List of mayors of Norwalk, Connecticut facts for kids

The Mayor of Norwalk, Connecticut is like the main boss or leader of the city government in Norwalk, Connecticut, United States. This job is set up by the city's rules, called the Charter of the City of Norwalk. The person who is the mayor right now is Harry Rilling, who is a member of the Democratic Party.

What Does a Mayor Do?

A mayor is the chief executive of a city. This means they are in charge of making sure the city runs smoothly every day. They work with different city departments, like police, fire, and public works, to make sure services are provided. Mayors also help create the city's budget, which is a plan for how the city will spend its money. They represent the city to other governments and the public.

How Norwalk's Leaders Changed Over Time

Before 1913, Norwalk was actually made up of a few different areas, each with its own leaders. Elections for these leaders used to happen every year in October.

Early Leaders: Wardens and Mayors

• Wardens of the Borough of Norwalk (1836-1872): The area called the Borough of Norwalk started in 1836. Its main leader was called a Warden.
• Mayors of South Norwalk (1870-1913): In 1870, a part of Norwalk called Old Well became its own city named South Norwalk. It had its own mayors.
• Mayors of the City of Norwalk (1893-1913): Later, in 1893, the Borough of Norwalk also became its own city, called the City of Norwalk, and it had its own mayors too.

This means that for a while, there were different leaders for different parts of what we now know as Norwalk!

Mayors of the Unified City of Norwalk (1913-Present)

On June 6, 1913, all the different parts of Norwalk came together to form one big city. This made the job of Mayor of Norwalk the main leadership role for the entire city. Since then, elections for mayor happen every two years, in odd-numbered years. The former city of South Norwalk became known as the Second Taxing District within the new, larger Norwalk.

Here is a list of the mayors who have led the unified city of Norwalk since 1913:

See also

• History of Norwalk, Connecticut
• Connecticut's 12th Senate district
• List of members of the Connecticut General Assembly from Norwalk