List of mayors of Flint, Michigan

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The mayor position of Flint, Michigan is a strong mayor-type. In Flint's previous 1929 charter, the mayor was one of the City Commissioners, as the council in a council-manager type government.

Contents

1855–1888

The mayor was one of many citywide elected officers including the Recorder, Supervisor, Treasurer, Marshal, Directors of the Poor, School Inspector and Justices of the Peace. Additionally, other administrative officers were selected by wards. [1]

MayorStart of TermEnd of TermNotes
Grant Decker 18551856
Robert J. S. Page 18561857
Henry M. Henderson 18571858
William M. Fenton 18581860 [2] [3] Some records show Porter Hazelton as mayor from 1859 to 1860 [4]
Henry H. Crapo 18601861
Ephraim S. Williams 18611862
William Paterson 18621863
William Hamilton 18631865
William B. McCreery 18651867
Austin B. Witherbee 18671868 [2] [4]
Samuel M. Axford 18681869 [2] [3]
William S. Patrick 18691870
James B. Walker 18701871
David Spencer Fox 18711873
George H. Durand 18731875
Alexander McFarland 18751876
William Hamilton 18761877
Edward H. Thompson 18771878
Jerome Eddy 18781879
James C. Willson 18791880 [3]
Zacheus Chase 18801881
Charles A. Mason 18811882
William A. Atwood 18821883
George E. Newall 18831884
William W. Joyner 18841885
Mathew Davison 18851886
George T. Warren 18861887
John C. Dayton 18871888

[2] [4]

1888 Charter

MayorStart of TermEnd of TermNotes
Oren Stone 18881889
Frank D. Baker 18891890
William A. Paterson 18901891
Francis H. Rankin, Jr. 18911892
George E. Taylor 18921893
Andrew J. Ward 18931894
Arthur C. McCall 18941894
John C. Zimmerman, Sr. 18951896
Samuel C. Randall 18961897
Milton C. Pettibone 18971898
George R. Gold 18981899
Hugh Alexander Crawford 18991900
Charles A. Cummings 19001901
Clark B. Dibble 19011902
Austin D. Alvord 19021904
Bruce J. McDonald 19041905
David D. Aitken 19051906
George E. McKinley 19061908
Horace C. Spencer 19081909
Guy W. Selby 19091911
John A. C. Menton 19111912
Charles Stewart Mott 19121914
John R. MacDonald 19141915
William H. McKeighan 19151916
Earl F. Johnson 19161917 [2] [4]
George C. Kellar 19171918
Charles Stewart Mott 19181919
George C. Kellar 19191920
Edwin W. Atwood 19201922
William H. McKeighan 19221923
David R. Cuthbertson 19231924
Judson L. Transue 19241927
William H. McKeighan 19271928
Ray A. Brownell 19291930

[4]

Key to party colors and abbreviations for members of the U.S. Congress and other politicians or officials
American (Know Nothing) (KN)
American Labor (AL)
Anti-Jacksonian (Anti-J)
National Republican (NR)
Anti-Administration (AA)
Anti-Masonic (Anti-M)
Conservative (Con)
Democratic (D)
Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL)
Dixiecrat (Dix),
States' Rights (SR)
Democratic-Republican (DR)
Farmer–Labor (FL)
Federalist (F)
Pro-Administration (PA)
Free Soil (FS)
Fusion (Fus)
Greenback (GB)
Independence (IPM)
Independent Democrat (ID)
Independent Republican (IR)
Jacksonian (J)
Liberal (Lib)
Libertarian (L)
National Union (NU)
Nonpartisan League (NPL)
Nullifier (N)
Opposition Northern (O)
Opposition Southern (O)
Populist (Pop)
Progressive (Prog)
Prohibition (Proh)
Readjuster (Rea)
Republican (R)
Silver (Sv)
Silver Republican (SvR)
Socialist (Soc)
Unionist (U)
Unconditional Unionist (UU)
Whig (W)
Independent (I)
Nonpartisan (NP)

1929 Charter

Under the 1929 charter, Flint move to a council–manager form of government with the council called the “City Commission.”

MayorStart of TermEnd of TermNotes
Harvey J. Mallery 19301931
William H. McKeighan 19311933
Ray A. Brownell 19331934
Howard J. Clifford 19341935
George E. Boysen 19351936
Harold E. Bradshaw 19361938
Harry M. Comins 19381940
Oliver Tappin 19401940
William Osmund Kelly 19401944
Edwin C. McLogan 19441946
Edward J. Viall 19461948
George G. Wills 19481950
Paul Lovegrove 19501952
Donald W. Riegle, Sr. 19521954
George M. Algoe 19541958
Robert J. Egan 19581960
Charles A. Mobley 19601962
George R. Poulos 19621964
Harry K. Cull 19641966
Floyd J. McCree 19661968First African-American mayor
Donald R. Cronin 19681970
Francis E. Limmer 19701973
Paul Calvin Visser 19731975

[4]

1974 Charter

Under the 1974 Charter, the office of mayor is a non-partisan elected position.

MayorStart of TermEnd of TermAdministratorNotesElections [5]
James W. Rutherford 19751983
YearVotesopponentopponent's votes
197520,679Floyd J. McCree20,474
197920,738Floyd J. McCree12,902
James A. Sharp, Jr. 19831987
198321,718James W. Rutherford20,467
Matthew S. Collier 19871991 [4] First elected African-American mayor
2nd African-American mayor
198722,874James A. Sharp, Jr.19,509
Woodrow Stanley 1991March 5, 2002? (1991–2001)
Darnell Earley (2001–2002)
3rd African-American mayor
Recalled from office in third term [6]
199125,946Matt Collier17,686
199521,687Don Williamson9,168
199917,224Scott Kincaid16,393
200212,336Recall15,863
Darnell Earley March 5, 2002August 6, 2002himselfTemporary Mayor per City Charter
Effectively City Administrator as of July 9, 2002, due to State appointment of Emergency Financial Manager, Ed Kurtz
James W. Rutherford August 6, 20022003 Darnell Earley elected to fill remainder of Stanley term; City still under State Financial Manager
200211,239Arthur J. Pointer (WI)4,712
[7]
Don Williamson 2003February 15, 2009 Peggy R. Cook (2003–2007)
Darryl Buchanan (2007–2009)
Michael Brown (2009)
Initially under Emergency Financial Manager lifted in 2004. facing recall; resigns [8]
200313,906 Floyd Clack 9,228
200712,434 Dayne Walling 11,853
Michael Brown February 16, 2009 [8] August 5, 2009himselfTemporary Mayor per City Charter [8]
Dayne Walling August 5, 2009 [9] November 9, 2015Powers remove effective 12/1/2011 under city's financial emergency & transfer to an Emergency Manager [13] of which several individuals served until April 30, 2015, when a Receivership Board assume some oversight. [12]
200912,266 Brenda Clack 6,876
20118,819 (56%)Darryl Buchanan6,868 votes (44%) [14]
Karen Weaver November 9, 2015November 11, 2019
  • Natasha Henderson [12]
  • Sylvester Jones
  • Steve Branch (Chief of Staff, interim) [15]
under RTA Board oversight [12] First female mayor of Flint.
20157,825 (55%)Dayne Walling6,061 (43%) [16]
Sheldon Neeley November 11, 2019presentClyde Edwards [17]
20197,082 (50.19%)Karen Weaver6,877 (48.74%) [18]

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References

  1. The History of Genesee County, MI. Chapter XIII: First City Officers.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Chapter XIII: Roster of City Officials. The History of Genesee County, MI.
  3. 1 2 3 Ellis, Franklin (1879). History of Genesee county, Michigan. With illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers. Philadelphia, PA.: Everts & Abbott. p. 177.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "List of Flint City Mayors". Political Graveyards.com. Lawrence (Larry) Kestenbaum. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
  5. Raymer, Marjory (9 August 2007). "Two white candidates make history". The Flint Journal . Booth Newspapers . Retrieved 30 March 2009.
  6. Fonger, Ron (16 December 2008). "Woodrow Stanley, headed for state House, thanks county commission for giving his political career new life". Flint Journal . Flint, Michigan: Booth Newspapers. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013.
  7. "PRIMARY ELECTION GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN TUESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2002". Genesee County Website. Flint, Michigan: GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN. 6 August 2002. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 "Mayor of Flint, Michigan resigns for health reasons". Wikinews . Wikimedia Foundation. 11 February 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  9. Kristin, Longley (6 August 2009). "Mayor Dayne Walling lays out priorities at swearing in ceremony, pledges to keep police chief". Flint Journal. Flint, Michigan: Booth Newspapers. Archived from the original on 12 August 2009. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  10. Kristin, Longley (14 August 2009). "Gregory Eason appointed Flint city administrator by Mayor Dayne Walling". Flint Journal. Flint, Michigan: Booth Newspapers. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  11. Longley, Kristin (2 December 2011). "Shakeup at Flint City Hall as new emergency manager issues layoffs, pay cuts". The Flint Journal. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Fonger, Ron (29 April 2015). "'A heavy burden' lifted from Flint as Gov. Rick Snyder declares end of financial emergency". Flint Journal. Mlive Media Group. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  13. Longley, Kristin (29 November 2011). "Former Acting Mayor Michael Brown named Flint's emergency manager". Flint Journal. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  14. Longley, Kristin (9 November 2011). "About 19 percent of voters turned out to re-elect Flint Mayor Dayne Walling". Flint Journal. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  15. Goodin-Smith, Oona (20 October 2017). "Flint City Administrator Sylvester Jones resigns". Flint Journal. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  16. Fonger, Ron (4 November 2015). "Karen Weaver makes history, elected Flint's first woman mayor". Flint Journal. Mlive Media Group. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  17. "Flint City Council appoints new city administrator". Mid-Michigan NOW. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  18. "Live Nov. 5 Flint general election results". MLive . Retrieved 12 November 2019.