1st Village Commission
1918-1919
Lovell G. Turnbull, President
Gordon Damon*, Harold Leever, George Hall,
George Hendershot, Ray Walters
*Resigned, filled by Ray Walters
2nd Village Commission
1919-1921
Fred E. Gordon, President
William Bellaire*, William McClay, Elbert Chase,
George Hall, Ray Walters
*Resigned, filled by William McClay
3rd Village Commission
1921-1922
Lorenzo O. Berry, President
Raymond W. Donahue, Ward D. Richmond,
John H. Jacobus, Elizabeth Smith
4th Village Commission
1922-1923
L.O. Berry, President
R. W. Donahue, Eli Inman, William Fullford,
George Randall
5th Village Commission
1924-1926
C. N. Smith, President*
Hugh Booth, W.J. Rodgers,
DeWitt Green, Eli Inman,
*Resign, filled by P.J. Watson
6th Village Commission
1926-1927
Robert E. Lewis, President
R.W. Donahue, Guy Stark,
Eli Inman, Thomas Kemp*
*Death, filled by Roy Tilden
Ferndale is incorporated as a city in 1927
"President" now known as "Mayor"
1st City Commission
1927-1929
Guy Stark, Mayor
R.W. Donahue, Reginald Shepherd, Eli Inman,
Roy Tilden, Robert E. Lewis, Herman Zehnder
2nd City Commission
1929-1931
John Anders, Mayor
Ray Dickson, Ralph M. Lutz, R.W. Donahue,
Guy Stark, George N. Higgins, Roy Tilden
3rd City Commission
1931-1933
Ray Dickson, Mayor
John Anders, Gordon McKissen,
John Irwin, Roy Tilden
4th City Commission
1933-1935
Theodore L. Degenhardt, Mayor
Arthur F. Bartlett, John Irwin,
Harvey H. Horn, Gordon McKissen
5th City Commission
1935-1937
Theodore L. Degenhardt, Mayor
Arthur F. Bartlett, Roy Tilden,
Harvey H. Horn, Harold Wilcox
6th City Commission
1937-1939
Theodore L. Degenhardt, Mayor
Arthur F. Bartlett, Roy Tilden,
Jules A. Boles, Harold Wilcox
7th City Commission
1939-1941
Theodore L. Degenhardt, Mayor
Arthur F. Bartlett, George J. Kline,
Jules A. Boles, Harold Wilcox
8th City Commission
1941-1943
Carl W. Forsythe, Mayor
Arthur F. Bartlett, George J. Kline,
Arthur J. Capstraw, Harold Wilcox
9th City Commission
1943-1945
Carl W. Forsythe, Mayor
Arthur F. Bartlett, George J. Kline,
Arthur J. Capstraw, Hugh R. Liddicoat
10th City Commission
1945-1947
Carl W. Forsythe, Mayor
Arthur F. Bartlett, George J. Kline,
Arthur J. Capstraw, Hugh R. Liddicoat
11th City Commission
1947-1949
Carl W. Forsythe, Mayor
Arthur F. Bartlett, Sidney G. Hill, Arthur J. Capstraw,
Bruce D. Garbutt, Murray.A. Scott
12th City Commission
1949-1951
Bruce D. Garbutt, Mayor
Arthur J. Capstraw, Sidney G. Hill,
Harry E. Crawford, Murray A. Scott
13th City Commission
1951-1953
Bruce D. Garbutt, Mayor
William R. Beasley, Sidney G. Hill,
Arthur J. Capstraw,
William J. O'Donnell,
Harry E. Crawford, Murray A. Scott
14th City Commission
1953-1955
Bruce D. Garbutt, Mayor
W.B. Edwards, Matha H. McKay,
Sidney G. Hill, William J. O'Donnell
15th City Commission
1955-1957
Bruce D. Garbutt, Mayor
W.B. Edwards, Donald L. Jennings,
Sidney G. Hill, William J. O'Donnell
16th City Commission
1957-1959
Bruce D. Garbutt, Mayor
Sidney G. Hill, William J. O'Donnell,
Donald L. Jennings, Thomas H. O'Donoghue
17th City Commission
1959-1961
Bruce D. Garbutt, Mayor
D. L. Jennings, H.A. Schiffer, W. J. O'Donnell,
Thomas H. O'Donoghue, G. K. Vickers
18th City Commission
1961-1963
Bruce D. Garbutt, Mayor
C.A. Eldridge, T.H. O'Donoghue,
C.G. Lilly, W.J. O'Donnell, H.A. Schiffer
19th City Commission
1963-1965
Bruce D. Garbutt, Mayor
Clifton A. Eldridge, Thomas H. O'Donoghue,
William J. O'Donnell, Henry A. Schiffer
20th City Commission
1965-1967
Bruce D. Garbutt, Mayor
Clifton A. Eldridge, Thomas H. O'Donoghue,
William J. O'Donnell, Henry A. Schiffer
21st City Commission
1967-1969
Bruce D. Garbutt, Mayor
Lydia M. Dalton, T.H. O'Donoghue,
C.A. Eldridge, W.J. O'Donnell, H.A. Schiffer
22nd City Commission
1969-1971
Bruce D. Garbutt, Mayor
Clifton A. Eldridge, Robert J. Paczkowski,
Frank T. Luxon, Henry A. Schiffer
23rd City Commission
1971-1973
Henry A. Schiffer, Mayor
James B. Avery, Frank T. Luxon,
George S. Greib, Robert J. Paczkowski
24th City Commission
1973-1975
Robert J. Paczkowski, Mayor
James B. Avery, Frank T. Luxon,
George S. Greib, Helen M Weber
25th City Commission
1975-1977
Robert J. Paczkowski, Mayor
James B. Avery, Dorothy M. Webb,
Frank T. Luxon, Helen M. Weber
26th City Council
1977-1979
Robert J. Paczkowski, Mayor
James B. Avery, Robert J. Waldick,
Brad Dalton, Dorothy M. Webb
27th City Council
1979-1981
Bernie Lennon, Mayor
Brad Dalton, Phillip L. Poole,
Oscar R. Lindsay, Robert J. Waldick
28th City Council
1982-1984
Bernie Lennon*, Mayor
Edward H. Calnen, Phillip L. Poole,
Bruce D. Garbutt*, Donald J. Saunders, Jr.
Oscar R. Lindsay, Robert J. Waldick
*Bernie Lennon resigned at the start of 1983 to work for Governor Blanchard.
Bruce Garbutt finished the Mayoral term.
29th City Council
1984-1986
James B. Avery, Mayor
Albert G. Gertley, Phillip L. Poole,
Oscar R. Lindsay, Donald J. Saunders, Jr.
30th City Council
1986-1988
Albert G. Gertley, Mayor
Oscar R. Lindsay, Donald J. Saunders, Jr.,
Phillip L. Poole, Robert J. Waldick
31st City Council
1988-1990
Albert G. Gertley, Mayor
Oscar R. Lindsay, Donald J. Saunders, Jr.,
Phillip L. Poole, Robert J. Waldick, Bernie Lennon
32nd City Council
1990-1992
Albert G. Gertley, Mayor
Deborah J. Lucas, Phillip L. Poole,
Pamela S. McCullough, Robert J. Waldick
33rd City Council
1992-1994
Robert McGee, Mayor
Charles G. Geodert, Pamela S. McCullough,
Deborah J. Lucas,
Patrick T. Sullivan, Phillip L. Poole
34th City Council
1994-1996
Pamela S. McCullough, Mayor
Charles G. Geodert, Phillip L. Poole,
Dennis G. Emmi,
Patrick T. Sullivan, Robert J. Paczkowski
35th City Council
1996-1998
Charles G. Goedert, Mayor
Dennis G. Emmi, Phillip L. Poole,
Robert J. Paczkowski, Robert G. Porter
36th City Council
1998-2000
Charles G. Goedert, Mayor
Geraldine O. Kulick, Jonathan M. Warshay,
Robert J. Paczkowski, Robert G. Porter
37th City Council
2000-2002
Charles G. Goedert, Mayor
Craig Covey, Robert G. Porter, Gerry Kulick*,
Jonathan M. Warshay
*Death, filled by Helen Marie Weber
38th City Council
2002-2004
Robert G. Porter, Mayor
Craig Covey, David A. Lennon*, T. Scott Galloway,
Helen Marie Weber
*Death, filled by Joseph Trice, first African-American on City Council
39th City Council
2004-2006
Robert G. Porter, Mayor
Craig Covey, Michael B. Lennon,
T. Scott Galloway, Helen Marie Weber
40th City Council
2006-2008
Robert G. Porter, Mayor
Craig Covey, Tomiko Gumbleton,
T. Scott Galloway, Michael B. Lennon
41st City Council
2008-2010
Craig Covey, Mayor
Tomiko Gumbleton, T. Scott Galloway,
Michael B. Lennon, Kate Baker
42nd City Council
2010-2012
Craig Covey, Mayor*, David Coulter, Mayor
Melanie Piana, T. Scott Galloway,
Michael B. Lennon, Kate Baker
*Resigned, filled by David Coulter
43rd City Council
2012-2014
David Coulter, Mayor
Melanie Piana, T. Scott Galloway,
Michael B. Lennon, Dan Martin
44th City Council
2014-2016
David Coulter, Mayor
Melanie Piana, Greg Pawlica,
Michael B. Lennon, Dan Martin
45th City Council
2016-2018
David Coulter, Mayor
Melanie Piana, Greg Pawlica,
Raylon Leaks-May (first
African-American Elected to
City Council),
Dan Martin
46th City Council
2018-2020
David Coulter, Mayor*
Melanie Piana**, Greg Pawlica,
Raylon Leaks-May, Dan Martin,
(Dennis Whittie & Julia Music
appointed by Council as replacements)
*Resigned to become Oakland County
Executive,
Interim Mayor was Dan Martin.
** Resigned to run for Mayor
47th City Council
2020-2022
Melanie Piana, Mayor
Kat Brunner James,
Raylon Leaks-May
(first African-American
Mayor Pro-Tem),
Laura Mikulski, Greg Pawlica
48th City Council
2022-2024
Melanie Piana, Mayor
Kat Brunner James, Raylon Leaks-May
Laura Mikulski, Greg Pawlica
49th City Council
2024-Present
Raylon Leaks-May, Mayor
(first African-American
Mayor)
Donnie Johnson, Rolanda Kelly (first openly gay
woman elected to serve Ferndale),
Laura Mikulski, Greg Pawlica
Ferndale's Chronology & Events are summarized HERE
If you have additions or corrections
please contact: info@ferndalehistoricalsociety.org
Unauthorized use or duplication of this material without expressed
and written consent from the Ferndale Historical Society is prohibited.
Revised: Nov 4, 2024