List of mayors of Taunton, Massachusetts

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This is a list of mayors of Taunton in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Taunton was led by a Board of Selectmen from 1639 until its re-incorporation as a city in 1864. The first city government was inaugurated on January 2, 1865.

#MayorTerm BeganTerm EndedNotes
1st Edmund H. Bennett January 2, 1865June 19, 1867First mayor of Taunton; resigned June 19, 1867. [1]
2nd Stephen H. Rhodes June 19, 18671870 [1]
3rdDaniel L. Mitchell18701873 [1]
4th William H. Fox 18731874 [1]
5thGeorge H. Babbitt18741876 [1] [2]
6thOnias S. Paige18771879 [2]
7thCharles F. Johnson18801882 [2]
8th Horatio Cushman 1883 [2]
9thCharles Hanson18841885
10thRichard Henry Hall18861886
11thEverett D. Godfrey1887
12th Richard Henry Hall 18881889
13th Arthur Alger 1890
14th Francis Babbitt 18911892
15thWillis Hodgman1894
16thCharles A. Reed1895
17thBenjamin Morris1896
18thNathaniel J.W. Fish18971899
19thArthur Alger1900
20thJohn O'Hearn1901
21st Richard Everett Warner 19021905
22ndJohn H. Eldredge19051906
23rdJohn B. Tracey19061907
24thEdgar Crossman19081909
25thWilliam S. Woods19101912
26thNathaniel Jarvis Wyeth Fish19121916
27thWilliam Flood19161919His son, Joseph E. Flood, Sr., was Mayor in 1970–1972
28thLeo Coughlin19191925
29thAndrew McGraw19261929
30thWllis K. Hodgman, Jr.19301932
31stAndrew McGraw19321935
32ndArthur Poole19361939
33rdJohn Fitzgerald1940February 20, 1941Died in Office
ActingHarold B. JohnstonFebruary 20, 1941April 30, 1941
34th Merrill Aldrich April 30, 1941November 25, 1946Won special election to succeed Fitzgerald.
Resigned to serve prison sentence for Cohabitation. [3]
ActingFrederick H. SmithNovember 25, 1946February 7, 1947
35th John F. Parker 19471953Won special election to succeed Aldrich.
36thJoseph C. Chamberlain19531960 [3]
37thBernard F. Cleary19601963Died in office shortly before completing his final term. [3]
38thBenjamin A. Friedman19631970 [3]
39thJoseph E. Flood19701972 [3]
40thRudolph H. De Silva19721974 [3]
41st Theodore J. Aleixo, Jr. 19741976 [3]
42ndBenjamin A. Friedman19761978 [3]
43rdJoseph L. Amaral19781982 [3]
44th Richard Johnson 19821992
45thRobert G. Nunes19921999
46thThaddeus M. Strojny20002003
47thRobert G. Nunes2004March 12, 2007Resigned to serve as Director of Municipal Affairs for Gov. Deval Patrick. [4] First mayor of Taunton to leave the office voluntarily before his term ended.
48thCharles E. CrowleyMarch 12, 2007January 2, 2012
49thThomas Hoye, Jr.January 2, 2012November 13, 2019Resigned to become interim Register of Probate for Bristol County, appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker. [5]
ActingJeffrey PostellNovember 13, 2019November 23, 2019Taunton city council president; became acting mayor until the council voted to select one of its members as acting mayor. [6]
50thDonald ClearyNovember 23, 2019January 6, 2020City councilor, elected by a 5–4 vote of the council to serve the balance of Mayor Hoye's term. [6]


Pursuant to the City Charter, if the office of mayor becomes vacant, the city council will select one of its members by a majority vote to serve as mayor for the remainder of that term. [7]

51st Shaunna O'Connell January 6, 2020IncumbentFirst elected female mayor of Taunton. [6] Former State Representative for the 3rd Bristol district, which includes most of Taunton (wards 1, 2, 5, 7, and 8, as well as precinct A of ward 3) and precinct 6 of Easton. [8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 The City Charter, Laws and Ordinances, Rules and Orders of the City Council, and City Governments from 1865 to 1876, of the City of Taunton. Taunton: Republican Steam Printing Rooms, 1876.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Municipal Register Containing the Mayor's Address and Annual Reports for 1909, with the City Officers for 1910, Taunton: 1910.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Spitler, Scott. "History points to big battle". Taunton Daily Gazette. August 26, 2007
  4. Gay, Ted. "A look back at 'Kid Bob, Boy Mayor'". Taunton Daily Gazette. February 17, 2007
  5. Winokoor, Charles. "'An amazing ride' - Wednesday is Hoye's last day as Taunton mayor". Taunton Daily Gazette. November 13, 2019
  6. 1 2 3 Winokoor, Charles. "City Council votes for Donald Cleary to serve as Taunton’s mayor". Taunton Daily Gazette. November 23, 2019
  7. "REVISED ORDINANCES CITY OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS Section 21" (PDF).
  8. Overview of the 3rd Bristol District, Massachusetts (Lower State Legislative District). The Demographic Statistical Atlas of the United States.