List of mayors of Fayetteville, North Carolina facts for kids
The Mayor of Fayetteville, North Carolina is an important leader for the city. This person is chosen by the people of Fayetteville in an election every two years. These elections happen in "off-years," which means they don't happen at the same time as big national elections. The mayoral election is also "nonpartisan," meaning candidates don't run as members of a political party like Democrats or Republicans.
The current mayor is Mitch Colvin, who has held the office since 2017. As mayor, he helps lead the city council and makes decisions for Fayetteville. In a "Council-Manager" city like Fayetteville, the mayor works with the city council, and they all share leadership duties.
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History of Fayetteville's Mayors
The very first mayor of Fayetteville was J. W. Walker. He helped set up the city's early leadership.
A book called "The Story of Fayetteville and the Upper Cape Fear" was written by John Oates in 1950. It's a special book because all twelve mayors who served after 1961 have signed a copy of it.
Leaders of Fayetteville: A List of Mayors
This section lists the people who have served as mayor of Fayetteville over the years.
Mayors Before 1961
Before 1961, many people served as mayor. Here are a few of them:
- James Dobbin McNeill served six times before 1927.
- James W. Wise was mayor from 1904 to 1906.
- Thomas J. Powers served from 1907 to 1908.
- John Underwood was mayor in 1914 and again in 1919.
- Henry Elliot Williams held the office from 1920 to 1921.
- Edwin Robeson MacKethan served from 1921 to 1923.
Mayors Since 1961
Since 1961, Fayetteville has had a number of mayors. This table shows who they were, when they served, and some interesting facts about their time in office.
| Mayor | Term Begins | Term Ends | Important Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Butler | 1961 | 1963 | |
| Wilber Clark | 1963 | 1965 | |
| Monroe Evans | 1965 | 1969 | He was the first Jewish mayor of Fayetteville. |
| Charles B.C. Holt | 1969 | 1971 | |
| Jack Lee | 1971 | 1975 | He was the first Republican mayor in the 1900s. |
| Beth Finch | 1975 | 1981 | She was the first woman to be the Mayor of Fayetteville. |
| Bill Hurley | 1981 | 1987 | |
| J.L. Dawkins | 1987 | May 30, 2000 | He served the longest time as mayor in the city's history. |
| Milo McBryde | August 21, 2000 | December 3, 2001 | He was chosen to finish Mayor Dawkins' term. |
| Marshall Pitts Jr. | December 3, 2001 | December 2005 | He was the first African-American mayor of Fayetteville. |
| Tony Chavonne | December 2005 | December 2, 2013 | |
| Nat Robertson | December 2, 2013 | December 4, 2017 | |
| Mitch Colvin | December 4, 2017 | Incumbent | He is the current mayor. |
See also
