, 1975
- PS Library Dedication featured U.S. Senator S. I. Hayakawa, December 7, 1975
|
| 13 | Russ Beirich | | March 1977 – April 1980 | | - PS Police Training Center is dedicated on April 17, 1977
|
| 14 | John Doyle | | April 1980 – April 1982 | | |
| 15 | Frank Bogert | | April 1982 – April 1988 | First directly elected mayor | - New Police Department building on South Civic Drive dedicated August 21, 1985
- PS Convention Center opens on December 31, 1987
|
| 16 | Sonny Bono | | April 1988 – April 1992 | | - Library reinstated as a full Municipal Department through the efforts of Library Board President Kleindienst on October 3, 1990
- Fire destroys the historic El Mirador Tower – July 26, 1989
- Created Palm Springs International Film Festival.[14] Debuts on January 10, 1990
- The downtown redevelopment plan called "Vision Palm Springs" presented on May 16, 1990[15]
- Grand opening of the restored El Mirador Tower designed by architect Chris Mills – November 10, 1990
- Vintage Grand Prix returns as the Palm Springs Road Races – November 15–18, 1990
- Villagefest Street Fair[16] debuts on February 28, 1991
- Mizell Senior Center opens, designed by architect Chris Mills – March 14, 1991
|
| 17 | Lloyd Maryanov | | April 1992 – December 1995 | Date for elections moved from April to November to coincide with state and nation election cycles. | - Mid-Valley Parkway
- Welwood Murray Memorial Library is closed by Library Board on June 30, 1992
- Residents vote to abandon status as a General Law city to become a Charter Law city
- Implemented 5% Utility User Tax (UUT)
- Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort is completed by the city making it Palm Springs' second publicly owned course – February 4, 1995.
|
| 18 | William G. Kleindienst | | December 1995 – December 1999
December 1999 – December 2003 | First two-term directly elected mayor[17] | - Library creates the Palm Springs Virtual University (PSVU) offering college courses via the internet with video-teleconferencing from UCLA, CSU San Bernardino, Stanford and other universities. Dedicated December 3, 1998.
- PS Amtrak Station[18] opens 1999[19]
- Sonny Bono Concourse[20] at Palm Springs International Airport
- City acquires Albert Frey designed Tramway Gas Station for new Visitors Center – December 7, 2002[21] [22]
- Citywide playground equipment replacement
- PS Boxing Club reopens with a $50,000 city funding grant[23]
- PS Skate Park[24]
- PS Dog Park[25] is opened. "Desert Reflections", the Dog Park Fence, was funded as a Public Art program and designed by Artist Phill Evans[26]
- Downtown parking structure
- Palm Springs Convention Center[27] [28] expansion
- Dinah Shore bridge
- Created the Council Cabinet
- Privatized tourism operations with SMG
- City privatized waste water treatment facility operation with US Filter/Vivendi[29]
- Privatized PS Tennis Center operations with the Plaza Racquet Club
- Dedication of "The Nude Bridge"[30]
- Congressman Sonny Bono dies in skiing accident near Lake Tahoe[31]
- Sonny Bono Memorial Fountain by sculpture Emmanuil Snitkovsky is dedicated, 2001[32]
- Community-based parades created:
- Festival of Lights Parade[33] Kleindienst is the parade founder.
- Veterans Day Parade and concert[34]
- Homecoming Parade
|
| 19 | Ron Oden | | December 2003 – December 2007[35] | First African-American and openly gay mayor[36] | - "Cirque Dreams" premiers in a temporary theater downtown – November 18, 2005[37]
- Oden loses Democratic primary bid for State Assembly to Steve Clute – November 7, 2006[38]
- "Cirque Dreams" shut down in its second season without repaying the city the $300,000 interest-free loan[39]
- College of the Desert Board of Trustees voted unanimously to bring future West Valley Campus to Palm Springs – September 22, 2007[40]
- Airport opens new Regional Air Terminal[41]
|
| 20 | Steve Pougnet | | December 2007[42] – December 2015[43] | Second openly gay mayor of Palm Springs | - Pougnet lays out plans for The Hard Rock Hotel and the Mondrian Hotel[44]
- Pougnet loses bid to unseat Rep. Mary Bono Mack on November 2, 2010 election[45]
- Pougnet reveals "iHub" (innovation hub) to invest in new green businesses to locate in city[46]
- Pougnet proposed renaming the "Pearl McManus Fountain" at Palm Springs International Airport after Mayor Frank Bogert.[47]
- Pougnet proposes an initiative for a 1% sales tax (Measure J) to help city buy and develop downtown Fashion Plaza Mall – December 16, 2010[48]
- Measure J passes with 58% approval – November 8, 2011[49]
|
| 21 | Robert Moon[50] | | December 2015[51] – December 2019[52] | Last directly elected mayor of the City of Palm Springs | - Council saves historic Tahquitz Plaza from demolition. Restored and repurposed complex renamed Kaptur Plaza in honor of its prominent Palm Springs mid-century architect Hugh Kaptur.
- Palm Springs passes comprehensive City Ordinance to permit and regulate cannabis production, testing, and distribution. Cannabis lounges permitted.
- Moon leads move of Walk of Stars program to Chamber of Commerce.
- College of the Desert announces new Palm Springs Campus on site of old Palm Springs Mall
- New Kimpton Rowan Hotel and retail development completed and opens on site of razed Fashion Plaza Mall
- Palm Springs residents vote to allow vacation rentals in the City of Palm Springs under strict new legal controls
- Moon and Councilmember JR Roberts organize "Rebirth of an Icon" project to begin fundraising for restoration of the historic 1936 Plaza Theatre in downtown Palm Springs
- In a 5-to-0 vote, council votes to change from direct elections of at-large mayor and four councilmembers to five districts, with the title of mayor rotating between councilmembers each year.[53]
|
| 22 | Geoff Kors[54] | | December 2019 [55] - December 2020 [56] | Fourth openly gay mayor of Palm Springs | |
| 23 | Christy Holstege[57] | | December 2020[58] – December 2021[59] | First Female, Millennial & Bisexual mayor of Palm Springs | |
| 22 | Lisa Middleton[60] | | December 2021[61] – December 2022[62] | First transgender mayor of Palm Springs | |
| 23 | Grace Elena Garner[63] | | December 2022[64] – December 2023 [65] | First Latina mayor of
Palm Springs[66] [67] [68] | |
| 24 | Jeffrey Bernstein[69] | | December 2023[70] – Present | | | |
