Why Doesn't Piedmont Elect Its Mayor? A History of the City's Mayoral Elections
As we get closer to this upcoming election, it made me wonder:
From a mayor who served 25 years to the two-year rotation tradition: how Piedmont has selected its mayors since 1907?
Piedmont residents elect their City Council, but they do not directly elect their mayor. Instead, the five council members select one of their own to serve in the position.
This arrangement has existed in some form since Piedmont incorporated in 1907. However, the length of time a mayor serves—and the traditions governing who is selected—have changed considerably. In the city's early years, mayors could serve for decades. Oliver Ellsworth held the position for approximately 25 years, while Lawrence F. Moore served for about six. By 1947, the City Council was experimenting with annual rotation, and that June, council members proposed extending the customary tenure to two years.
Today, Piedmont generally selects a mayor every two years, but this remains a tradition rather than an automatic process required by the City Charter.
So how did Piedmont arrive at this system?
1907: Piedmont's First Mayors
Piedmont incorporated in January 1907, largely in response to Oakland's efforts to expand its boundaries. Residents who supported incorporation wanted to preserve local control over taxation, development, and municipal affairs. As a sixth-class California municipality, Piedmont initially operated under the state's general municipal laws. Residents elected a five-member Board of Trustees, which selected its own president, who also served as mayor.
Hugh Craig is frequently identified as Piedmont's first mayor. However, contemporary newspaper accounts indicate that Varney Gaskill held the position in February 1907, before Craig became mayor later that year. In her 1954 history, Queen of the Hills, Evelyn Craig Pattiani, Hugh Craig's daughter, reproduced portions of the original Board of Trustees minutes. These identified Craig as temporary chairman at the first organizational meeting on February 8, 1907, but did not establish that he was the city's first formally selected mayor.
Craig subsequently served as president of the Board for approximately seven years.
The distinction between electing trustees and selecting a mayor was important from the beginning. Piedmont residents elected their representatives, but those representatives chose who would lead the governing body.
Sources:
Evelyn Craig Pattiani, Queen of the Hills (1954), pp. 104–106.
https://www.historyofpiedmont.com/post/the-many-first-mayors-of-piedmont
1914: A Political Change Brings a New Mayor
In April 1914, a municipal election produced a change in Piedmont's governing majority. According to Pattiani's account, Mayor Hugh Craig's taxation policies had generated opposition among some owners of large estates and undeveloped properties. Craig had supported increased assessments to help finance improvements and municipal services. The April election brought Oliver Ellsworth, Laurence F. Moore, and Walter A. Starr onto the Board of Trustees, creating a new majority. The Board subsequently selected Ellsworth as its new president, replacing Craig, who resigned as a trustee. Although Pattiani's interpretation of the political conflict should be considered alongside contemporary newspaper accounts, the transition demonstrates how Piedmont's indirect mayoral election process worked.
Voters did not directly elect Ellsworth as mayor. They elected trustees who then chose Ellsworth to lead them.
Ellsworth's selection marked the beginning of an extraordinary 25-year mayoralty.
Sources:
Evelyn Craig Pattiani, Queen of the Hills (1954), pp. 108–111.
San Francisco Chronicle, April 21, 1914, "Town of Piedmont Now Has New Mayor."
1914–1939: A Mayor Serves for 25 Years
Oliver Ellsworth remained mayor from 1914 until his death on November 1, 1939.
During his administration, Piedmont experienced rapid residential development, expanded municipal services, and adopted its first City Charter. A November 1939 Oakland Tribune obituary described his quarter-century in office and noted that Ellsworth was repeatedly returned to the position without opposition or campaigning. His lengthy tenure demonstrates that Piedmont did not originally follow a regular mayoral rotation. The governing body could repeatedly select the same individual for as long as that person remained eligible and retained the Council's support.
Ellsworth also had an unusual historical connection: he was a descendant of Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and later Chief Justice of the United States.
Source:
Oakland Tribune, November 1, 1939, "Oliver Ellsworth, Piedmont Mayor for 25 Years, Is Dead."
1922–1923: Piedmont Writes Its Own City Charter
An important development during Ellsworth's administration was Piedmont's transition from a sixth-class municipality to a charter city. The change followed another struggle over municipal independence. In 1921 and 1922, a proposal to establish a consolidated City and County of Oakland threatened to combine Oakland, Piedmont, and Emeryville into a larger government.
Mayor Ellsworth publicly opposed the proposal, arguing that consolidation could disadvantage Piedmont taxpayers and weaken local control. The Piedmont Civic Association also organized opposition. In October 1922, Piedmont residents nominated 15 citizens for election to a Board of Freeholders responsible for drafting the city's first charter.
The group included:
Mayor Ellsworth, businessman
James Tyson, former trustee
William M. Wheeler, and
members of local civic organizations.
Notably, two women participated: Mrs. Ransom Beach, a former president of the West Piedmont Improvement Club, and Mrs. E. B. Kimball.
The freeholders were elected on November 7, 1922, and began preparing the charter. A November 28 newspaper article explained why the change was considered necessary: Piedmont was governed by state laws applying to sixth-class cities, even though its circumstances as a residential municipality surrounded by Oakland were unusual. The new charter would give Piedmont greater control over its own municipal affairs.
The Charter Passes 316 to 32
On February 27, 1923, voters overwhelmingly approved the charter.
The Oakland Tribune reported the official results on March 1:
Vote | Total |
In favor | 316 |
Opposed | 32 |
The charter was subsequently approved by the California Legislature, and Piedmont became a chartered city in March 1923. An April 4 newspaper article explained that the city would now operate under its own charter rather than relying entirely on the state's general municipal laws.
The new charter retained the practice of having elected council members select the mayor from among themselves.
A 1929 historical account by Elizabeth Moore explained that council members were elected at large, while the Council selected its president, who also served as mayor.
The charter therefore did not establish a separate public mayoral election, nor did its adoption end Ellsworth's long tenure.
This distinction remains central to understanding Piedmont's history: the rules governing how a mayor was selected remained relatively consistent, even as the length of mayoral service changed.
Sources:
Oakland Post-Enquirer, October 21, 1922, "Fifteen Named as Piedmont Freeholders."
Oakland Tribune, November 28, 1922, "Piedmont Lays Charter Plans."
Oakland Tribune, March 1, 1923, "Piedmont Gives Great Vote for Town Charter."
Oakland Tribune, April 4, 1923, "Piedmont Becomes Chartered City."
Elizabeth Moore, "The City Government" (1929): https://www.historyofpiedmont.com/post/hop-a-city-of-homes-and-government-9
1939–1947: From Long-Serving Mayors to Annual Rotation
Following Ellsworth's death in 1939, Lawrence F. Moore became mayor. Moore, a longtime member of the governing body, served for approximately six years before resigning from the mayoralty in February 1946 because of business obligations. He initially remained a member of the City Council. J. Welby Dinsmore was selected to succeed him.
By the following year, however, Piedmont had begun using a different approach to choosing its mayor. On February 20, 1947, Joseph S. Fairchild became mayor under a Council agreement calling for annual rotation.
The Oakland Tribune reported that Dinsmore stepped down in accordance with an agreement reached when he had taken office a year earlier. The article contrasted the new one-year arrangement with Moore's previous six-year tenure.
This is one of the earliest explicit newspaper references found so far documenting Piedmont's effort to distribute the mayoralty among council members rather than allowing one individual to remain in office for many years. But Fairchild's mayoralty was exceptionally short.
In May 1947, he announced his resignation effective May 31 to move to Massachusetts for a position with the United States Envelope Company. Fairchild had served only about three months. Vice Mayor Ernest H. Rohde was designated to assume mayoral responsibilities temporarily until the Council selected a replacement.
Sources:
Oakland Tribune, February 21, 1947, "Fairchild New Piedmont Mayor."
Oakland Post-Enquirer, May 16, 1947, "Fairchild Quits as Piedmont Mayor."
June 1947: The Proposal for Two-Year Mayoral Terms
One of the most significant discoveries in Piedmont's mayoral history appears in the June 6, 1947, Oakland Tribune. The previous evening, the City Council had selected J. Welby Dinsmore as mayor once again, following Fairchild's resignation. However, the Council also discussed changing the length of mayoral service.
Councilman John Knox, who nominated Dinsmore, proposed that future mayors serve two years instead of one.
According to the newspaper, other council members did not oppose his suggestion, indicating that two-year mayoral service might become the Council's new policy.
This article identifies an important turning point.
Earlier that year, Piedmont had been following an annual rotation agreement. By June, the Council was considering a two-year arrangement.
Although the newspaper documents the proposal and the apparent agreement among council members, the original June 5 meeting minutes would be needed to confirm whether the policy was formally adopted. Nevertheless, this is the clearest contemporary evidence found so far explaining the proposed change from annual to two-year mayoral service.
Source:
Oakland Tribune, June 6, 1947, p. 17, "J. Welby Dinsmore Named New Mayor of Piedmont."
Newspaper search:https://www.newspapers.com/search/?query=J%20Welby%20Dinsmore%20Named%20New%20Mayor%20of%20Piedmont
1948–1950: A Political Shakeup and a One-Week Mayor
The flexibility of Piedmont's mayoral selection system became particularly apparent during the late 1940s. Following the contentious April 1948 municipal election, Mayor J. Welby Dinsmore lost his City Council seat amid controversy over the removal of longtime Fire Chief Carl Peterson. At the Council's reorganization meeting, William F. Wood was selected mayor within minutes of Dinsmore relinquishing the position. Lawrence F. Moore became vice mayor.
An April 16, 1948, Oakland Post-Enquirer article described a divided Council struggling to resolve the controversy surrounding Peterson's dismissal. Wood's appeal for harmony was met with disagreement, and Councilman John B. Knox characterized the Council as split three to two.
An even more unusual mayoral transition occurred two years later.
On April 6, 1950, Mayor Wood voluntarily stepped aside so that retiring Councilman John B. Knox could serve as mayor during his final week in office. The Council unanimously selected Knox in recognition of his four years of service. This was particularly interesting because Knox was the same councilmember who, in June 1947, had proposed extending Piedmont's customary mayoral tenure from one year to two.
Despite that earlier proposal, Knox himself served as mayor for approximately one week.
The episode illustrates how much discretion the City Council retained over mayoral appointments. Even as two-year service was becoming a customary arrangement, the Council could select someone for a much shorter period.
Year | Mayor | Historical significance |
1907–1914 | Hugh Craig | Approximately 7 years |
1914–1939 | Oliver Ellsworth | Approximately 25 years |
1939–1946 | Lawrence F. Moore | Approximately 6 years |
1946–1947 | J. Welby Dinsmore | About 1 year |
Feb.–May 1947 | Joseph S. Fairchild | About 3 months |
June 1947 | J. Welby Dinsmore | Selected again; 2-year tenure proposed |
April 1948 | William F. Wood | Selected following Dinsmore's electoral defeat |
April 1950 | John B. Knox | Approximately 1 week |
1954 | Clair W. MacLeod | Selected for a second year |
1960 | Harold R. Breakenridge | Followed by service as vice mayor |
1980 | Steven Eigenberg | Selected at age 27 for a 2-year term |
(Not the full list of mayors)
Sources:
Oakland Post-Enquirer, April 16, 1948, p. 1, "Wood Named Mayor."
Oakland Tribune, April 7, 1950, p. 11, "Knox, Piedmont Mayor for Week."
Oakland Tribune, June 6, 1947, p. 17, "J. Welby Dinsmore Named New Mayor of Piedmont."
1980s–Present: Tradition Rather Than a Fixed Rule
By the mid-1980s, Piedmont appears to have developed a more familiar mayoral succession practice. Council members generally considered seniority and previous election results when selecting a vice mayor, who would ordinarily be considered for mayor following the next municipal election. However, this process was never guaranteed by the charter.
A 2017 Piedmont Civic Association article noted that the Council had sometimes passed over more senior members in favor of others. The distinction is especially important because Piedmont's charter requires the Council to select the mayor but does not establish automatic rotation or a mandatory two-year term.
2018: The Council Chooses to Preserve Its Flexibility
In 2018, Piedmont undertook an extensive review of its City Charter. One particularly revealing discussion occurred at the April 30, 2018, City Council meeting. According to the official minutes, the Council considered Section 2.08, governing selection of the mayor, and decided to make no changes in order to preserve flexibility in choosing its leadership.
That decision helps explain why the modern charter continues to allow council members discretion over mayoral appointments. Later that year, voters approved Measure BB, which amended charter provisions concerning Council term limits, vacancies, and administrative procedures. The amendments did not change how Piedmont selects its mayor.
In December 2020, disagreement over selecting the vice mayor again demonstrated that succession was not automatic. The Council debated competing interpretations of seniority and election results before reaching a compromise.
Today, Piedmont generally selects its mayor every two years, but the Council retains the authority to select a different officer when circumstances require.
Sources:
Piedmont Civic Association, August 29, 2017: https://www.piedmontcivic.org/2017/08/29/piedmonts-next-mayor/
City Council Minutes, April 30, 2018: https://piedmont.granicus.com/MinutesViewer.php?clip_id=1776&doc_id=727d8099-2eee-11eb-bc32-0050569183fa&view_id=9
City of Piedmont, Charter Review, June 25, 2018: https://piedmont.ca.gov/common/pages/GetFile.ashx?key=SsTzAEY7
Piedmont Exedra, December 8, 2020: https://piedmontexedra.com/2020/12/piedmonts-new-mayor-appointed-without-a-hitch-vice-mayor-not-so-much
Is Piedmont's System Unusual?
Piedmont is one of only three incorporated cities in Alameda County where residents do not directly elect the mayor. The other two are Albany and Emeryville.
Albany and Emeryville generally select a mayor annually, while Piedmont customarily follows a two-year arrangement. Other Bay Area cities, including Redwood City, also have council-selected mayors serving approximately two years. Piedmont's selection method is therefore not unique, but its history includes an unusually wide range of mayoral tenures.
Conclusion: A Century of Changing Traditions
Since incorporation in 1907, Piedmont has retained the same fundamental method of choosing its mayor: residents elect the governing body, and its members select their own leader. In 1914, a political change on the Board of Trustees brought Oliver Ellsworth into office, beginning a 25-year mayoralty.
In 1923, voters adopted a City Charter that preserved indirect mayoral selection.
By 1947, the Council had moved toward annual rotation, followed by John Knox's proposal for two-year mayoral service. Over subsequent decades, shorter tenures and vice-mayor succession became customary, but the City Charter continued to leave the decision to the Council. In 2018, council members expressly chose to retain that flexibility rather than establish more rigid succession rules.
For more than a century, Piedmont residents have elected their representatives, while those representatives have selected the mayor.
The process has remained fundamentally consistent, even as the length of mayoral service has changed from decades to years—and occasionally just a few months.
The history of Piedmont's mayoralty is therefore not simply about who held the office, but how the city developed its own traditions of municipal leadership while preserving the governing structure established more than a century ago.
Research note: This article draws on historical newspaper coverage, official municipal records, and later accounts including Evelyn Craig Pattiani's Queen of the Hills (1954). Some early sources contain conflicting details, particularly concerning Piedmont's first mayor and early election dates.
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