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List of mayors of Erie, Pennsylvania facts for kids

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Erie City Hall
Erie City Hall houses the mayor's office.

Erie, Pennsylvania, has a long history of leaders who have guided the city. This article lists the people who have served as the mayor of the city of Erie, located in northwestern Pennsylvania. A mayor is the top elected official in a city, similar to a president for a country or a governor for a state, but on a local level. They are in charge of the city's government and work to make the city a better place for everyone.

What Does a Mayor Do?

Erie's city government is made up of a mayor and a city council. The mayor's office also includes an elected city treasurer (who handles the city's money) and a city controller (who checks how the money is spent). For the first nine years after Erie became a city, the mayor was also the head of the Select Council.

How Mayors Are Elected

For a long time, a mayor in Erie could only serve one two-year term. But in 1890, this rule changed. The term length was made longer, to three years, during the time Charles S. Clarke was mayor. After 1890, mayors could serve as many terms as they wanted. A great example of this is Mayor Louis J. Tullio, who was mayor for eight terms in a row, from 1966 to 1989!

List of Erie's Mayors

# Name Term Party Notes
48 Joseph Schember January 2, 2018- present Democratic Currently serving as mayor
47 Joseph E. Sinnott January 2, 2006–January 2, 2018 Democratic
46 Richard E. Filippi 2002–2006 Democratic
45 Joyce A. Savocchio 1990–2002 Democratic
* Patricia Liebel November 12, 1989–1990 Democratic Served as Acting mayor
44 Louis J. Tullio 1966–November 12, 1989 Democratic Was unable to finish his term
43 Charles B. Williamson 1962–1965 Republican
42 Arthur J. Gardner 1955–1962 Democratic Became mayor after Flatley left office
* George J. Brabender December 14, 1954–January 5, 1955 Served as Acting Mayor
41 Thomas W. Flatley 1952–1954 Democratic Left office
40 Clairence K. Pulling 1950–1952 Republican
39 Joseph C. Martin 1948–1949 Replaced Hickey, who passed away
38 Sherman T. Hickey, Jr. 1948–August 28, 1948 Democratic Passed away while in office
37 Gale H. Ross 1947–1948 Appointed to finish Barber's term
36 Charles R. Barber 1936–1947 Republican Appointed State Secretary of Welfare in 1947
35 James Patrick Rossiter 1932–1936 Democratic
34 Joseph Crane Williams 1924–1932
33 Miles Brown Kitts 1916–1924 Republican
32 Bernard J. Veit 1915 Passed away before starting his term
31 William J. Stern 1911–1915 Democratic
30 Bernard Cochran 1910–1910
29 Michael Liebel Jr. 1908–1911 Democratic
* Michael Liebel Jr. 1906–1907 Democratic Appointed in September 1906, then elected in February 1907 to finish Saltsman's term
28 Robert J. Saltsman 1905–1906 Democratic Passed away while in office
27 William Hardwick 1902–1904
26 John Depinet 1900–1901 Republican
25 Robert J. Saltsman 1896-04-06–1899 Democratic
24 Walter Scott 1893–1896
23 Charles S. Clarke 1890–1893
Term length changed to 3 years in 1890
23 Charles S. Clarke 1889–1893
22 John C. Brady February 1887–1889 Democratic
21 Frank A. Mizener 1886–1887 Appointed to finish Adams' term
20 Franklin Farrar Adams 1885–1886 Resigned from office
19 Philip August Becker 1883–1885
18 Joseph McCarter 1881–1883
17 David T. Jones 1878–1881
16 Selden Marvin 1877–1878
15 John W. Hammond 1876–1877
14 Henry Rawle 1874–1876
13 Charles Manning Reed 1872–1874 Republican
12 William L. Scott 1871–1872 Democratic
11 Orange Noble 1867–1871
10 William L. Scott 1866–1867 Democratic
9 Fernando Freeman Farrar 1865–1866
8 Prescott Metcalf 1862 – 1865 Republican
7 Sherburn Smith 1859–1862
6 Wilson Laird 1858–1859
5 James Hoskinson 1857–1858
4 Wilson Laird 1855–1857
3 Alfred King 1853–1855
2 Murray Whallon 1852–1853
1 Thomas G. Colt 1851–1852 First mayor of Erie

Before Mayors: The Burgesses

Before Erie had mayors, from 1805 until 1850, the area was called the Borough of Erie and was led by a "burgess." The title of mayor has been used since the City of Erie officially became a city on April 14, 1851.

List of Erie's Burgesses

Name Starting Year Ending Year Date of Birth Date of Death
B. B. Vincent 1850 1850 August 4, 1803 July 21, 1876
Alexander W. Brewster 1849 1849 1795 May 26, 1851
Charles W. Kelso 1848 1848
William Kelley 1846 1847
Charles W. Kelso 1845 1845
Thomas H. Sill 1843 1844 October 11, 1783 February 7, 1856
Thomas Stewart 1842 1842
Rufus S. Reed 1841 1841 October 11, 1775 June 1, 1846
Myron Goodwin 1840 1840
William Kelley 1839 1839
James L. White 1838 1838
J. B. Laughead 1836 1837
Joseph M. Sterrett 1834 1835
Thomas H. Sill 1833 1833 October 11, 1783 February 7, 1856
Tabor Beebe (acted for Forster) 1832 1832
Thomas Forster (elected but did not serve) 1832 1832 May 16, 1762 1836
George A. Eliot 1831 1831
William Johns 1830 1830
Thomas H. Sill 1829 1829 October 11, 1783 February 17, 1856
Tabor Beebe 1828 1828
John C. Wallace 1825 1827 February 14, 1771 December 8, 1827
John Morris 1822 1824
Judah Colt 1820 1821
George Moore 1818 1819
Thomas H. Sill 1816 1817 October 11, 1783 February 7, 1856
George Moore 1814 1815
Judah Colt 1813 1814
Samuel Hays 1812 1813
John C. Wallace 1810 1812 February 14, 1771 December 8, 1827
George Buehler 1808 1809
Thomas Wilson 1807 1807 1772 October 4, 1824
John C. Wallace May 5, 1806 1806 February 14, 1771 December 8, 1827

See also

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List of mayors of Erie, Pennsylvania Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.