Olympia's Leadership
Olympia was named the capital city of Washington Territory on November 28, 1853. Incorporation as a Town occurred on January 28, 1859 by act of the territorial legislature. In 1882, the Town of Olympia incorporated as the City of Olympia.
Olympia has changed its form of government several times. What began as a Board of Trustees became a single Mayoral election, followed by a three person Commission and finally the Council-Manager system we use today.
Historical Documents from City of Olympia Archive
- Act to Incorporate (Charter) the Town of Olympia, Washington, adopted by the Washington Territorial Legislature, January 28, 1859
- First Town of Olympia Board Minutes, February 12, 16 and 24, 1859
- Town Board Minutes, April 14, 1859 - Selection of Officers for first elected Town of Olympia Board of Trustees
- Town Board Minutes, April 12, 1871 - Selection of Officers by Trustees (editor note: appears to be last year when a Town President was selected by and from within the Board of Trustees)
- Town Board Minutes, April 3, 1872 - states that W. W. Miller was duly elected Mayor in a municipal election on April 1, 1872 (editor note: appears to be first direct election of an Olympia Mayor)
- Directory of City Officials (1859-1904) published in 1904
Board of Trustees | 1859-1871
The Act of Incorporation provided that an election of officers should take place on the first Monday of April each year. Article 8, Section 1, also designated an interim Board of Trustees to serve until the first election.
Members of the interim Board of Trustees for the Town of Olympia appointed by Act of the Territorial Legislature were George A. Barnes, Joseph Cushman, Elwood Evans, T. F. (Thornton Fleming) McElroy, and James Tilton. At the first meeting of the interim Board on February 12, 1859, Cushman was appointed by his fellow trustees to serve as Chairman, and on February 24, 1859, he was elected by his fellow trustees to serve as President of the Board of Trustees until the election in April.
The first election of Town of Olympia Board of Trustees was held April 4, 1859. At the organizational meeting of the first elected Board on April 14, 1859, Elwood Evans was selected by his fellow trustees to serve as Town President for the year. George A. Barnes was selected to serve as Treasurer.
List of Town Board Presidents, 1859-1871
Mayoral | 1872-1924
According to the City Official Directory for the Year 1904 compiled by then Clerk V. A. Milroy, the Office of Mayor was created November 11, 1873 which replaced the President of the Board position.
However, in official Town Minutes maintained by the City of Olympia Clerk's Office, W. W. (William Winlock) Miller is shown by the Clerk as being elected "in a municipal election" to the position of "Mayor" on April 1, 1872, and again on April 7, 1873. Town Minutes for officer elections prior to 1872 refer to the position as Town Board "President," and the appointment to that position was from within and by the Trustees.
List of Mayors, 1872-1924
- William Winlock Miller | 1872-1873
- Ike C. Ellis | 1874
- Thornton F. McElroy | 1875
- J.C. Horr | 1876, 1891
- J.P. Hudson | 1877
- E.N. Quinette | 1878-1879
- George A. Barnes | 1880
- E.T. Young | 1881
- Dr. Nathaniel Ostrander | 1882-1883
- J.S. Dobbins | 1884
- A.A. Phillips | 1885
- A.H. Chambers | 1886-1888
- J.F. Gowey | 1889-1890
- Gen. R.G. O'Brien | 1892
- J.W. Robinson | 1893
- C.B. Mann | 1894-1895
- Chas H. Ayer | 1896
- John Byrne | 1897
- Geo. B. Lane | 1898
- Caleb Springer (C.S.) Reinhart | 1899-1901
- Clarence J. Lord | 1902-1903
- H.G. Richardson | 1904
- Dr. P.H. Carlyon | 1905-1906
- Thos. McLarty | 1907
- W.A. Hagemeyer | 1908
- Mitchell Harris | 1909-1911
- Dr. Wayne L. Bridgfors | 1912
- George A. Mottman | 1913-1916
- Jesse T. Mills | 1917-1920
- C.H. Bowen | 1921-1922
- Geo. W. Draham | 1923-1924
Commissioners | 1925-1982
On November 16, 1925 the City government was changed to a three-member elected commission composed of the Mayor (Commissioner of Public Safety), Commissioner of Finance, and Commissioner of Public Works.
The Commission originally began serving three 3-year terms. In 1950 their terms were increased to four years.
List of City Commissioners, 1925-1982
1925-1928
- James C. Johnson | Mayor, Public Safety
- E.N. Steele | Commissioner of Finance
- Frank H. Phillips | Commissioner of Public Works
1929-1931
- George N. Mills | Mayor, Public Safety
- E.N. Steele | Commissioner of Finance
- C.L. Dufault | Commissioner of Public Works
1932-1934
- E.N. Steele | Mayor, Public Safety
- W. Manier | Commissioner of Finance
- *C.L. Dufault | Commissioner of Public Works
- Edw. C. Dohm | Commissioner of Public Works
1935-1937
- Dr. F.B. Longaker | Mayor, Public Safety
- David Gammell | Commissioner of Finance
- Edw. C. Dohm | Commissioner of Public Works
1938-1940
- *Dr. F.B. Longaker | Mayor, Public Safety
- David Gammell | Commissioner of Finance, Mayor
- M.Y. Haskett | Commissioner of Finance
- Edw. C. Dohm | Commissioner of Public Works
1941-1943
- J.T. Trullinger | Mayor, Public Safety
- M.Y. Haskett | Commissioner of Finance
- Otis Gray Murray | Commissioner of Public Works
1944-1946
- J.T. Trullinger | Mayor, Public Safety
- M.Y. Haskett | Commissioner of Finance
- Otis Gray Murray | Commissioner of Public Works
1947-1949
- Ernest Mallory | Mayor, Public Safety
- Dan L. McCaughan | Commissioner of Finance
- W.A. Kellogg | Commissioner of Public Works
1950-1953
- Ralph A. Swanson | Mayor, Public Safety
- Dan L. McCaughan | Commissioner of Finance
- *J. Ross Roberson | Commissioner of Public Works
- J.F. (Jack) Hamilton | Commissioner of Public Works
1954-1956
- Amanda Benek Smith | Mayor, Public Safety
- Claude Yount | Commissioner of Finance
- J.F. Jack Hamilton (Died 10/13/54) | Commissioner of Public Works
- Thomas Allen | Commissioner of Public Works
1957-1960
- Amanda Benek Smith | Mayor, Public Safety
- *Frank McClanna | Commissioner of Finance
- Dr. Matthew Kast | Commissioner of Finance
- *Peter F. Skoog | Commissioner of Public Works
- *Herbert Legg | Commissioner of Public Works
- Clarence Shain | Commissioner of Public Works
1961-1964
- Neil R, McKay | Mayor, Public Safety
- Thomas Allen | Commissioner of Finance
- Ed Krenik | Commissioner of Public Works
1965-1969
- Neil R. McKay | Mayor, Public Safety
- Thomas Allen | Commissioner of Finance
- Gil Olson | Commissioner of Public Works
1970-1973
- Thomas Allen | Mayor, Public Safety
- George Earsley | Commissioner of Finance
- *Gil Olson | Commissioner of Public Works
- Keith Kisor | Commisioner of Public Works
1974-1977
- Thomas Allen | Mayor, Public Safety
- George Earsley | Commissioner of Finance
- Keith Kisor | Commissioner of Public Works
1978-1981
- Lyle Watson | Mayor, Public Safety
- Ron Rants | Commissioner of Finance
- Wm. Jacobs | Commissioner of Public Works
1982
- Lyle Watson | Mayor, Public Safety
- David Skramstad | Commissioner of Finance
- Wm. Daley | Commissioner of Public Works
Council/City Manager | 1982-Present
On May 18, 1982, the voters of Olympia approved the Council-Manager form of government. A new 7-member City Council was elected on November 2, 1982 and assumed office on November 18, 1982. The first meeting of the newly elected City Council was November 23, 1982. The Mayor was selected by the Councilmembers for a two-year term in January of each even numbered year.
In 1991 the voters approved the selection of the Mayor through election by the citizens, rather than through appointment by the Council. The Mayor is elected to serve a 4-year term.
List of Mayor & Councilmembers, 1982-Present