The Mayor of Chicopee is the chief executive of municipal government in Chicopee, Massachusetts. The mayor's office oversees the enforcement of all laws and ordinances within the city, appoints and supervises a majority of appointed officials, and serves as an ex officio member of the Chicopee School Committee. Chicopee has a mayor-council government. Mayors of Chicopee are appointed through direct, non-partisan elections to a two-year term. The office has no term limits. The mayor's office is located in Chicopee City Hall in Chicopee Center.
The current mayor of Chicopee is John L. Vieau.
History
Prior to 1891, Chicopee had no mayor. The town was governed by an open town meeting and a Board of Selectmen to oversee the day-to-day operations of the town. Chicopee received its city charter in 1890 and elected George S. Taylor, who took office in 1891. Under the charter, mayors were elected annually on the first Tuesday in December and took office on the first Monday in January. If the mayor's office was vacated, it was mandatory for an election to take place, with the President of the Board of Aldermen serving as acting mayor.
When the city charter was revised in 1897, the city council was changed to a unicameral system and the mayor no longer presided over city council meetings or acted with the council in declaring elections' winning candidates. Additionally, it was no longer mandatory to call a new election if the mayor's office was vacated within three months of a mayor's term ending. The revised charter came into effect in 1898.
In 1938, the city's Franco-American Association endorsed holding non-partisan local elections. Proponents argued that non-partisan elections would alleviate racial or ethnic bloc voting and party factionalism. The city's first non-partisan elections were held in 1943.
List of mayors # Mayor Picture Term Party Notes1 George Sylvester TaylorJanuary 5, 1891 – January 4, 1892Republican2 William W. McClenchJanuary 4, 1892 – January 2, 1893Democrat3 Henry H. HarrisJanuary 2, 1893 – January 1, 1894Republican 4 William M. E. Mellen January 1, 1894 – January 7, 1895Democratic 5 Andrew W. Gale January 7, 1895 – January 6, 1896Republican 6 Alexander Grant January 6, 1896 – January 4, 1897Republican7 George D. Eldridge January 4, 1897 – January 2, 1899Democratic 8 Denis Murphy January 2, 1899 – January 7, 1901 Unaffiliated Born in Cork, Ireland; First Irish mayor of Chicopee9 James H. Loomis January 7, 1901 – January 4, 1904Republican 10Charles A. Buckley January 4, 1904 – January 2, 1905Republican11 Albert E. TaylorJanuary 2, 1905 – January 6, 1908Republican Son of George Sylvester Taylor12 Joseph O. Beauchamp January 6, 1908 – January 4, 1909Republican Born in Saint-Roch, Canada; First Franco-American mayor of Chicopee13 William J. Fuller January 4, 1909 – January 2, 1910Republican14 Samuel E. Fletcher January 2, 1910 – January 1, 1912Republican15 Frank A. Rivers January 1, 1912 – October 7, 1914Unaffiliated16 Rogette D. EarleOctober 7, 1914 – January 4, 1915Unaffiliated Board of Alderman President, Acting Mayor17 William J. Dunn January 4, 1915 – January 3, 1916Democrat18 Daniel J. Coakley January 3, 1916 – January 5, 1920Democrat19 James E. Higgins January 5, 1920 – January 2, 1922Republican20 Joseph E. GriseJanuary 2, 1922 – January 4, 1926Republican21 Michael I. Shea January 4, 1926 – January 2, 1928Democrat22 Henry Cloutier January 2, 1928 – January 4, 1932Republican 23 Anthony J. Stonina January 4, 1932 – January 1, 1934Republican First Polish mayor of Chicopee24 O'Neil Deroy January 1, 1934 – January 6, 1936 Republican(23) Anthony J. Stonina January 6, 1936 – January 1, 1940 Republican 25 Leo P. Senecal January 1, 1940 – January 3, 1944 Republican 26 Edward O. Bourbeau January 3, 1944 – January 7, 1952Republican27 Walter J. Trybulski January 7, 1952 – January 2, 1956Republican28 Walter M. Grocki January 2, 1956 – January 4, 1960Republican29 Edward A. LysekJanuary 4, 1960 – January 3, 1966Republican30 Richard H. Demers January 3, 1966 – January 5, 1970 Democrat31 Edward J. Ziemba January 5, 1970 – January 5, 1976Republican32 Howard W. Redfern, Jr. January 5, 1976 – January 2, 1978Democrat33 John P. Moylan January 2, 1978 – January 7, 1980Democrat34 Robert F. Kumor January 7, 1980 – January 2, 1984Democrat35 Richard S. Lak January 2, 1984 – January 4, 1988Democrat36 Joseph J. Chessey January 4, 1988 – February 28, 1997Democrat37 Patrick E. Welch March 1, 1997 – July 7, 1997 Democrat City Council President, Acting Mayor38 Richard J. KosJuly 7, 1997 – January 5, 2004Republican Did not run for re-election in 200339 Richard R. Goyette January 5, 2004 – January 2, 2006Republican40 Michael D. Bissonnette January 2, 2006 – January 6, 2014Democrat Lost re-election for 5th term(38)Richard J. Kos January 6, 2014 – January 6, 2020Republican41 John L. Vieau January 6, 2020 – IncumbentUnaffiliated
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