List of mayors of Traverse City, Michigan

Last updated

Mayor of the City of Traverse City
Incumbent
Amy Shamroe
since November 13, 2023
Style Mr. Mayor
Term length Two years; renewable
Inaugural holder Perry Hannah
Formation1895

Traverse City, Michigan is a home rule, charter city under the Home Rule Cities Act, incorporated on May 18, 1895. The city is governed by six commissioners and a mayor, elected at-large. Together they comprise a seven-member legislative body. The commission appoints a city manager who serves as chief executive for city operations. Below is a list of mayors and village presidents in Traverse City, Michigan. [1] The current mayor of Traverse City, Michigan is Amy Shamroe. [2]

Contents

Village presidents (1881–1895)

NumberNameYearsNotes
1 Perry Hannah 1881–1885This was his first term. Perry Hannah was the first village president of Traverse City.
2 Benjamin D. Ashton 1886
3 Perry Hannah 1887–1894This was his second term.

First city charter (1895–1940)

Traverse City has been a city since 1895. The following are the first 24 mayors under the first city charter: [3]

NumberNameYear(s)Notes
1 Perry Hannah 1895Perry Hannah was the first Mayor of Traverse City, Michigan. He previously served as village president prior to the changeover to a mayoral system. Owner of Perry Hannah House and namesake of Hannah Avenue and Park
2 Harry C. Davis 1896Namesake of Davis Street
3 William W. Smith 1897–1898
4Frank Hamilton1899Namesake of Hamilton Street
5Alfred V. Friedrich1900
6John Patchin1901
7Oscar P. Carver1902Namesake of Carver Street
8John R. Santo1903Namesake of Santo Street
9Elisha J. Fulghum1904
10A.V. Friedrich1905–1907
11 William D.C. Germaine 1908–1909This was his first term. He was the owner, editor, and publisher of the weekly newspaper, the Traverse City Transcript. He was born on October 17, 1866, in Traverse City to Cuyler Germaine and Anna Kratochvil. He married Ola W. Hull on July 27, 1895. He died on January 3, 1943, in Traverse City. [4]
12Emanuel Wilhelm1910–1911
13 William D.C. Germaine 1912This was his second term.
14John G. Straub1913
15C.L. Greilick1914–1915Namesake of Camp Greilick in East Bay Township
16Edward Lautner1916–1917
17Lafayette Swanton1918–1922
18 James T. Milliken 1923–1928Father of future governor William Milliken
19George W. Lardie1929–1930
20Charles C. Wells1931–1932
21E.L. Thirlby1933–1934Namesake of Thirlby Field
22 Moses Orville Champney 1935–1936He was born on March 14, 1887, in Birmingham, Ohio. He died on July 12, 1952, in Traverse City.
23Conrad H. Foster1937–1938He was the founder of the Clinch Park Zoo, and also founder and namesake of the Con Foster Museum in Traverse City. [5] The zoo closed in 2006 and the museum prior to that. [6] He died of a heart attack in Traverse City on April 3, 1940. [7]

City commission elections (1941–2000)

In 1940, a new city charter amendment was passed, allowing for mayors to be voted for directly by the city commission of Traverse City.

NumberNameYearsNotes
24Adolph LaFranier1939–1940Namesake of LaFranier Road
25Orr E. Mead1941
26Delmer R. Zimmerman1942
27J.E. Ehrenberger1943
28Carl Anderson1944
29Ben H. Koenig1945
30F.G. Swartz1946–1947
31Hugh J. Johnson1948
32Peter Clancy1949
33Wilbur G. Watson1950
34Julius C. Sleder1951
35Jack D. Nelson1952
36J. Kent Wright1953
37Charles H. Round1954
38Frank H. Power1955–1956
39A.R. Jacobs1957
40J.H. Stevens1958
41Fritz Coppens1959
42H.R. Murchie1960Namesake of Murchie Bridge
43 Frank L. Stulen 1961Namesake of Parsons-Stulen Building
44Larry Hardy1962
45Robert H. Chase1963
46Ralph Puclipher1964
47Kenneth Lindsay1965
48Carter B. Strong1966
49Vincent Fochtman1967
50Royce Kephart1968
51Nick Rajkovich1969
52William K. Lynch1970
53John Rokos1971
54Richard Purvis1972
55John W. Rennie1973
56Carl Huffman1974
57Diane C. Gilbo1975
58Raymond L. Sutton1976
59Howard A. Bartling1977
60Peter C. Dendrinos1978Namesake of Dendrinos Center and Dendrinos Drive
61Calvin G. Martin1979
62Norman A. Kline1980
63Lawrence A. Muzzarelli1981–1982
64Carol J. Hale1983
65Frederick D. Nelson1984
66Phillip E. Orth1985
67Gerald M. Williams1986
68Geraldine D. Greene1987
69Bryan J. Crough1988
70Phillip E. Rodgers Jr.1989
71Al Ritchie1990
72Jim F. Tompkins Jr.1991
73Peter T. Taylor1992
74Linda M. Johnson1993
75Jack E. Boynton1994
76Jim F. Tompkins Jr.1995
77Peter T. Taylor1996
78Shelley A. Kester1996
79Phillip E. Orth1997
80Larry Hardy1998
81Jim F. Tompkins Jr.1999
82Linda Smyka2000
83Larry Hardy2001

City voter elections (2000–present)

In 2000, a new city charter amendment allowed for the citizens of Traverse City to vote directly for mayor. Mayors now could hold unlimited terms of two years.

NumberNameYearsNotes
84Margaret B. Dodd2001–2003
85Linda Smyka2003–2005
86Michael Estes2005–2007One term, first time in office.
87Chris M. Bzdok2009–2011
88Michael Estes2011–2015Two terms, second time in office.
89Jim Carruthers2015–2021Served three consecutive terms, and was Traverse City's first openly gay mayor
90Richard Lewis2021–2023Former city council member [8]
91Amy Shamroe2023–Mayor pro tem from 2017 to 2023

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References

  1. ↑ "Mayors of Traverse City, Michigan". Political Graveyard . Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Meet Your Commissioners | City Commission | Traverse City". City of Traverse City. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  3. ↑ "List of Mayors of Traverse City" (PDF).
  4. ↑ Perry F. Powers, Harry Gardner Cutler (1912). "Honorable William D.C. Germaine". A History of Northern Michigan and Its People. Lewis Publishing Company. p. 1078.
  5. ↑ "Who Was Con Foster?". theTicker. November 23, 2013.
  6. ↑ Jeff Frost. "Maybe the last year for "The Spirit of Traverse City"". Railway Preservation News.
  7. ↑ "Who Was Con Foster?". theTicker. November 23, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Richard Lewis Ready to Take Over as Traverse City Mayor". 9 & 10 News. November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
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