List of mayors of Jersey City
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mayor of the City of Jersey City |
|
|---|---|
Flag of Jersey City, New Jersey |
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| Term length | Four years |
| Inaugural holder | Dudley S. Gregory |
| Formation | 1838 |
| Salary | $117,782 |
| Website | Office of the Mayor |
The Mayor of the City of Jersey City is the head of the executive branch of the government of Jersey City, New Jersey. The mayor has the duty to enforce the municipal charter and ordinances; prepare the annual budget; appoint Deputies, department heads, and aides; and approve or veto ordinances passed by the City Council. The mayor serves a four-year term without term limits.
42 individuals have held the office of mayor since the City of Jersey City was chartered on February 22, 1838. Dudley S. Gregory was the inaugural mayor of the city, and served on three separate occasions for a total of five years. The current mayor is Jerramiah Healy; he was first elected in a special election to fill an unexpired term on November 2, 2004. Healy was elected to a full term on May 10, 2005. His current term will end on June 30, 2013.
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[edit] Duties and powers
The City of Jersey City is organized as a Mayor-Council form of government under the Optional Municipal Charter Law. This form provides for a city-wide elected mayor in a nonpartisan municipal election. All terms are four years.[1] Under state law (N.J.S.A. 40:69A-40), the mayor has the duty to enforce the charter and ordinances of the city, and all applicable state laws; report annually to the council and the public on the state of the city; supervise and control all departments of the government; prepare and submit to the council annual operating and capital budgets; supervise all city property, institutions and agencies; sign all contracts and bonds requiring the approval of the city; negotiate all contracts; and serve as a member, either voting or ex-officio, of all appointive bodies.[2]
The mayor has the power to appoint departments heads with the approval of the City Council; to remove department heads subject to a 2/3 disapproval by the City Council; approve or veto ordinances subject to an override vote of 2/3 of the council; and appoint Deputy Mayors. The mayor is permitted to attend and participate in meetings of the City Council, without a vote, except in the case of a tie on the question of fill a council vacancy.[2]
[edit] Succession
In the event of an absence, disability, or other cause preventing the mayor from performing his duties, the mayor may designate the Business Administrator or any other department head as Acting Mayor for up to 60 days.[2] In the event of a vacancy in the office, the President of the City Council becomes Acting Mayor, and the council has 30 days to name an Interim Mayor.[3] If no Interim Mayor is named, the Council President continues as Acting Mayor until a successor is elected, or the council reorganizes and selects a new President.[3]
[edit] Elections
Under the original 1838 charter, mayors were elected city-wide for a term of one year. In 1868 the State Legislature extended the term of office to two years.[4] In 1892, the Legislature again changed the term of office, extending it to five years.[5] The city adopted a commission form of government under the Walsh Act in 1913.[6] This form provided for five commissioners elected city-wide. The Commissioners decided from among themselves which would serve as mayor. All terms were four years. Jersey City adopted its current form of government on May 7, 1961.
Under the non-partisan form of municipal government, elections for mayor are held every four years on the second Tuesday in May.[7] If no candidate receives a majority of votes, a runoff election is held on the fourth Tuesday following the general election.[8] The term of office commences on July 1.[9] The next Jersey City mayoral election is scheduled to be held in 2013.
[edit] List of mayors
| # | Mayor | Term start | Term end | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dudley S. Gregory | April 1838 | April 1840 | Whig | |
| 2 | Peter McMartin | April 1840 | April 1841 | Unknown | |
| 3 | Dudley S. Gregory | April 1841 | April 1842 | Whig | |
| 4 | Thomas A. Alexander | April 1842 | April 1843 | Unknown | |
| 5 | Bentley Peter | April 1843 | April 1844 | Democratic | |
| 6 | Phineas C. Dummer | April 1844 | April 20, 1848 | Whig | |
| 7 | Henry Taylor | April 21, 1848 | April 18, 1850 | Whig | |
| 8 | Robert Gilchrist | April 19, 1850 | May 2, 1852 | Whig | |
| 9 | David S. Manners | May 3, 1852 | May 3, 1857 | Whig | |
| 10 | Samuel Wescott | May 4, 1857 | May 2, 1858 | Democratic | |
| 11 | Dudley S. Gregory | May 3, 1858 | May 6, 1860 | Republican | |
| 12 | Cornelius Van Vorst | May 7, 1860 | May 4, 1862 | Democratic | |
| 13 | John B. Romar | May 5, 1861 | May 1, 1864 | Democratic | |
| 14 | Orestes Cleveland | May 2, 1864 | May 5, 1867 | Democratic | |
| 15 | James Gopsill | May 6, 1867 | May 3, 1868 | Republican | |
| 16 | Charles H. O'Neill[a] | May 4, 1868 | April 10, 1869 | Democratic | |
| 17 | William Clarke[a] | April 11, 1869 | May 1, 1870 | Democratic | |
| 18 | Charles H. O'Neill | May 2, 1870 | May 3, 1874 | Democratic | |
| 19 | Henry Traphagen | May 4, 1874 | April 30, 1876 | Democratic | |
| 20 | Charles Seidler | May 1, 1876 | May 5, 1878 | Republican | |
| 21 | Henry J. Hopper | May 6, 1878 | May 2, 1880 | Democratic | |
| 22 | Isaac W. Taussig | May 3, 1880 | May 4, 1884 | Democratic | |
| 23 | Gilbert Collins | May 5, 1884 | May 2, 1886 | Republican | |
| 24 | Orestes Cleveland | May 3, 1886 | May 1, 1892 | Democratic | |
| 25 | Peter F. Wanser | May 2, 1892 | May 2, 1897 | Republican | |
| 26 | Edward Hoos | May 3, 1897 | December 31, 1901 | Democratic | |
| 27 | Mark M. Fagan | January 1, 1902 | December 31, 1907 | Republican | |
| 28 | H. Otto Wittpenn | January 1, 1908 | June 16, 1913 | Democratic | |
| 29 | Mark M. Fagan | June 17, 1913 | May 14, 1917 | Republican | |
| 30 | Frank Hague[b] | May 15, 1917 | June 17, 1947 | Democratic | |
| 31 | Frank H. Eggers[b] | June 17, 1947 | May 16, 1949 | Democratic | |
| 32 | John V. Kenny | July 1, 1949 | June 30, 1953 | Democratic | |
| 33 | Bernard J. Berry | July 1, 1953 | June 30, 1957 | Democratic | |
| 34 | Charles S. Witkowski | July 1, 1957 | June 30, 1961 | Democratic | |
| 35 | Thomas Gangemi[c] | July 1, 1961 | September 26, 1963 | Democratic | |
| 36 | Thomas J. Whelan[d] | November 13, 1963 | July 6, 1971 | Democratic | |
| 37 | Charles K. Krieger[e] | August 5, 1971 | November 8, 1971 | Democratic | |
| 38 | Paul T. Jordan | November 9, 1971 | June 30, 1977 | Democratic | |
| 39 | Thomas F.X. Smith[f] | July 1, 1977 | May 12, 1981 | Democratic | |
| 40 | Gerald McCann | July 1, 1981 | June 30, 1985 | Democratic | |
| 41 | Anthony R. Cucci | July 1, 1985 | June 30, 1989 | Democratic | |
| 42 | Gerald McCann[g] | July 1, 1989 | February 13, 1992 | Democratic | |
| 43 | Marilyn Roman[h] | February 14, 1992 | June 30, 1992 | Democratic | |
| 44 | Joseph Rakowski[h] | July 1, 1992 | November 10, 1992 | Democratic | |
| 45 | Bret Schundler | November 11, 1992 | June 30, 2001 | Republican | |
| 46 | Glenn Dale Cunningham[i] | July 1, 2001 | May 25, 2004 | Democratic | |
| 47 | L. Harvey Smith[h] | May 26, 2004 | November 11, 2004 | Democratic | |
| 48 | Jerramiah Healy | November 12, 2004 | incumbent | Democratic |
[edit] Notes
- a In 1868, the New Jersey State Legislature passed an act changing the term of office from one to two years. Having been elected a few days before that act was passed, O'Neill refused to serve longer than the term to which he was elected and resigned after one year. Clarke was appointed as Interim Mayor by the City Council.[4]
- b Hague retired during his eighth term and asked the City Council to appoint Eggers, his nephew.[10]
- c Gangemi resigned from office when it was determined that he was not a United States Citizen, and was ineligible to serve.[11]
- d Whelan was removed from office after being convicted of conspiracy and extortion.[12]
- e Krieger was appointed Interim Mayor by the City Council[13]
- f Smith resigned from office to seek the Democratic nomination for Governor.[14]
- g McCann was removed from office during his second term after being convicted of bank fraud[15]
- h Acting Mayor; Held the office as a result of being President of the City Council at the time of a vacancy
- i Cunningham, the city's first African American mayor, died of a heart attack on May 25, 2004.[16]
[edit] References
- ^ "Faulkner Act (OMCL) Mayor-Council". Types And Forms Of New Jersey Municipal Government. New Jersey State League of Municipalities. http://njslom.org/types.html#Mayor-Council. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
- ^ a b c "Optional Municipal Charter Law". New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Division of Local Government Services. State of New Jersey. 2003. http://www.state.nj.us/dca/lgs/miscpubs/other/optional_muni_charter_law.pdf. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Joseph (March 9, 1992). "Clock Ticking on Search For Mayor in Jersey City". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/09/nyregion/clock-ticking-on-search-for-mayor-in-jersey-city.html. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
- ^ a b Winfield, Charles (1874). History of the County of Hudson, New Jersey: from its earliest settlement to the present time. Kennard & Hay Stationery M'fg and Print. Co.. p. 289.
- ^ "Some Legislative Jobs; The New Jersey Legislature at Work on Several of Them". The New York Times: p. 3. March 2, 1892. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B04E2D81631E033A25751C0A9659C94639ED7CF. Retrieved November 14, 2009.
- ^ "COMMISSION RULE FOR JERSEY CITY; Citizens Decide in Favor of New Government by Vote of 11,368 to 7,078". The New York Times: p. 1. April 16, 1916. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9C07E2DE103BE633A25755C1A9629C946296D6CF. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Voter Questions". www.njelections.org. State of New Jersey Department of State. http://www.njelections.org/faq_voter_doe.html#a3. Retrieved November 1, 2009.
- ^ N.J.S.A. 40:45-19
- ^ N.J.S.A. 40:45-17
- ^ "When the Big Boy Goes...". TIME. January 16, 1956. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,861807,00.html. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
- ^ "MAYOR GANGEMI QUITS IN JERSEY; Resigns After U.S. Declares He is Not a Citizen". The New York Times: p. 1. September 26, 1964.
- ^ Strumm, Charles (December 19, 1991), "Another Milepost on the Long Trail of Corruption in Hudson County", The New York Times
- ^ "Jersey City's Interim Mayor; Charles Kiva Krieger". The New York Times: p. 38. August 6, 1971.
- ^ Goodnough, Abby (June 5, 1996). "Thomas Smith, 68, Ex-Jersey City Mayor, Dies". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B01E2D91F39F936A35755C0A960958260. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
- ^ Miller, Jonathan (May 27, 2007). "You Throw Mud, He’ll Throw a Mountain". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/27/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/27jerseynj.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1258304404-buhwpK/76rGiYcqh2oIcaw. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
- ^ Smothers, Ronald (June 2, 2004). "Before 5,000, Mayor of Jersey City Is Eulogized for a 'Life Well Lived'". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/02/nyregion/before-5000-mayor-of-jersey-city-is-eulogized-for-a-life-well-lived.html. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
[edit] Sources
[edit] External links
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