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 like the main boss of the city government in Chicopee, Massachusetts. The mayor's job is to make sure all the city's rules and laws are followed. They also choose and manage many city officials. Plus, the mayor is automatically a member of the Chicopee School Committee.

Chicopee uses a mayor-council government system. This means the city has a mayor and a city council working together. Mayors in Chicopee are chosen by regular people voting in elections. These elections are non-partisan, meaning candidates don't run as part of a political party. A mayor serves for two years and can be re-elected as many times as they want.

The mayor's main office is located in Chicopee City Hall, right in the heart of Chicopee Center. The current mayor of Chicopee is John L. Vieau. He has been serving since January 6, 2020.

History of Chicopee's Mayors

Before the Mayor's Office

Before 1891, Chicopee didn't have a mayor. The town was run by an open town meeting, where all citizens could vote on important issues. A group called the Board of Selectmen handled the daily tasks of running the town.

When Chicopee Got a Mayor

Chicopee officially became a city in 1890. This meant it got its own special rulebook, called a city charter. The first mayor, George S. Taylor, took office in 1891. Back then, mayors were elected every year in December and started their term in January. If the mayor's office became empty, a new election had to happen right away. The President of the Board of Aldermen would act as mayor until a new one was chosen.

Changes to the Mayor's Role

In 1897, the city charter was updated. One big change was that the city council became unicameral, meaning it had only one group of members instead of two. The mayor no longer led city council meetings or helped announce election winners. Also, if the mayor's term was almost over (within three months), a new election wasn't always required if the office became empty. These new rules started in 1898.

Non-Partisan Elections Begin

In 1938, a group called the Franco-American Association in Chicopee suggested that local elections should be non-partisan. This meant that candidates wouldn't run as Republicans or Democrats. People thought this would help reduce voting based on a person's background or political group. The first non-partisan elections in Chicopee happened in 1943.

List of Chicopee 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	Republican
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