List of mayors of Chicopee, Massachusetts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of Chicopee
Seal of Chicopee
Incumbent John L. Vieau since January 6, 2020
Style	His/Her Honor
Member of	School Committee
Residence	None official
Seat	Chicopee City Hall
Nominator	Non-partisan nominating petition
Appointer	Popular vote
Term length	Two years (1917-Present) One year (1891-1917)
Constituting instrument	Chicopee City Charter
Precursor	Chicopee Board of Selectmen (1848-1890)
Formation	1891
First holder	George Sylvester Taylor
Salary	$122,000 (2023)

The Mayor of Chicopee is the chief executive of municipal government in Chicopee, Massachusetts. The mayor's office oversees the enforcement of all laws and ordinances within the city, appoints and supervises a majority of appointed officials, and serves as an ex officio member of the Chicopee School Committee. Chicopee has a mayor-council government. Mayors of Chicopee are appointed through direct, non-partisan elections to a two-year term. The office has no term limits. The mayor's office is located in Chicopee City Hall in Chicopee Center.

The current mayor of Chicopee is John L. Vieau.

History

Prior to 1891, Chicopee had no mayor. The town was governed by an open town meeting and a Board of Selectmen to oversee the day-to-day operations of the town. Chicopee received its city charter in 1890 and elected George S. Taylor, who took office in 1891. Under the charter, mayors were elected annually on the first Tuesday in December and took office on the first Monday in January. If the mayor's office was vacated, it was mandatory for an election to take place, with the President of the Board of Aldermen serving as acting mayor.

When the city charter was revised in 1897, the city council was changed to a unicameral system and the mayor no longer presided over city council meetings or acted with the council in declaring elections' winning candidates. Additionally, it was no longer mandatory to call a new election if the mayor's office was vacated within three months of a mayor's term ending. The revised charter came into effect in 1898.

In 1938, the city's Franco-American Association endorsed holding non-partisan local elections. Proponents argued that non-partisan elections would alleviate racial or ethnic bloc voting and party factionalism. The city's first non-partisan elections were held in 1943.

List of mayors

#	Mayor	Picture	Term	Party	Notes
1	George Sylvester Taylor		January 5, 1891 - January 4, 1892	Republican
2	William W. McClench		January 4, 1892 - January 2, 1893	Democrat
3	Henry H. Harris		January 2, 1893 - January 1, 1894	Republican
4	William M. E. Mellen		January 1, 1894 - January 7, 1895	Democratic
5	Andrew W. Gale		January 7, 1895 - January 6, 1896	Republican
6	Alexander Grant		January 6, 1896 - January 4, 1897	Republican
7	George D. Eldridge		January 4, 1897 - January 2, 1899	Democratic
8	Denis Murphy		January 2, 1899 - January 7, 1901	Unaffiliated	Born in Cork, Ireland; First Irish mayor of Chicopee
9	James H. Loomis		January 7, 1901 - January 4, 1904	Republican
10	Charles A. Buckley		January 4, 1904 - January 2, 1905	Republican
11	Albert E. Taylor		January 2, 1905 - January 6, 1908	Republican	Son of George Sylvester Taylor
12	Joseph O. Beauchamp		January 6, 1908 - January 4, 1909	Republican	Born in Saint-Roch, Canada; First Franco-American mayor of Chicopee
13	William J. Fuller		January 4, 1909 - January 2, 1910	Republican
14	Samuel E. Fletcher		January 2, 1910 - January 1, 1912	Republican
15	Frank A. Rivers		January 1, 1912 - October 7, 1914	Unaffiliated
16	Rogette D. Earle		October 7, 1914 - January 4, 1915	Unaffiliated	Board of Alderman President, Acting Mayor
17	William J. Dunn		January 4, 1915 - January 3, 1916	Democrat
18	Daniel J. Coakley		January 3, 1916 - January 5, 1920	Democrat
19	James E. Higgins		January 5, 1920 - January 2, 1922	Republican
20	Joseph E. Grise		January 2, 1922 - January 4, 1926
21	Michael I. Shea		January 4, 1926 - January 2, 1928	Democrat
22	Henry Cloutier		January 2, 1928 - January 4, 1932	Republican
23	Anthony J. Stonina		January 4, 1932 - January 1, 1934	Republican	First Polish mayor of Chicopee
24	O'Neil Deroy		January 1, 1934 - January 6, 1936	Republican
(23)	Anthony J. Stonina		January 6, 1936 - January 1, 1940	Republican
25	Leo P. Senecal		January 1, 1940 - January 3, 1944	Republican
26	Edward O. Bourbeau		January 3, 1944 - January 7, 1952	Republican
27	Walter J. Trybulski		January 7, 1952 - January 2, 1956	Republican
28	Walter M. Grocki		January 2, 1956 - January 4, 1960	Republican
29	Edward A. Lysek		January 4, 1960 - January 3, 1966	Republican
30	Richard H. Demers		January 3, 1966 - January 5, 1970	Democrat
31	Edward J. Ziemba		January 5, 1970 - January 5, 1976	Republican
32	Howard W. Redfern, Jr.		January 5, 1976 - January 2, 1978	Democrat
33	John P. Moylan		January 2, 1978 - January 7, 1980	Democrat
34	Robert F. Kumor		January 7, 1980 - January 2, 1984	Democrat
35	Richard S. Lak		January 2, 1984 - January 4, 1988	Democrat
36	Joseph J. Chessey		January 4, 1988 - February 28, 1997	Democrat
37	Patrick E. Welch		March 1, 1997 - July 7, 1997	Democrat	City Council President, Acting Mayor
38	Richard J. Kos		July 7, 1997 - January 5, 2004	Republican	Did not run for re-election in 2003
39	Richard R. Goyette		January 5, 2004 - January 2, 2006	Republican
40	Michael D. Bissonnette		January 2, 2006 - January 6, 2014	Democrat	Lost re-election for 5th term
(38)	Richard J. Kos		January 6, 2014 - January 6, 2020	Republican
41	John L. Vieau		January 6, 2020 - Incumbent