List of mayors of Garden City, Georgia
# List of mayors of Garden City, Georgia

* Located at 100 Central Avenue, the building that is currently used as the Town Center of Garden City was opened to the public in 2009.

Garden City, Georgia was incorporated on February 8, 1939. It operates under a council-administrator form of government. By 2011, its city council will be composed of one mayor and five city council members. Each of the councillors will represent a different section of town.

The current mayor is Tennyson Holder. Re-elected to the city council in 2009, he was appointed by his colleagues to serve the remainder the Anthony "Andy" Quinney's unexpired mayoral term.

As of 2010, Garden City has never collected property taxes.

## Council Meetings

The Council meets on the first and the third Mondays of each month at 7:00 p.m. Meetings have taken place at:

* Garden City Community House, 78 Varnedoe Avenue, from 1951 until 1963
* Garden City City Hall, 100 Main Street, from 1963 to 2009
* Garden City Town Center, 100 Central Avenue, since 2009

## Mayors

Until 2003, the mayor and the council members were elected to two-year terms of office. In 2003, staggered four-year terms were introduced.

Past and presents mayors are:

| Inauguration | Term Expiration | Mayor | Party | Other Elective Offices |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| April 7, 1939 | December 11, 1941 | Edgar C. Pipkin | Democrat | Chatham County Commissioner, 1951–1961 |
| December 11, 1941 | December 9, 1943 | Edgar C. Pipkin | Democrat | |
| December 9, 1943 | December 13, 1945 | Edgar C. Pipkin | Democrat | |
| December 13, 1945 | December 11, 1947 | Edgar C. Pipkin | Democrat | |
| December 11, 1947 | December 8, 1949 | Edgar C. Pipkin | Democrat | |
| December 8, 1949 | December 13, 1951 | J. Arlie Rowe | Democrat | Garden City Council Member, 1939–1941 |
| December 13, 1951 | December 10, 1953 | J. Arlie Rowe | Democrat | |
| December 10, 1953 | September 3, 1954 | J. Arlie Rowe | Democrat | |
| October 5, 1954 | December 8, 1955 | Warren F. Oglesby, Sr. | Democrat | Garden City Council Member, 1949–1954 |
| December 8, 1955 | December 12, 1957 | Warren F. Oglesby, Sr. | Democrat | |
| December 12, 1957 | December 10, 1959 | Warren F. Oglesby, Sr. | Democrat | |
| December 10, 1959 | December 14, 1961 | Warren F. Oglesby, Sr. | Democrat | |
| December 14, 1961 | December 12, 1963 | Rupert W. Bazemore | Democrat | Garden City Council Member, 1955–1959 |
| December 12, 1963 | December 9, 1965 | Rupert W. Bazemore | Democrat | |
| December 9, 1965 | December 14, 1967 | Rupert W. Bazemore | Democrat | |
| December 14, 1967 | December 11, 1969 | Rupert W. Bazemore | Democrat | |
| December 11, 1969 | December 9, 1971 | Rupert W. Bazemore | Democrat | |
| December 9, 1971 | December 13, 1973 | Rupert W. Bazemore | Democrat | |
| December 13, 1973 | December 11, 1975 | James M. "Jimmie" DeLoach | Democrat | Garden City Council Member, 1971–1973; Chatham County Commissioner, 1980–1992 |
| December 11, 1975 | December 8, 1977 | James M. "Jimmie" DeLoach | Democrat | |
| December 8, 1977 | December 13, 1979 | James M. "Jimmie" DeLoach | Democrat | |
| December 13, 1979 | December 10, 1981 | Ralph O. Kessler | Republican | Garden City Council Member, 1975–1979 |
| December 10, 1981 | December 8, 1983 | Ralph O. Kessler | Republican | |
| December 8, 1983 | December 12, 1985 | Ralph O. Kessler | Republican | |
| December 12, 1985 | December 10, 1987 | E. James "Jimmy" Burnsed | Republican | Garden City Council Member, 1979–1985; Bryan County Commission Chairman since 2005 |
| December 10, 1987 | December 14, 1989 | E. James "Jimmy" Burnsed | Republican | |
| December 14, 1989 | January 6, 1992 | Ralph O. Kessler | Republican | |
| January 6, 1992 | January 3, 1994 | LeRoy "Roy" L. Crager | Republican | Garden City Council Member, 1981–1992; 2000–2002 |
| January 3, 1994 | January 8, 1996 | LeRoy "Roy" L. Crager | Republican | |
| January 8, 1996 | January 5, 1998 | James "Jay" W. Harrell | Republican | Garden City Council Member, 1969–1987; 1989–1992; 2000–2002 |
| January 5, 1998 | January 2, 2000 | Dean Kicklighter | Republican | Garden City Council Member, 1996–1998; Chatham County Commissioner, since 2000 |
| January 2, 2000 | January 6, 2002 | Ralph O. Kessler | Republican | |
| January 6, 2002 | January 5, 2004 | Anthony "Andy" Quinney | Republican | Garden City Council Member, 1998–2000 |
| January 5, 2004 | January 7, 2008 | Anthony "Andy" Quinney | Republican | |
| January 7, 2008 | September 25, 2009 | Anthony "Andy" Quinney | Republican | |
| October 5, 2009 | January 2, 2012 | Tennyson Holder | | Garden City Council Member, 1992–2009 |

Color code:  Democrat or non-partisan leaning Democrat  Republican or non-partisan leaning Republican  Independent

## Council Members

Past and present council members are:

| Willie L. Adams | 1959–1961 | |
| - | - | - |
| Rupert W. Bazemore | 1955–1961 | Mayor of Garden City, 1961–1973 |
| Viola W. Bell | 1985–2000 | |
| Don Bethune | Since 2010 | |
| Frederick Dekle Blackburn, Jr. | 1988–1992 | |
| M.O. Blackburn, Jr. | 1954–1959 | |
| M.O. Blackburn, Sr. | 1940–1941; 1943–1945 | |
| John R. Blackwell | 1949–1953 | |
| I. Clifford Blount, Jr. | 1947–1949 | |
| Bobby G. Bohler | 1973–1975 | |
| Jessie L. Bowman | 1953–1958 | |
| Clark F. Branch | 1959–1961 | |
| James A. Bridgforth | 1961–1965; 1969–1971 | |
| Elbert N. Brown | 1953–1954 | |
| Ernest M. Brown, Sr. | 1961–1973 | |
| Robert "Bob" Bryant, Sr. | 1996–2004 | Georgia House Representative, since 2005 |
| E. James "Jimmy" Burnsed | 1979–1985 | Mayor of Garden City, 1985–1989 Chair of the Bryan County Commission, since 2005 |
| J. Lawrence Cavanah | 1961–1969; 1971–1973 | |
| Stanley Childers | 1996–2000 | |
| Keith Cox | 1971–1978 | |
| LeRoy "Roy" L. Crager | 1981–1992; 2000–2002 | Mayor of Garden City, 1992–1996 |
| Lois T. Dasher | 1978–1985 | |
| James M. "Jimmie" DeLoach | 1971–1973 | Mayor of Garden City, 1973–1979 Chatham County Commissioner, 1980–1992 |
| J.A. "Sonny" Dixon | 1985–1988 | Georgia House Representative, 1989–1997 |
| Ralph V. Dodd | 1971–1981 | |
| Fred S. Elliott | 1959–1961 | |
| C. Marvin Exley | 1949–1959 | |
| Welcome G. Farr | 1961–1967 | |
| Kay A. Ford | 1996–1998 | Member of the School Board |
| Alton D. Fryer | 1947–1958 | |
| W.J. Fussell | 1947–1949 | |
| Scott A. George | 2012 to Present | Mayor Pro Temp |
| Dan W. Gray | 1941–1943 | |
| L. Fred Griffin, III | 1989–1992 | |
| Joseph W. Guill | 1943–1947 | |
| Gwyn L. Hall, Sr. | 1996–1998; Since 2004 | |
| James "Jay" W. Harrell, Jr. | 1969–1987; 1989–1992; 2000–2002 | Mayor of Garden City, 1996–1998 |
| Amos C. Hathaway | 1957–1959 | |
| Steve T. Hattrich, Jr. | 1965–1971 | |
| Edwin B. Hemby | 1943–1947 | |
| Lawrence E. Hill, Jr. | 1973–1987 | |
| Claude Hodges, Jr. | 1973–1977 | |
| A. Tennyson Holder | 1992–2009 | Mayor of Garden City, since 2009 |
| Connie S. Holland | 1994–1996 | |
| Darrel Hutcheson | 1977–1987 | |
| J.Q. James | 1945–1947 | |
| M.C. Jones | 1947–1949 | |
| R. Bowen Jones | 1971–1992; since 2000 | |
| William B. Jones | 1939–1945 | |
| Ralph O. Kessler | 1975–1979 | Mayor of Garden City, 1979–1985; 1989–1992 |
| Bessie Kicklighter | Since 2002 | |
| Dean Kicklighter | 1996–1998 | Mayor of Garden City, 1998–2000 Chatham County Commissioner, since 2000 |
| W.A. Marks | 1940–1943 | |
| John C. McCord | 1939–1945 | |
| S.L. McDonald | 1939–1941 | |
| William Durward Motes | Since 2004 | |
| Wendell P. Neville | 1961–1965 | |
| Warren F. Oglesby, Sr. | 1949–1954 | Mayor of Garden City, 1954–1961 |
| Marion F. Peterson | 1967–1969 | |
| W. Roy Poe | 1952–1953; 1955–1957 | |
| Anthony "Andy" Quinney | 1998–2000 | Mayor of Garden City, 2002–2009 |
| Ted O. Romine | 1969–1971 | |
| J. Arlie Rowe | 1939–1941 | Mayor of Garden City, 1949–1954 |
| George A. Seckinger | 1961–1965 | |
| Misty Bethune Selph | 2006–2010 | |
| Judy Moore Shuman | Since 2002 | |
| Carlie L. Smith | 1965–1969 | |
| Edsel Smith | 1965–1971 | |
| James "Jimmy" Lee Spilliards | 2000–2004; since 2009 | |
| Jack C. Stafford | 1961–1969 | |
| Ron Stephens | 1994–1996 | Georgia House Representative, since 1997 |
| Carl G. Story | 1949–1953 | |
| Shelby Strickland | 1996–2000 | |
| H.W. Tuten | 1939–1940; 1941–1943 | |
| John Underwood | 1969–1971 | |
| Hal A. Van Sickle | 1940–1941; 1945–1949; 1954–1959 | |
| Robert Edward Wilder | 1987–1992; 1994–1996; 2000–2002 | |
| Earl Wilson | 2002–2004 | |

## Footnotes

* ↑ Tennyson Holder takes reins as Garden City mayor, Savannah Morning News, October 5, 2009
* ↑ Charles Cochran, Race seems like musical chairs, Savannah Morning News, October 3, 2003
* ↑ City of Garden City, Chatham County Governmental Directory, p. 83
* ↑ New Garden City Town Hall Opens, Savannah Morning News, September 9, 1963
* ↑ Chatham County's municipal races shape up, Savannah Morning News, September 13, 2003
* ↑ Rowe resigned before the end of his term of office. Mayor J.A. Rowe Resigns, Savannah Morning News, September 4, 1954
* ↑ Oglesby was appointed by his colleagues of the City Council to complete Rowe’s unexpired term. Warren Oglesby Named Mayor of Garden City, Savannah Morning News, October 5, 1954
* ↑ Burnsed will run for re-election in Bryan, Savannah Morning News, April 2, 2008 Archived July 16, 2012, at archive.today
* ↑ Commissioner Dean Kicklighter, District 7 Archived 2007-06-17 at the Wayback Machine
* ↑ Quinney resigned before the end of his third mayoral term. Garden City's mayor resigns, Savannah Morning News, Jenel Few, September 26, 2009
* ↑ Holder was appointed by the City Council to serve the remainder of Anthony "Andy" Quinney's unexpired term. Tennyson Holder takes reins as Garden City mayor, Savannah Morning News, Michael Atkins, October 5, 2009
* ↑ Viola Bell was the first elected Black council member in Garden City.
* ↑ Lois Dasher was appointed in 1978 and became the first elected female council member in Garden City in 1979.
