Mayor of Stamford, Connecticut facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mayor of Stamford, Connecticut |
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.jpg) Caroline Simmons since 2021 |
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| Term length | 4 years |
| Formation | 1894 |
| First holder | Charles H. Leeds |
The mayor of Stamford, Connecticut is the city's main leader. Think of them as the chief executive, responsible for making sure everything in the city works well. The current mayor is Caroline Simmons, who started her term in 2021.
Contents
History of Stamford's Mayors
For a long time, Stamford had a special way of being governed. Before 1945, the city was split into two parts. There was a central city area with a "strong mayor" system. This meant the mayor had a lot of power. The other part was a "town" that used a traditional New England town meeting style of government. In a town meeting, citizens gather to make decisions.
How the Government Changed
People started to think this system was confusing and not very good for a growing city. They felt the mayor had too much power. Also, having two different ways of governing parts of the same place was inefficient.
So, in 1946, a special group called the Charter Consolidation Inquiry Commission was formed. They suggested that Stamford should become one unified city. This new city would still have a strong mayor. It would also have a city council called the Board of Representatives. This council would have forty members, with two elected from each of twenty districts.
Stamford voters approved these new ideas. The new system officially began on April 15, 1949. This change helped make Stamford's government more organized and efficient.
What the Mayor Does Today
Today, Stamford still uses the "strong-mayor" system. The mayor has many important jobs. They choose the people who lead different city departments. The mayor is also the chief executive officer, meaning they are in charge of the city's daily operations.
Another big responsibility is creating the city's budget. The mayor presents this budget to the board of finance, the city council, and the planning board. The city council then reviews and approves the budget. They also pass new laws and rules for the city.
Both the mayor and the city council members serve for four years. There are no limits on how many terms they can serve. This means they can be re-elected many times.
List of Mayors of Stamford
This table shows the people who have served as mayor of Stamford. It includes when they were in office and their birth and death dates.
| Name | Served | Party | Date of birth | Date of death | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles H. Leeds | 1894-1895 | January 9, 1834 | November 6, 1914 | |||
| Edwin L. Scofield | 1895-1897 | June 18, 1852 | January 14, 1918 | |||
| William J. H. Bohannan | 1897-1899 | March 9, 1865 | August 29, 1947 | |||
| Edward J. Tupper | 1899-1900 | September 19, 1853 | October 2, 1922 | |||
| Homer Stille Cummings | 1900-1902 | Democrat | April 30, 1870 | September 10, 1956 | ||
| Charles H. Leeds | 1902-1904 | January 6, 1873 | February 7, 1967 | |||
| Homer Stille Cummings | 1904-1906 | Democrat | April 30, 1870 | September 10, 1956 | Subsequently Attorney General of the United States (1933-1939) | |
| Edward J. Tupper | 1906-1910 | September 19, 1853 | October 2, 1922 | |||
| Charles E. Rowell | 1911-1913 | May 3, 1849 | March 29, 1914 | |||
| Walter G. Austin | 1913-1915 | December 9, 1853 | January 14, 1937 | |||
| John M. Brown | 1915-1915 | November 7, 1856 | December 10, 1915 | |||
| John J. Treat | 1916-1922 | June 10, 1873 | February 7, 1928 | |||
| Alfred N. Phillips, Jr. | 1923-1924 | Democrat | April 23, 1894 | January 18, 1970 | ||
| John F. Keating | 1924-1926 | September 8, 1876 | September 15, 1946 | |||
| Alfred N. Phillips, Jr. | 1927-1928 | Democrat | April 23, 1894 | January 18, 1970 | ||
| William W. Graves | 1928-1930 | October 28, 1868 | December 26, 1965 | |||
| John F. Keating | 1934-1935 | September 8, 1876 | September 15, 1946 | |||
| Joseph P. Boyle | 1930-1934 | 1883 | May 25, 1948 | |||
| Alfred N. Phillips, Jr. | 1935-1936 | Democrat | April 23, 1894 | January 18, 1970 | Subsequently representative from Connecticut's 4th congressional district | |
| Edward A. Gonnoud | 1936-1938 | Democrat | September 12, 1892 | June 26, 1951 | ||
| Charles E. Moore | 1938-1940 | Republican | June 29, 1884 | June 22, 1967 | ||
| Edward A. Gonnoud | 1940-1942 | Democrat | September 12, 1892 | June 26, 1951 | ||
| Charles E. Moore | 1942-1949 | Republican | June 29, 1884 | June 22, 1967 | ||
| George T. Barrett | 1949-1951 | Republican | November 29, 1884 | October 11, 1954 | ||
| Thomas F. J. Quigley | 1951-1957 | Democrat | April 19, 1903 | November 9, 1996 | ||
| Webster C. Givens | 1957-1959 | Republican | December 23, 1898 | September 7, 1968 | ||
| James Walter Kennedy | 1959-1963 | Democrat | June 8, 1912 | June 26, 1977 | Subsequently Commissioner of the NBA (1963–1975) | |
| William F. Hickey Jr. | 1963-1963 | Democrat | May 28, 1929 | July 21, 2016 | ||
| Thomas C. Mayers | 1963-1967 | Republican | March 21, 1909 | December 20, 1997 | ||
| Bruno E. Giordano | 1967-1969 | Democrat | July 29, 1929 | May 27, 2016 | ||
| Julius Morris Wilensky | 1969-1973 | Republican | October 10, 1916 | October 25, 2004 | ||
| Frederick P. Lenz, Jr. | 1973-1975 | Democrat | ||||
| Louis A. Clapes | 1975-1983 | Republican | April 10, 1917 | November 20, 1990 | ||
| Thom Serrani | 1983-1991 | Democrat | 1948 | — | Elementary school redistricting plan sent South Field Village Housing Projects children to Cove Schools | |
| Stanley J. Esposito | 1991-1995 | Republican | — | |||
| Dannel Patrick "Dan" Malloy | 1995-2009 | Democrat | July 21, 1955 | — | Subsequently governor of Connecticut | |
| Michael Pavia | 2009-2013 | Republican | — | |||
| David R. Martin | 2013–2021 | Democrat | February 23, 1953 | — | ||
| Caroline Simmons | 2021–Present | Democrat | February 10, 1986 | — | First female mayor in Stamford history |
