List of mayors of Albuquerque Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of Albuquerque
Flag of Albuquerque
Incumbent Tim Keller since December 1, 2017
Term length	Four years (No term limits)
Formation	1885
Website	Office of the Mayor

The mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is like the city's main boss! They are chosen by the people in an election and serve for four years. There's no limit to how many times someone can be mayor. In Albuquerque, these city elections are nonpartisan, which means candidates don't run as a member of a political party like Republican or Democrat. However, people often know which party they belong to. The current mayor is Tim Keller. He is the 30th mayor of Albuquerque and started his term in December 2017.

How Albuquerque's Mayor Role Began
What Does the Mayor Do?
Who Has Been Mayor of Albuquerque?
See also

How Albuquerque's Mayor Role Began

The first mayor of Albuquerque was Henry N. Jaffa, elected in 1885. Back then, a mayor led the city government. But things changed in 1917. The city switched to a "City Commission" government. During this time, the main leader was called the Chairman of the City Commission.

As Albuquerque grew much bigger, people decided to change the government again. In 1975, voters chose to go back to a system with a mayor and a city council. Since then, the city has had a mayor as its top leader once more.

What Does the Mayor Do?

Albuquerque has a "strong mayor" system. This means the mayor is the chief executive, or main manager, of the city. Think of them as the CEO of Albuquerque!

The mayor has important jobs and powers:

Appointing Leaders: The mayor can choose people to work in different city jobs. They can also remove people from these roles.
Budget Planning: Every year, the mayor must suggest a plan for how the city will spend its money. This is called the budget.
Working with the City Council: Many of the mayor's choices, like who they appoint or their budget plans, need to be approved by the Albuquerque City Council.
Veto Power: The mayor can also approve or reject (veto) new laws or decisions made by the City Council.

The mayor's office usually has a team to help them. This team often includes a chief of staff, a deputy chief of staff, and a director of communications. These people help the mayor manage the city and talk to the public.

Who Has Been Mayor of Albuquerque?

Over the years, many people have served as the city's top leader. Here are some of them:

Mayors from 1885 to 1917

Mayor	Term
Henry N. Jaffa	July 7, 1885 – April 13, 1886
George Lail	April 13, 1886 – April 12, 1887
William B. Childers	April 14, 1887 – April 11, 1888
Arthur E. Walker	April 11, 1888 – April 10, 1889

Chairmen of the City Commission (1917–1974)

Chairman of the City Commission	Term
Charles F. Wade	December 4, 1917 – May 24, 1919
Walter Connell	June 1919 – April 4, 1922
William R. Walton	April 19, 1922 – December 19, 1922
Edwin B. Swope	December 19, 1922 – February 23, 1925
Clyde Tingley	February 25, 1925 – January 14, 1935

Mayors Since 1974

Mayor		Term
	Harry E. Kinney	July 1, 1974 – November 1977
	David Rusk	December 1977 – November 1981
	Harry E. Kinney	December 1981 – November 1985
	Ken Schultz	December 1985 – November 1989
	Louis E. Saavedra	December 1989 – November 1993
	Martin Chávez	December 1993 – November 1997
	Jim Baca	December 1997 – November 2001
	Martin Chávez	December 2001 – November 2009
	Richard J. Berry	December 2009 – November 2017
	Tim Keller	December 2017 – present