List of mayors of Palm Springs, California Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of Palm Springs
Palm Springs Flag
Palm Springs Seal
Incumbent Ron de Harte since December 12, 2024
Style	Mr. Mayor
Term length	Four years
Inaugural holder	Philip L. Boyd
Formation	1938

The mayor of Palm Springs, California is a special leader who helps run city meetings. This role is mostly ceremonial, meaning the mayor doesn't make all the big decisions alone. The city is actually run by a group of five people called the city council. These council members are chosen by public vote.

The city council also hires a professional manager. This manager handles the city's daily tasks and helps carry out the council's plans. Palm Springs uses a special type of government called a council-manager system.

Becoming a City and Choosing Mayors

The job of mayor started in 1938 when Palm Springs officially became a city. On April 12, 1938, people in Palm Springs voted to become a city and chose their first council members. There were 910 registered voters at that time. Most voters, 442, said yes to becoming a city, while 211 said no. Because of this vote, Palm Springs officially became a city on April 20, 1938.

For a long time, the mayor wasn't directly chosen by voters. That changed in 1982, when people started directly electing the mayor. However, this changed again in 2019. Now, the mayor's job is mostly about leading meetings and representing the city. The title of mayor rotates each year among the city council members. These council members are elected from five different areas of the city. There are no limits on how many terms a city council member can serve.

Past Mayors of Palm Springs

This is a list of the people who have served as mayor of Palm Springs, California.

#	Mayor	Term(s)	Important Events
1	Philip L. Boyd	April 1938 – April 1942	Palm Springs Fire Department was created. The Palm Springs Public Library opened on July 5, 1939. The Welwood Murray Memorial Library opened on February 19, 1941. Palm Springs High School opened, so students didn't have to travel to Banning for school anymore.
2	Frank V. Shannon	April 1942 – April 1944	The 21st Ferrying Group of the USAAF Air Transport Command used the Palm Springs Municipal Airport starting April 1942. General Torney General Hospital opened in the former El Mirador Hotel on October 12, 1942.
3	Eugene E. Therieau	April 1944 – April 1946	Thomas A. O'Donnell gave the O'Donnell Golf Course to the city. It was named the Thomas A. O'Donnell Municipal Park.
4	Clarence E. Hyde	April 1946 – April 1948	A lease agreement was signed between the city and the O'Donnell Golf Club on July 1, 1947.
5	Charles Farrell	April 1948 – July 1953	The Committee of Twenty-Five was formed to help with city activities and invite important people to visit.
6	Florian Boyd	July 1953 – November 1957	Mayor Boyd welcomed President and Mrs. Eisenhower to Palm Springs. A new City Hall, designed by architect Albert Frey, opened.
7	Gerald K. Sanborn	November 1957 – April 1958	Served as acting mayor.
8	Frank Bogert	April 1958 – January 1966	The city bought land from the Agua Caliente Indians for the current airport. A new Police Station opened on McCallum Way on October 12, 1959. The Municipal Golf Course opened with 18 holes on October 28, 1959. President John F. Kennedy visited Palm Springs on December 9, 1962. The city approved tearing down homes on the Agua Caliente Reservation in Section 14 on February 19, 1962. Vista del Monte Park (now Victoria Park) and a nearby Fire Station were dedicated on November 15, 1964.
9	George Beebe, Jr.	January 1966 – April 1966	Served as acting mayor.
10	Edgar L. McCoubrey	April 1966 – April 1967	The Pearl McCallum McManus fountain was installed at the Palm Springs Airport.
11	Howard Wiefels	April 1967 – March 1974	Proposition R provided money for new projects, including: Sunrise Park, with the Palm Springs Public Library, Leisure Center, The Pavilion, and Palm Springs Swim Center. Desert Highland Park (now James O. Jessie Park), with a Community Center, Gymnasium, Playground, and baseball field.
12	William Foster	April 1974 – March 1977	The Palm Springs Tennis Center opened. The Palm Springs Library Center opened on October 28, 1975.
13	Russ Beirich	March 1977 – April 1980	The Palm Springs Police Training Center was dedicated on April 17, 1977.
14	John Doyle	April 1980 – April 1982
15	Frank Bogert	April 1982 – April 1988	He was the first mayor directly elected by the people.	A new Police Department building on South Civic Drive was dedicated on August 21, 1985. The Palm Springs Convention Center opened on December 31, 1987.
16	Sonny Bono	April 1988 – April 1992	The Library became a full city department again on October 3, 1990. A fire destroyed the historic El Mirador Tower on July 26, 1989. He created the Palm Springs International Film Festival, which started on January 10, 1990. The "Vision Palm Springs" plan for downtown was presented on May 16, 1990. The restored El Mirador Tower opened on November 10, 1990. The Villagefest Street Fair started on February 28, 1991. The Mizell Senior Center opened on March 14, 1991.
17	Lloyd Maryanov	April 1992 – December 1995	Election dates moved from April to November.	The Welwood Murray Memorial Library was closed on June 30, 1992. Residents voted for Palm Springs to become a Charter Law city. A 5% Utility User Tax (UUT) was put in place. Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort was finished, becoming Palm Springs' second city-owned golf course on February 4, 1995.
18	William G. Kleindienst	December 1995 – December 1999 December 1999 – December 2003	He was the first directly elected mayor to serve two full terms.	The Library created the Palm Springs Virtual University (PSVU), offering college courses online. It was dedicated on December 3, 1998. The Palm Springs Amtrak Station opened in 1999. The Sonny Bono Concourse opened at Palm Springs International Airport. The city bought the Albert Frey-designed Tramway Gas Station for a new Visitors Center on December 7, 2002. Playground equipment was replaced across the city. The Palm Springs Boxing Club reopened with city funding. The Palm Springs Skate Park opened. The Palm Springs Dog Park opened. A downtown parking structure was built. The Palm Springs Convention Center was expanded. The Dinah Shore bridge was built. The Council Cabinet was created. City operations for tourism and waste water treatment were privatized. Congressman Sonny Bono passed away. The Sonny Bono Memorial Fountain was dedicated in 2001. Community parades were created, including the Festival of Lights Parade, Veterans Day Parade, and Homecoming Parade.
19	Ron Oden	December 2003 – December 2007	He was the first African-American mayor of Palm Springs.	"Cirque Dreams" premiered in a temporary theater downtown on November 18, 2005. The College of the Desert decided to bring a future campus to Palm Springs on September 22, 2007. The Airport opened a new Regional Air Terminal.
20	Steve Pougnet	December 2007 – December 2015	Mayor Pougnet shared plans for The Hard Rock Hotel and the Mondrian Hotel. He revealed "iHub" (innovation hub) to help new green businesses come to the city. He suggested renaming the "Pearl McManus Fountain" at Palm Springs International Airport after Mayor Frank Bogert. He proposed a 1% sales tax (Measure J) to help the city buy and develop the downtown Fashion Plaza Mall on December 16, 2010. Measure J passed with 58% approval on November 8, 2011.
21	Robert Moon	December 2015 – December 2019	He was the last mayor directly elected by the people of Palm Springs.	The Council saved historic Tahquitz Plaza from being torn down. It was restored and renamed Kaptur Plaza. Mayor Moon led the move of the Walk of Stars program to the Chamber of Commerce. The College of the Desert announced a new Palm Springs Campus at the old Palm Springs Mall site. The new Kimpton Rowan Hotel and retail development opened where the Fashion Plaza Mall used to be. Palm Springs residents voted to allow vacation rentals in the city under new rules. Mayor Moon and Councilmember JR Roberts started the "Rebirth of an Icon" project to raise money for restoring the historic 1936 Plaza Theatre. The council voted 5-0 to change how mayors are chosen. Instead of direct elections for an at-large mayor, the title of mayor now rotates among council members elected from five different districts each year.
22	Geoff Kors	December 2019 - December 2020
23	Christy Holstege	December 2020– December 2021	She was the first female and Millennial mayor of Palm Springs.
24	Lisa Middleton	December 2021 – December 2022	She was the first transgender mayor of Palm Springs.
25	Grace Elena Garner	December 2022 – December 2023	She was the first Latina mayor of Palm Springs.
26	Jeffrey Bernstein	December 2023 – December 2024
27	Ron deHarte	December 2024 – Present

List of mayors of Palm Springs, California facts for kids

Becoming a City and Choosing Mayors

Past Mayors of Palm Springs

See also