List of mayors of West Palm Beach, Florida
The Mayor of West Palm Beach, Florida is a nonpartisan office that is the head of the executive branch of West Palm Beach 's government. The type of government is Mayor-Commission . Powers and duties of the mayor include approving the agenda of and presiding over the meetings of the city commission, the ability to veto the city commission votes, including line-item vetoes in regards to the city budget, but vetoes can be overrode with a 4-1 vote. The mayor and city manager both have supervisory powers over the city's departments. Additionally, the mayor may initiate investigations involving the city of West Palm Beach.[ 1] Since 1991, mayors have been popularly elected to four-year terms.[ 2] City Hall is located at 401 Clematis Street, with the mayor's office on the second floor.[ 3]
On November 6, 1894, the day after West Palm Beach was incorporated, voters elected John S. Earman as the first mayor. Beginning in 1919, the city operated under a council–manager form of government , with the mayor elected to the city commission and selected by other members of that body to serve a one-year term. The mayor served as a chairperson of the commission and had far less power than the city manager.[ 4] A referendum in March 1991 resulted in a transition to a directly elected strong mayor .[ 5] The first modern election for mayor occurred in November 1991, resulting in Nancy M. Graham becoming the city's first strong mayor.[ 6] The current mayor is Keith James, who was elected on March 12, 2019.[ 7]
Early mayors (1894–1919)
Name[ 4]
Start of term[ 4]
End of term[ 4]
Notes
John S. Earman
1894
1896
J. F. Lamond
1896
1897
Marion Eugene "M. E." Gruber
1897
1898
Wilmon Whilldin
1898
1899
Richard J. Chillingworth
1899
1901
Grandfather of Curtis Chillingworth , who was murdered in 1955 while serving as state judge[ 8]
Louis W. Burkhardt
1901
1901
George G. Currie
1901
1904
William I. Metcalf
1904
1905
George B. Baker
1905
1907
J. T. DeBerry
1907
1909
George W. Potter
1909
1910
James B. McGinley
1910
1912
C. S. Anderson
1912
1914
Murray D. Carmichael
1914
1916
Later served in the Florida House of Representatives [ 9]
W. A. Dutch
1916
September 22, 1919[ 10]
Council-manager government mayors (1919–1991)
Name[ 4]
Start of term[ 4]
End of term[ 4]
Notes
David F. Dunkle
September 22, 1919[ 10]
September 8, 1921[ 11]
Murray D. Carmichael
September 8, 1921[ 11]
1922
Later served in Florida House of Representatives
L. Garland Biggers
1922
1923
Joseph Mandel
1923
1924
First Jewish mayor[ 12]
Henry Stephen Harvey
1924
1926
Spencer T. Lainhart
1926
1927
J. C. McCreary
1927
1928
Vincent Oaksmith
1928
1929
John R. Beacham
1930
1931
Later became President of the Florida Senate [ 13]
Elza B. Donnell
1931
1933
Charles B. Watkins
1933
1934
Paschal C. "Pat" Reese
1934
1935
F. Theodore "Ted" Brown
1935
1937
Sanford D. "Sam" Morris
1937
1939
Ernest Metcalf
1939
1940
Ronald V. Ware
1940
1941
Willis H. "Bill" Hitt
1941
1942
J. O. Bowen
1942
1943
Vincent Oaksmith
1943
1944
George H. McCampbell
1944
1945
Brother of S. Perry McCampbell[ 14]
Stanley Peeler
1945
1946
E. Tinsley Halter
1946
1947
Willis H. "Bill" Hitt
1947
1948
Lloyd C. Bell
1948
1949
William P. "Bill" Holland
1949
1950
L. Thomas Keating
1950
1951
Hustin V. McMillan
1951
1952
H. Elmo Robinson
1952
1953
S. Perry McCampbell
1953
1954
Brother of George H. McCampbell[ 14]
Elias V. "Jack" Faircloth
1954
1955
C. Harold Earnest
1955
1956
Maurice E. "Buster" Holley
1956
1957
Elias V. "Jack" Faircloth
1957
1958
Horace S. Miller
1958
1959
William P. "Bill" Holland
1959
1960
Percy I. Hopkins, Jr.
1960
1961
Ray G. "Uncle Bim" Behm
1961
1961
Served three days[ 4]
Percy I. Hopkins, Jr.
1961
1962
C. Ben Holleman
1962
1963
Robert "Bob" Hawkey
1963
1963
Served for about two weeks[ 4]
Ray G. "Uncle Bim" Behm
1963
1964
Fred O. Easley, Jr.
1964
1966
C. Harold Earnest
1966
1967
Reid Moore, Jr.
1967
1968
Served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1977–1978 and 1981–1982[ 9]
David H. Brady
1968
1969
Eugene W. Potter
1969
1970
Fred O. Easley, Jr.
1970
1971
Francis H. Foster, Jr.
1971
1972
M. P. "Ham" Anthony
1972
1973
G. Ray Sparks, Jr.
1973
1974
Fred O. Easley, Jr.
1974
1975
Richard E. Linn
1975
1976
James M. Adams
1976
1977
M. P. "Ham" Anthony
1977
1978
Helen Wilkes
1978
1980
First woman to serve as mayor[ 15]
James M. Adams
1980
1981
Michael D. Hyman
1981
1982
Eva W. Mack
1982
1984
First African American mayor[ 16]
Dwight Baber
1984
1985
Carol Roberts
1985
1986
Served on the canvassing board for the 2000 Florida election recount and the Democratic Party nominee for Florida's 22nd congressional district in 2002[ 17]
Samuel A. Thomas
1986
1987
Richard V. Reikenis
1987
1988
Pat Pepper Schwab
1988
1989
James O. Poole
1989
1991
John F. "Jeff" Koons
1991
1991
Served for eight months[ 4]
Strong mayor (1991–present)
See also
References
^ "Give West Palm a Strong Mayor" . The Palm Beach Post . March 10, 1991. p. 1E. Retrieved March 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Eliot Kleinberg (March 7, 2015). "Stakes high in West Palm Beach Mayor race" . The Palm Beach Post . West Palm Beach, Florida. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2022 .
^ "Directory of City Departments" . West Palm Beach, Florida: City of West Palm Beach. Retrieved April 21, 2016 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l H. J. Roberts (December 1994). West Palm Beach Centennial Reflections . West Palm Beach, Florida: Sunshine Sentinel Press. ISBN 1884243029 .
^ Earl Daniels and Fred Lowery (March 13, 1991). "Strong Mayor Gets Nod" . Sun-Sentinel . Retrieved April 21, 2016 .
^ "Graham Elected Mayor" . Sun-Sentinel . West Palm Beach, Florida. November 20, 1991. Retrieved April 21, 2016 .
^ a b Terri Parker (March 13, 2019). "Keith James elected as new mayor of West Palm Beach" . WPBF . Retrieved March 21, 2022 .
^ "Portrait of Richard Jolley Chillingworth" . Tallahassee, Florida: State Library and Archives of Florida . Retrieved April 21, 2016 .
^ a b c Robert L. Ward (August 2011). Membership of the Florida House of Representatives by County 1845-2012 (PDF) (Report). Tallahassee, Florida: Florida House of Representatives . pp. 221, 224. Retrieved April 21, 2016 .
^ a b "Capt. D. F. Dunkle Chosen Mayor of West Palm Beach by Commission" . The Palm Beach Post . September 23, 1919. p. 1. Retrieved June 23, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
^ a b "New Administration Takes Reins of City" . The Palm Beach Post . September 9, 1921. p. 4. Retrieved March 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "The Jewish Community and Congregation" . West Palm Beach, Florida: Historical Society of Palm Beach County. Retrieved April 21, 2016 .
^ Sessions of the Florida Senate From Statehood, 1845-present (PDF) (Report). Tallahassee, Florida: Florida Senate . March 2016. p. 8. Retrieved April 21, 2016 .
^ a b Joseph C. Nunes (January 24, 1989). "Former Mayor George H. Mccampbell" . Sun-Sentinel . Retrieved April 21, 2016 .
^ Marisa Gottesman (October 9, 2015). "Helen Wilkes, 88, first female mayor of West Palm Beach" . Sun-Sentinel . Retrieved April 21, 2016 .
^ Steve Nichol (June 5, 1998). "Eva Mack, 81, Public Health Activist" . Sun-Sentinel . Retrieved April 21, 2016 .
^ "Republicans projected to retain House" . CNN . Washington, D.C. November 6, 2002. Retrieved April 21, 2016 .
^ a b Cindy Glover (March 24, 1999). "West Palm Beach Voters Pick Joel Daves To Lead Them" . Sun-Sentinel . West Palm Beach, Florida. Retrieved April 21, 2016 .
^ a b c J. Christopher Hain (March 18, 2003). "Tearful Supporters Bid Farewell to Daves" . The Palm Beach Post . p. 1B. Retrieved March 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^ a b Andrew Abramson (March 31, 2011). "New Mayor Muoio sworn in; "My doors will be open," she tells public" . The Palm Beach Post . Archived from the original on May 11, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2022 .
^ "Biography - U.S. Representative Lois J. Frankel (FL-22)" . United States House of Representatives . Retrieved April 21, 2016 .
^ "West Palm Mayor Muoio delivers her final state of the city" . WPTV . January 24, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2022 .
External links