The Mayor of the City of Saint John is the head of the elected municipal council of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John Common Council consists of a mayor (chair) and 10 councillors. The city has a ward system with four of roughly equal population. This municipal arrangement was first adopted in the 2008 municipal election after a plebiscite held October 9, 2007. The mayor is directly elected along with two councillors that run at large. Since 2021, the deputy mayor has been chosen by Common Council after each election, having previously been the councillor at large who gained a plurality of votes. The current deputy mayor is John MacKenzie. Each ward elects two councillor.
Since the incorporation of Saint John in 1785, the mayor has served as the chief representative of the city. Officeholders were first appointed by the Governor of New Brunswick, under an order in council. By the end of the end of the nineteenth century, the mayor was elected by the alderman of Common Council. In 1854, the office was directly elected by Saint John residents. As head of the largest city in New Brunswick, many mayors have served as elected officials at the federal and provincial level both before and after their tenure.
Since 1785, 67 individuals have held the office of mayor. Notably, Samuel Davis, 1977-1980, served as the first elected Jewish Mayor of Saint John. In 1983 Elsie Wayne was elected the first woman mayor. She served until 1993. While serving only two years, Thomas J. Higgins was the first Catholic Mayor of Saint John. The former, Don Darling, was elected May 9, 2016. Donna Reardon, incumbent, was elected May 25, 2021.
List of Mayors
+ Appointed by Governor-In-CouncilMayorTerm in officeNotes1Gabriel George Ludlow – 17952William Campbell – 18163John Robinson – 1828Died in office4William Black – 18295Lauchlan Donaldson – 18326William Black – 18337John M. Wilmot – 18348Benjamin L. Peters – 18359William H. Street – 183610John Robertson – 183711Robert F. Hazen – 184012William Black – 184313Lauchlan Donaldson – 184714John R. Partelow – 184815William H. Street – 184916Robert D. Wilmot – 185017Henry Chubb – 1851
+ Elected indirectly by Common CouncilMayorTerm in officeNotes18Thomas Harding – 185219William O. Smith – 185320James Olive – 1854
+ Elected directly by residentsMayorTerm in officeNotes21James Olive – 185522William O. Smith – 185923Thomas Mcavity – 186324Isaac Woodward – 186625Aaron Alward – 187026Thomas M. Reed – 187427A. Chipman Smith – 187728Sylvester Z. Earle – 187929Charles R. Ray – 188130Simeon Jones – 188431J. Mcgregor Grant – 188532J.S. Boies Deveber – 188733Henry J. Thorne – 188934George A. BarkerDied in office35I. Allen Jack – August 9, 1889As Recorder Under City Charter36W. Albert Lockhart – 189137Thomas W. Peters – 189438George Robertson – 189839Edward Sears – 190040John Waterhouse Daniel – 190241Walter W. White – 190642Edward Sears – 190843Thomas H. Bullock – 191044James H. Frink – 191645Robert T. Hayes – 192046E. Allen Schofield – 192247H. R. McLellanRecalled following a by-election48G. Frederick Fisher – 192449Frank L. Potts – 1926Died in office50Walter W. White – 193251James W. Brittain – 193652David Laurence MacLaren – 194053Charles R. Wasson – 194454James D. McKenna – 194855Ernest W. Patterson – 195056George E. Howard – 195257Ernest W. Patterson – 195458Gilbert B. Peat – 195659William W. Macaulay – 195860David Laurence MacLaren – September 7, 1960Died in office61James A. Whitebone – October 17, 1960Completed MacLaren's mayoral term as Deputy Mayor62Eric Teed – 196463Stephen Weyman – 196664Arthur L. Gould64Arthur L. Gould – June 196765Joseph A. Macdougall – 196966H. Avard Loomer – July 18, 1969Died in office67James E. Calvin – 197168Bob Lockhart – 197469Edis A. Flewwelling – 197770Samuel Davis – 198071Bob Lockhart – 198372Elsie Wayne – 199373Thomas J. Higgins – 199574Shirley McAlary – May 11, 200475Norman McFarlane – 200876Ivan Court2008 – 201277Mel Norton2012 – 201678Don Darling2016 – 202179Donna Reardon2021 – present
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