Charlottesville City Council (History)

Main article: Charlottesville City Council

The Charlottesville City Council is the legislative branch that governs the City of Charlottesville. Legislative powers are dependent on Virginia state laws and the city’s charter. Charlottesville incorporated as a town in 1801 and as a city in 1888. The title for the members of the city council has varied and several titles have existed according to local custom of the time. These titles are: councilor, councilmember, councilman, alderman, commissioner, freeholder or trustee. Council size has ranged from 5 to 12 members.

Current members

The Charlottesville City Council consists of five members elected at-large, rather than by district, to serve four-year staggered terms. After the last election, the City Council appoints a Mayor and a Vice-Mayor from its own membership to serve a two-year term.

The councilors are elected by winner-take-all “at-large” city-wide voting, where, instead of using ward districts, all councilors must run “at large". At-Large block voting - also known as the "plurality-at-large voting method" - has been in place since the 1922 election. The president of the council and the vice-president are chosen by the council at the first regular meeting of the term. As of 2020, council members receive an annual salary of $18,000 for councilors and $20,000 for the mayor - not including fringe benefits, city-issued credit cards and discretionary spending funds. Charlottesville has one of the highest average salaries for council members in Virginia.

Regular council meetings are held in the City Hall on the first and third Monday of every month (except holidays), beginning at 4:00 p.m. (unless decided by special resolution) or otherwise stated in public notice. The mayor presides over meetings, may call special meetings, makes some appointments to advisory boards and serves as the ceremonial head of government. The vice mayor substitutes whenever the mayor is not available.

Officers:

• Charlottesville City Council membership from January 11, 2022 to December 31, 2023
• 

  Seat A:Vacant, Title: Councilor; unexpired term ends December 31, 2023; next election: November 7, 2023

• 

  Seat B:Lloyd Snook (D), Title: Councilor/Mayor; member since January 2020; next election: November 7, 2023

• 

  Seat C:Michael Payne (D), Title: Councilor; member since January 2020; next election: November 7, 2023

• 

  Seat D:Juandiego Wade (D), Title: Councilor/Vice-mayor; member since January 2022; next election: November 4, 2025

• 

  Seat E:Brian Pinkston (D), Title: Councilor, member since January 2022; next election: November 4, 2025

The Code of Virginia states that governing bodies shall be composed of between three and eleven members. Charlottesville, as with most governing bodies in Virginia, has four-year terms of office. In Virginia, city and town councils are presided over by mayors who may be directly elected or, as with Charlottesville, chosen by the council. Counties are presided over by a chair of the board of supervisors.

Past councils

Albemarle County was organized on December 31, 1744. Between 1744 and 1762, Scott’s Landing served as the county seat before the General Assembly divided up the county and relocated its county seat to Charlottesville. Charlottesville was chartered in 1762 to serve as the new county seat of Albemarle County along the Three Notch'd Road from Richmond to the Shenandoah Valley.

1801-1852 (Trustees)

Main article: Charlottesville Town Trustees

Charlottesville was governed by a Board of Trustees under general state law from 1801 until 1852, when a town charter was put into effect.

1852-1871 (Mayor & Council)

Main article: Charlottesville Town Council (1852-1871)

Under the first charter, granted by the General Assembly on May 31, 1851, the municipal authorities of Charlottesville consists of an executive mayor and a four member Board of Aldermen, who were elected annually on the fourth Saturday in February "by the free white male inhabitants of twenty-one years of age and upwards...four persons, being freeholders, as aldermen, and one other person, being a free holder, as mayor, to serve as the council for one year, and until their successors are elected and qualified."

The first election under that system was held on February 28, 1852, and the last in 1871. One-year terms for the Mayor and Town Council began and ended in February.

1871-1889 (Mayor & Board of Aldermen)

Main article: Charlottesville Town Council (1871-1889)

Before the 1888 Annexation, Charlottesville's population in 1880 was about 2,676. According to the 1890 Census, the city's population was 5,591 - a 108.93% increase during the decade. Number of councilmen per number of constituents ranged from in 1880 to in 1889.

On July 4, 1870, in accordance with Virginia's new Constitution (1870), a five member Board of Aldermen elected William L. Conchran to serve as Mayor of the Corporate town of Charlottesville. At the first meeting of the mayor and Board of Aldermen, a committee was formed to meet with former mayor, T. W. Savage, to obtain town records and property.

In 1871, under Charlottesville's new charter, approved by the General Assembly on March 28, 1871, the municipal authorities of "The Town of Charlottesville" consisted of a mayor and six alderman, who were elected annually by "qualified voters" on the fourth Saturday of June. Council elections were at-large and city council candidates could live anywhere in the city or the county of Albemarle.

Under the 1871 Charter, approved by the Legislature on March 28, 1871. The municipal authorities of the town consisted of a mayor and six aldermen, who were elected annually, on the fourth Saturday in June. The mayor and aldermen constituted the council. The mayor presided over all matters of the council, and in his absence, the president of the council (who was elected by the council at its first annual meeting in July of each year) presided. The mayor had no vote in the council, except in the case of a tie, when he gave the casting vote.

1888

Charlottesville incorporated as a city on September 1st 1888. The first city charter provided for a biennially elected mayor and twelve member board of alderman (three alderman were elected from each of the four wards); and seven other elected officers. (Charter, 1899-1900, c. 1012; repealed, 1946, c. 384.)

From 1722 until 1892, towns became cities only by act of the Virginia General Assembly, which issued a city charter in the form of a statute; after 1892 a town could also incorporate as a city by petition to the circuit court.

Chapter 343, an Act to amend the charter of the town of Charlottesville, approved by the General Assembly on March 2, 1888: Before June 13, 1888, the municipal authorities of the city consisted of a mayor and ten aldermen elected at-large. After June 13, 1888, twelve aldermen were elected by four wards.

• Primaries were held the third Thursday in May.
• Mayor and six aldermen elected annually on the fourth Saturday in June.
• Regular Meetings of the City Council were held the 2nd Thur. of the month.
• Elections were held the 4th Thursday in May every second year after 1901.
• Term Started the first day of July.

Mayor	Year	Board of Aldermen
		President	Seat A	Seat B	Seat C	Seat D	Seat E	Seat F	Seat G	Seat H	Seat I	Seat J
William L. Cochran ‡	1870	Joseph Norris	W. C. N. Randolph	R. F. Harris	Joseph Norris	B. Obendoffer	Bennet Taylor	Samuel Comer	Office did not exist	Office did not exist	Office did not exist	Office did not exist
	1871
	1872		C. D. Fishburne	S. V. Southall			J. H. Bowman
	1873	R. F. Harris	John McKevers	R. F. Harris	Spottswood M. Keller	J. W. Lipop		C. H. Harman
	1874		R. W. Nelson			John Lewis
	1875	R. W. Nelson					B. Obendoffer
R. F. Harris	1876			C. D. Fishburne
	1877						D. H. Stern
	1878
	1879
	1880
B. R. Pace	1881	C. D. Fishburne					M. Trieber	John West
	1882
R. F. Harris	1883		M. B. Heller		R. C. Vandegrift	W. C. Payne	C. H. Harman	W. O. Fry
	1884
	1885
	1886	C. H. Harman
	1887	C. D. Fishburne			Moses Leterman
	1888	Samuel B. Woods						R. C. Vandegrift	John L. Cochran	Samuel B. Woods	John L. Walters	Thomas W. Bailey
Samuel B. Woods	1889	C. D. Fishburne					E. E. Dinwiddie	A. Wingfield

Notes:

‡ On September 22, 1875, Mayor William L. Cochran died while in office at the age of 37. Council President R. F. Harris assumed the duties of mayor during a special meeting of the council held on September 28, 1875.

β On September 28, 1875, the council chose Joseph Norris as President of the Council, a position previously held by R. F. Harris before he assumed the duties of mayor following the death of Mayor William L. Cochran.  

1889-1900 (Mayor & Common Council)

Main article: Charlottesville City Council (1889-1900)

Previously incorporated as a town in 1801, Charlottesville incorporated as a city on September 1st 1888 with a population of over 5,000; following the annexation of over 500 acres of Albemarle County land, doubling the city population. A new charter adopted in 1889 did away with a council consisting of a ten-member Board of Aldermen elected annually, and replaced it a biennially elected mayor Twelve council members were to be elected by wards and the executive mayor elected at-large.

Divided into four council wards, Charlottesville's city council was led by a mayor; citizens in each of the four wards elected three council representatives to serve a one-year term. The council elected a President to preside over the council in the mayor's absence. Regular sessions were held monthly on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. (7:00 p.m. from November 1st to April 1st) in the office of the Mayor or in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

Following the division of the city into four wards, each council member represented approximately 1,358 people instead of each council member trying to represent 170,000 — the entire population of the city, including children.

Under the first city charter, granted by the Virginia Legislature in 1889, Charlottesville was divided into four wards ("so that the wards...should be as nearly equal in population as possible"), citizens in each ward electing three member to the council who also lived in the ward. The mayor held a veto vote. The president of the council presided over the council in the mayor's absence. Number of councilmen per number of constituents ranged from in 1889 to over in 1900.

Ten member of the "old" Board of Aldermen (elected at-large in 1886) held office until June 13, 1889. Twelve members of the "new" city council were elected by qualified voters of the four council wards (districts) of the City of Charlottesville on May 23, 1889 and took over the legislative branch of the government on June 13, 1889. As council members, they represented the concerns, needs, and issues of their constituents (respective wards). The last election under that system was held in 1900.

City Council
Mayor	Year	President	First Ward			Second Ward			Third Ward			Fourth Ward
Samuel B. Woods	1889	C. D. Fishburne	Alonzo Wingfield	L. T. Hanckel	C. D. Fishburne	Thomas M. Bailey	George Perkings	H. T. Nelson	Junus Perley	C. D. Carter	G. W. Spooner	John W. Coflin	B. F. Grove	J. M. Murphy
	1890	L. T. Hanckel				A. D. Cox					J. E. Gleason
	1891				W. C. N. Randolph	F. M. Wells	W. J. Tyson					John L. Cochran Jr.		A. N. Peyton
L. T. Hanckel	1892	H. T. Nelson		C. D. Fishburne	J. S. McCue		A. D. Payne
	1893			W. J. Tyson			M. Leterman					J. H. Nalls	John S. Patton
John S. Patton	1894												W. A. Melborn
	1895												B. F. Grove
J. Samuel McCue	1896				W. J. Keller	A. D. Payne			F. M. Huyett			F. C. Fitzhugh	J. M. Murphy	John S. Patton
	1897				Frank Pearce Farish
	1898				W. J. Keller							G. W. Olivier
	1899				Eldridge Turner				G. D. Payne	J. L. Walters	W. A. Melborn	John L. Cochran Jr. †
	1900										J. E. Gleason	Henry M. Lewis

Notes:

† Judge John L. Cochran Jr. (W) died on March 16, 1900; the council accepted his resignation as member of the council from the Fourth Ward on April 12, 1900.

1900-1916 (Mayor & Council)

Main article: Charlottesville City Council (1900-1916)

A new charter organized the City of Charlottesville under a mayor-council government (approved March 3, 1900) and remained in place until it was superseded by the 1922 charter. Under The 1900 charter, the city was divided into four electoral districts called wards. The common council was elected under a first-past-the-post voting system in which the top three vote-getters from each ward were seated. The mayor was elected at-large by plurality vote. The mayor and twelve aldermen constituted the council of the city. The mayor presided over the council meetings and held no vote, except in case of a tie, when he gave the casting vote. The first election under that charter was held on May 23, 1901, the new council's first meeting was held on Tuesday, July 2, 1901.

The Mayor’s official duties as Chief Executive of the city included serving as the presiding officer of the Council.

1913

Under an ordinance passed by the council, the city's form of government changed on September 1, 1913, whereby the Mayor also became the city's Business Manager, elected as such for one year, and re-elected at the end of that time for two years. All duties of an executive or administrative character, which had previously been performed by several council committees under ordinances, which were in force before the creation of the new office, were then required to be discharged exclusively by a Municipal Business Manager, the committees acting in an advisory capacity.

September 3, 1912: Section 12 of the general ordinances imposed upon the President of the Council the duty of appointing the Standing Committees.

The city council, elected June 13, 1916, held their last meeting on September 14, 1916.

City Council																Business Manager
Mayor	Year	President	Vice President	First Ward			Second Ward			Third Ward			Fourth Ward
J. Samuel McCue	1900	Moses Leterman	Office did not exist	W. J. Tyson	L. W. Graves	George E. Walker	A. D. Payne	Moses Leterman	Dr. H. T. Nelson	W. A. Lankford	J. F. Harlan	Henry D. Jarman	Col. Henry M. Lewis	J. M. Murphy	John S. Patton	Office did not exist
Charles W. Allen	1901									W. A. Perley
J. Samuel McCue	1902														G. W. Olivier
	1903
George W. Olivier	1904	R. T. W. Duke, Jr.	Henry D. Jarman	R. T. W. Duke, Jr.		W. F. Long		C. S. Venable	F. W. Twyman	J. E. Harrison	Edward Lawman		A. D. Dabney		Rufus W. Holsinger
	1905									W. E. Fowler			J. P. Ellington
	1906	F. W. Twyman	Rufus W. Holsinger	W. Rice Barksdale	W. P. Lipscomb	J. E. Early		B. W. Leterman		A. C. Brechin	A. G. Carter
	1907				A. Goodloe					H. R. Hawkins		James E. Gleason		H. M. Lewis
E. G. Haden	1908		E. A. Balz		H. W. Tribble					E. A. Balz				John S. Patton
	1909				O. E. Driscoll						H. R. Hawkins
	1910	Rufus W. Holsinger	J. H. Montague		C. W. Hulfish	L. T. Hanckel Jr.		F. M. Huyett	Henry D. Jarman		J. H. Montague
	1911				James P. Michie
A. V. Conway	1912	H. D. Jarman	W. Rice Barksdale					F. M. Huyett		E. A. Joachim			J. P. Ellington		M. V. Pence
	1913															A. V. Conway
	1914	W. Rice Barksdale	E. A. Joachim				R. (Bob) C. Walker	W. E. Graves			W. F. Sounder, Jr.
	1915				S. A. Birch
	1916	E. A. Joachim	J. P. Ellington	Marshall Timberlake					Robert A. Watson					John S. Patton	F. W. Twyman

Notes:

J. S. Patton, elected to the council from the Fourth Ward, resigned prior to 1st council meeting held on Sept. 1, 1901. Replaced with G. W. Olivier

October 1905 J. E. Harrison resigned replaced by W. E. Fowler

June 1907 A. C. Brechin resigned, replace by H R Hawkins

Sept. 13, 1907 - H. D. Jarman from the Third Ward removed to First Ward - J. E. Gleason elected to hold vacated Third Ward seat

W. P. Lipscomb died in 1908

July 9, 1914 At the regular monthly meeting, Thomas J. Michie offered his resignation as a member of the council from the First Ward; the city council unanimously elected S. A. Birch to fill the vacancy.

1916-1922 (Mayor & Bicameral Council)

Main article: Charlottesville City Council (1916-1922)

On August 1, 1916, the city's the population exceeded 10,000 following the annexation of over 2,500 acres of Albemarle county territory and suburbs surrounding the city. As a result, Charlottesville became a city of the first-class and according to the the Virginia Constitution of 1902, the city's Legislative government was required to consist of a divided government. Between 1916 and 1922 city government was bicameral, with a city council and a board of aldermen; members of each body were elected by Ward, with voting in June of even numbered years on a staggered basis.

Charlottesville's status changed from 2nd class to 1st class when on August 1, 1916, the city's the population exceeded 10,000 following the annexation of just under 2,500 acres of Albemarle county territory and suburbs surrounding the city which more than doubling the land area of the city. Between 1916 and 1922 city government was bicameral, with a city council and a board of aldermen, both were elected at-large with voting in June. A special election was held on September 20, 1916 to elect twelve new members of the new city government as prescribed by general State law for a city of the first-class. Subsequent municipal election were held the 3rd Tuesday in June of even-numbered years.

According to the Fourteenth Census, taken as of January 1, 1920, the population of Charlottesville was 10,688, which represents an increase of 3,923, or 58 percent since 1910. During the same period the population of Albemarle County decreased by 13 percent, while the population of Virginia increased by 12 percent. Number of councilmen per number of constituents ranged from 535 in 1900 to over 850 in 1920.

Between 1916 and 1922, Charlottesville's legislative government consisted of a two chamber city council. Not unlike the current Virginia General Assembly, the city council was composed of a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Board of Aldermen, with 4 members, and an upper house, the Common Council, with 8 members. Each member was elected from one of the four wards and serving staggered two-year terms. The Board of Aldermen was presided over by a member elected president, while the Common Council was presided over by a member elected president. The Mayor of the City of Charlottesville was an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch. The Mayor was popularly elected every two years by plurality-at-large voting. The mayor, when present, presided over the joint meetings of the council, and in his absence, the president of the Board of Aldermen presided. The mayor had no vote in the council, except in the case of a tie, when he gave the casting vote.

A special election was held on September 20, 1916 (3rd Tuesday in June) to elect twelve new members of the new city government as prescribed by general State law for a city of the first-class. The Board of Aldermen held its regular meeting the 2nd Monday of every month. The Common Council held its regular meeting on the 2nd Thursday of every month. The last regular monthly meeting of the Common Council was held on August 10, 1922.

Mayor	Year	Board of Aldermen (Upper House)						Common Council (Lower House)										City Manger
		President	Vice President	First Ward	Second Ward	Third Ward	Fourth Ward	President	Vice President	First Ward		Second Ward		Third Ward		Fourth Ward
E. Geury Haden	1916	R. C. Walker	M. Timberlake	M. Timberlake	R. C. Walker	W. D. Harris	Albert S. Bolling	W. F. Sounder Jr.	W. M. Forrest	W. F. Long	N. T. Wingfield	W. E. Graves	W. T. Elliott	W. F. Sounder Jr.	J. E. Gleason	Fred W. Twyman	W. M. Forrest	A. V. Conway
	1917																	H. A. Stecker
	1918					B. E. Wheeler		W. M. Forrest	Lemuel F. Smith		L. F. Smith	F. M. Huyett		W. N. Via		Lacy L. Irvine
	1919															Fred W. Twyman		Shelton S. Fife
B. E. Wheeler	1920					G. T. Greaver	John S. Patton		L. R. Whitten	L. R. Whitten		J. P. Ellington			J. T. Greaves			Walter Washabaugh
	1921		E. G. Haden	E. G. Haden		J. E. Greaver
W. M. Forrest	1922										John R. Morris		F. L. Watson		Fred H. Quarles

Notes:

Lacy L. Irvine resigned on October 11, 1918

1922-1928 (Commission)

Main article: Charlottesville City Commission

Charlottesville moved to an at-large municipal election system in 1922. Under a new charter, granted by the Legislature in 1920, the city was governed under a "Modified Commission Form" of city municipal government. The commission form provided for the election of three commissioners who functioned collectively as the city's legislative body and individually as city department heads.

Municipal elections were held in the same year; commissioners served two-year terms. The council body select one Commissioner to serve as Mayor and one as Vice-mayor for two years. Each year, the council appointed the City Manager. The first election under that system was held on June 13, 1922 and the last on June 8, 1926. The first session ran from September 1, 1922 to August 31, 1924. The last session ran from September 1, 1926 to August 31, 1928 which was the last year this ward system was in use. Number of councilmen per number of constituents ranged from over in 1900 to under in 1928.

Under a new charter, granted by the Legislature in 1920, the city was governed under a "Modified Commission Form" of city municipal government organized in accordance with the act of March 24, 1922. The council was composed of a three members commission serving two-year terms. The executive authority, in the management of the ministerial affairs of the city, was in a city manager elected by the council. Beginning July 1, 1928, the council was increased to five members serving staggered four-year terms under an amended charter.

Session	Election	Year	Commission (City Council)							City Manager
			Commissioner/Mayor	Commissioner/Vice-mayor	Seat A	Seat B	Seat C	Seat D	Seat E
(1922-1924)	1922	1922	John R. Morris	E. A. Joachim	John R. Morris	E. A. Joachim	Jury Y. Brown	Office did not exist	Office did not exist	Boyd A. Bennett
		1923
(1924-1926)	1924	1924	Jury Y. Brown	John R. Morris
		1925								H. A. Yancey
(1926-1928)	1926	1926	Jury Y. Brown
		1927

1928–present (Council & Manager)

On June 12, 1928, (the second Tuesday of June), voters in the City of Charlottesville went to the polls to elect five members to the City Council. Under the 1928 charter amendment, the new council would consist of five members, rather than a three; the council would continue to appoint the City Manager and one of their own to act as the City Mayor. Number of councilors per number of constituents has ranged from in 1928 to in 2020.

There were five new seats on the Charlottesville City Council in 1928 election. As outlined by the 1922 charter, the three elected councilmen receiving the highest number of votes held office for four years (Seats A, B, and C); the two elected councilmen receiving the next highest number of votes, held office for two years (Seats C and E).

After the 1930 election, the term of office has been four years for each member - seats designated A, B and C are elected in one year; seats designated D and E are elected two years later. Subsequently, there is a year without a council election. Council members are elected at large under a first-past-the-post voting system in which the top vote-getters are seated.

City Council elections until 1970 were held on the second Tuesday in June of even-numbered years; the charter called for the the organizational meeting to be held on the 1st day of September, after the last election.

From 1972 until 2006, City Council elections were held in May of even-numbered years.

From 1972 until 2006, municipal elections were held in May of even-numbered years.

Since 2007, regular elections have been held on the first Tuesday, after the first Monday, in November of odd-numbered years. (coinciding with the federal elections). If Primaries are held, they are in June of the same year.

Session	Election	Year	Councilors (City Council)							City Manager
			Councilor/Mayor	Councilor/Vice-Mayor	Seat A	Seat B	Seat C	Seat D	Seat E
(1928-1930)	1928	1928	Jury Y. Brown	Fred L. Watson	Fred L. Watson	Jury Y. Brown	E. A. Joachim	John R. Morris	Fred W. Twyman †	H. A. Yancey
		1929								Seth Burnley
(1930-1932)	1930	1930						W. Dan Haden
		1931
(1932-1934)	1932	1932	Fred W. Twyman	W. Dan Haden	Shelton S. Fife	George T. Huff	Sam Jessup
		1933
(1934-1936)	1934	1934	W. Dan Haden	Sam Jessup
		1935
(1936-1938)	1936	1936		George T. Huff	J. Emmett Gleason
		1937
(1938-1940)	1938	1938	George T. Huff	J. Emmett Gleason
		1939							F. Bradley Peyton Jr ɳ
(1940-1942)	1940	1940	W. Dan Haden				Charles P. Nash Jr ɳ
		1941
(1942-1944)	1942	1942	J. Emmett Gleason	Charles P. Nash Jr				Roscoe S. Adams	Sam A. Morris
		1943		Roscoe S. Adams			Fred L. Watson k
(1944-1946)	1944	1944	Roscoe S. Adams	Sam A. Morris		W. S. Hildreth ɳ
		1945				Charles P. Nash k
(1946-1948)	1946	1946		Gus K. Tebell					Gus K. Tebell
		1947
(1948-1950)	1948	1948	Gus K. Tebell	Strother F. Hamm	Strother F. Hamm	Henry A. Haden	James Barr ɳ
		1949								James E. Bowen
(1950-1952)	1950	1950	Strother F. Hamm	William R. Hill				William R. Hill ɳ
		1951					Sol B. Weinberg k
(1952-1954)	1952	1952	William R. Hill	Sol B. Weinberg	R. M. Davis	S. Dexter Forbes
		1953
(1954-1956)	1954	1954	Sol B. Weinberg	R. M. Davis					Thomas J. Michie ɳ
		1955
(1956-1958)	1956	1956	R. M. Davis	Thomas J. Michie		A. Clayton Coleman		Louis L. Scribner k
		1957
(1958-1960)	1958	1958	Thomas J. Michie	Louis L. Scribner
		1959
(1960-1962)	1960	1960	Louis L. Scribner	Bernard J. Haggerty	Bernard J. Haggerty	Lindsey B. Mount	Robert Erwin Lee
		1961
(1962-1964)	1962	1962	Bernard J. Haggerty	Lindsey B. Mount					J. Robert Ponton k
		1963
(1964-1966)	1964	1964	Lindsey B. Mount	J. Robert Ponton			Burkett A. Rennolds
		1965
(1966-1968)	1966	1966	Burkett A. Rennolds	Robert S. Johnson				Robert S. Johnson ɳ	Dutch Vogt
		1967		"Dutch" Vogt				Bill Rinehart k **
(1968-1970)	1968	1968	Dutch Vogt	Bill Rinehart	Joseph W. Wright Jr.	Kenneth E. Davis	Mitch Van Yahres
		1969
(1970-1972)	1970	1970	Mitchell Van Yahres	Francis H. Fife				Francis H. Fife ++	Charles Barbour
		1971
(1972-1974)	1972	1972	Francis H. Fife	Charles Barbour	George Gilliam	Jill Rinehart **
		1973
(1974-1976)	1974	1974	Charles Barbour	Mitch Van Yahres
		1975
(1976-1978)	1976	1976	Nancy K. O'Brien	Francis H. Fife	Laurence Brunton	Ed Gatewood	Nancy K. O'Brien ++
		1977
(1978-1980)	1978	1978	Laurence Brunton	Ed Gatewood				Frank Buck	Thomas E. Albro
		1979
(1980-1982)	1980	1980	Frank Buck	Elizabeth Gleason	Elizabeth Gleason	John Conover	E. G. Hall
		1981
(1982-1984)	1982	1982		John Conover					Mary Alice Gunter
		1983
(1984-1986)	1984	1984		Elizabeth Gleason		Lindsay Barnes
		1985
(1986-1988)	1986	1986		E. G. Hall					Darden Towe
		1987
(1988-1990)	1988	1988	"Bitsy" Waters	Alvin Edwards	"Bitsy" Waters	Alvin Edwards	Tom Vandever
		1989
(1990-1992)	1990	1990	Alvin Edwards	Tom Vandever				Kay Slaughter	David Toscano
		1991
(1992-1994)	1992	1992	Tom Vandever	Kay Slaughter	Virginia Daugherty
		1993
(1994-1996)	1994	1994	David Toscano							Gary O'Connell
		1995
(1996-1998)	1996	1996	Kay Slaughter	Virginia Daugherty		Maurice Cox	Meredith Richards
		1997
(1998-2000)	1998	1998	Virginia Daugherty	Meredith Richards				Blake Caravati
		1999
(2000-2002)	2000	2000	Blake Caravati	Maurice Cox	Kevin Lynch
		2001
(2002-2003)	2002	2002	Maurice Cox	Meredith Richards					Rob Schilling
		2003
(2004-2006)	2004	2004	David Brown	Kevin Lynch		Kendra Hamilton	David Brown
		2005
(2006-2007)	2006	2006		Julian Taliaferro				Dave Norris	Julian Taliaferro
		2007
(2008-2009)	2007	2008	Dave Norris	Kendra Hamilton	Satyendra Huja	Holly Edwards
		2009
(2010-2011)	2009	2010		Holly Edwards					Kristin Szakos	Maurice Jones
		2011
(2012-2013)	2011	2012	Satyendra Huja	Kristin Szakos		Kathy Galvin	“Dede” Smith
		2013
(2014-2015)	2013	2014		“Dede” Smith				Bob Fenwick
		2015
(2016-2017)	2015	2016	Mike Signer	Wes Bellamy	Wes Bellamy		Mike Signer
		2017
(2018-2019)	2017	2018	Nikuyah Walker	Heather Hill				Nikuyah Walker	Heather Hill	Mike Murphy
		2019								Tarron Richardson
(2020-2021)	2019	2020		Sena Magill	Sena Magill ɳ	Lloyd Snook	Michael Payne			John Blair
		2021								Chip Boyles
(2022-2023)	2021	2022	Lloyd Snook	Juandiego Wade				Juandiego Wade	Brian Pinkston	Robert Bobb Group, LLC
		2023			Leah Puryear k
(2024-2025)	2023	2024
		2025
Session	Election	Year	Councilor/Mayor	Councilor/Vice-Mayor	A	B	C	D	E	City Manager
			City Council

Notes:

† Councilor Fred T. Twyman died in office on September 15, 1938.

k Francis Bradley Peyton Jr. was appointed to the vacant seat on the council to succeed the late Frederick W. Twyman who died on September 15, 1938. At the regular meeting on the council, held on October 3, 1938, Peyton was chosen to succeed Twyman.

ɳ Charles P. Nash Jr stepped down from council in 1943 to enter military service in WW2.

k Fred L. Watson, who had dropped off the council for several years after his second term ended in 1932, returned in 1943 to fill out the unexpired term of Charles P. Nash, who had resigned to accept duty in the Marine Corps. Watson was re-elected in 1944.

ɳ William S. Hildreth resigned in 1946. Former councilor Charles P. Nash Jr, upon his return from military service, was reappointed to the Council in 1946 to fill out Hildreth's unexpired term.

ɳ James Barr, whose term expired August 31, 1952, resigned from city council in June of 1952. Former councilor Sol B. Weinberg filled the two month vacancy.

ɳ Robert S. Johnson (R), whose council term expired on August 31, 1970, resigned on May 29, 1967. At the next regular council meeting, held on June 19, 1967, the democratic controlled council elected Bill Rinehart (D) as councilor to complete the balance of Johnson's un-expired term. The next day, June 20th, Rinehart took the oath of office in the Clerk’s Office. Dutch Vogt (R) was elected by the council to serve as vice-mayor, a position previously held by Johnson.

ɳ Sena Magill resigned from council, effective January 11, 2023. The seat remains vacant until the four remaining members appoint a new member to fill the un-expired term ending December 31, 2023. According to Virginia state law, if they cannot agree, judges of the city circuit court make the appointment.

k Leah Puryear was appointed to the Charlottesville City Council on February 21, 2023 to fill the vacant seat left by the resignation of Sena Magill. Puryear will hold the office until it expires on December 31, 2023.