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Home My WebLink AboutMayors and CouncilCity of Kitchener Corporate Archives Mayors and Council fonds 1854-2012 Prepared by: Hilda Sturm March 2012 MAYORS AND COUNCIL fonds - 1854-2012. - 50cm of textual records, 30cm of photographs, 60cm of videos and 20cm of artifacts. The first elected official of the incorporated village of Berlin was Dr. John Scott. He was elected warden in 1854. The other officials that year were G. W. Bowman, G. Jantz, and H. Stroh and E. Zeigler. Mayor in 1870 at the time of Berlin becoming a town was Hugo Kranz. In 1912 when Berlin became a city, the mayor was W. H. Schmalz. At the time of the name change from Berlin to Kitchener in 1916 the mayor was J. E. Hett. In the early years the council numbers were as high as 16 members including a mayor, deputy reeves and a warden. The numbers decreased over the years and in the 1940's there were only 9 members including the mayor. By the mid 1950's the number increased to 10 members of council plus the mayor. The number of councilors stayed the same until 2000 when the number decreased to 6 plus the mayor. During 2006, talks have taking place to increase the number of councilors, and in the 2010 election the number of councilors increased back to 10. Elections took place in early December of year each. During the 1956 election, voters were asked to vote on the extending the term to two years. In a narrow defeat by 84 votes, it was rejected. During the 1960 election, voters were asked, "Are you in favor of extending the right to vote at municipal elections for members of council to all persons of the full age of twenty-one years who are British subjects and who have resided in the municipality for at least one year in accordance with municipal franchise extension act of 1958?" This was passed by 7,264 votes. In 1962, residents were asked again to vote on extending the term to two years. This time, by 6,406 votes, it was passed. Two year terms continued until 1971. There was another municipal election in October 1972 and then the two year terms continued until 1982. Three year terms began in 1982 and continued until 2006 when 4 year terms began. In 1974, talk of the city implementing the ward system surfaced. On the ballots during 1974 election, two questions were asked `Are you in favour of the election of Aldermen by wards rather than by a general election?' and `Are you in favour of a candidate for the office of Alderman being allowed to stand for election only in the ward in which he resides or in which he is qualified to vote in the event that a ward system of elections is adopted?' Electorates voted yes on both of these questions. So the process of deciding new ward boundaries began. In 1977, a new Votomatic election system was looked to use in the next election. It was recommended to adopt this system at the time the new ward system was being implemented since all polling stations were being altered to reflect the new ward boundaries. The first ward based election took place in 1978 with the new non-paper based ballot system. The first televised council meeting in the new council chambers took place on September 27, 1993. The City of Kitchener continues to have the council meetings televised on a regular basis. Members of Council with 20 or more years of service: Dominic Cardillo - 1963-1982; 1983-1994 (M) Geoff Lorentz - 1989- 2010 C. Siebert - 1932; 1937-38; 1940-45; 1947-56; 1961 John Smola - 1984- 2010 Henry Sturm - 1924-26; 1928; 1930-32, 1933-34 (M); 1936-42; 1944-53 Christina Weylie - 1984-2010 Carl Zehr - 1986-94; 1997- current (M) Jim Zeigler- 1981-2002 Mayors of Be rlin/Kitchener 1854 - 1856 John Scott (Reeve) 1915, 1916 J. E. Hett 1857 Henry S. Huber (Warden) 1917-1919 David Gross 1858 Isreal D. Bowman (Warden) 1920 John R. Eden 1859 - 1862 Henry S. Huber (Warden) 1921, 1922 Charles Greb 1863 - 1864 Henry S. Huber (Warden) 1923, 1924 Louis O. Breithaupt 1865 - 1866 Ward H. Bowlby (Warden) 1925, 1926 N. Asmussen 1867-1868 Ward H. Bowlby (Warden) 1927, 1928 Edward E. Ratz 1869-1870 Hugo Kranz (Warden) 1929, 1930 W. P. Clement 1871 William Pipe 1931, 1932 C. Mortimer Bezeau 1872, 1873 John Hoffman 1933, 1934 H. W. Sturm 1874 - 1878 Hugo Kranz 1935 - 1937 J. Albert Smith 1879, 1880 Louis Breithaupt 1938, 1939 George W. Gordon 1880, 1881 John Motz 1940 - 1945 Joseph Meinzinger 1882 J. Y. Shantz 1946, 1947 John G. Brown 1882, 1883 William Jaffray 1948, 1949 J. W. Washburn 1884, 1885 Alexander Millar 1950, 1951 Stanley F. Leavine 1886, 1887 Henry G. Lackner 1952, 1953 Bruce Weber 1888, 1889 Louis J. Breithaupt 1954, 1955 Donald Weber 1890 Henry L. Janzen 1956, 1957 Fred L. Dreger 1891 Jacob M. Staebler 1958 (Jan. -July) S. F. Leavine 1892 Conrad Bitzner 1958 (Aug. -Dec.) Keith Hymmen 1893 D. Lackner 1959 Joseph Meinzinger 1894, 1895 Daniel Hibner 1960 H. E. Wambold 1896, 1897 John C. Breithaupt 1961 Joseph Meinzinger 1898 George Rumpel 1962 (Jan. -Jun) Joseph Meinzinger 1899, 1900 John R. Eden 1962 (Jun -Dec.) James E. Gray 1901 G. Herbert Bowlby 1963 - 1965 Keith R. Hymmen 1902, 1903 John R. Eden 1966, 1967 William L. Butler 1904, 1905 Carl Kranz 1968, 1969 -1974 Sidney M. McLennan 1906, 1907 Aaron Bricker 1975,1976 Edith Macintosh 1908 Allan Huber 1977-1982 Morley Rosenberg 1909, 1910 Charles C. Hahn 1983-1994 Dominic V. Cardillo 1911, 1912 William H. Schmalz 1995-1997 Richard D. Christy 1913, 1914 William D. Euler 1998-2012 Carl J.Zehr The fonds consist of books, background information, newspaper articles, mementoes and photographs. Other items include pins, coins, and videos of council meetings. The records consist of three series and the documents are arranged in chronological order within each series. Title based on contents of fonds. Records transferred from Records Centre and staff. 1: Correspondence - 1926 - 2012. 50cm This series consists of the correspondence and background information of the city council. An index is available in Appendix A 2. Photographs/Negatives - 1980 - 2000. 30cm This series consists of photo albums and photographs of mayors and council members and events. An index is available in Appendix B 3. Videos -1973-2005. 60cm. This series consist of videos of council meetings. An index is available in Appendix C. 4. Artifacts - 20cm. This series consist of pins, coins, coat of arms and a poster. An index is available in Appendix D. Appendix A Series 1: Correspondence Title Date Volume/Item Box Guest Books 1939-1985 1-1 10910 Newspaper section on D. Cardillo 1994 2-1 10908 A Loving Look - Book 1984 2-2 10908 Miscellaneous correspondence 1984-1999 3-1 12002 Newspaper articles 1990-2005 4-1 11142 Spanish Magazine article on Mayor 2005 4-2 11142 Background Information 1854-1988 5-1 11143 Dominic Cardillo 25t" Anniversary 1988 6-1 10942 Election Information 1988 6-2 10942 Invitation/programs 1999-2010 7-1 10913 Council Chamber Motion form 8-1 10906 Chain of Office 1985-1986 9-1 10171 Newspaper Articles 1950's-1990's 10-1 10158 Ward/Realignment Information 1926-1996 11-1 12855 General Information 1971-1975 12-1 11095 List of Kitchener Council Members 1854-2012 13-1 Excel spreadsheet List of Kitchener Council -Years of Service 1854-2012 14-1 Word Document Coat of Arms and Crest 1925 15-1 10141 List of Mementos 1991-1994 16-1 10927 Dominic Cardillo 16-2 10927 List of Mayor & Council 1854-2006 18-2 10929 Information 1988 32-1 10942 List of Historical Files n.d. 34-2 11723 Mayor's remarks - Laurier 2006 37-1 11249 Dominic Cardillo 1930-1994 39-1 13305 Memento 2003 42-1 10843 City of Kitchener Meeting Schedule 2009-2012 43-1 11898 Posters re: Council 2007 44-1 11281 Crest & Seal 1916 46-1 10911 Articles Council members 2009 47-1 12418 Cheque 2008 48-1 14384 Appendix B Series 2: Photographs/Negatives Title Date Volume/Item Box Photographs 1990's 17-1 10919 Photographs - Mayor/Council events 1980's-1990's 17-2 10919 Mayor/Council Photographs 1981-2006 18-1 10929 Photographs 1980-1997 19-1 10921 Council Chamber n.d. 20-1 10927 Photographs 1980-2000 21-1 13711 Photographs n.d. 22-1 11176 Photographs 1995-1997 23-1 10948 Photographs 1980's - 1990's 24-1 10140 Photographs 1980's 25-1 11146 Photographs 1983-1994 31-1 10948 Photographs 1998 34-1 11723 Negatives n.d. 35-1 10935 Photographs 1986 36-1 10905 Photos Chain of Office 2011 38-1 11898 Dominic Cardillo 1930-1994 39-2 13305 Negatives of Councillors 2003 41-1 12296 Council negatives 45-1 13592 Appendix C Series 3: Videos Title Date Volume/Item Box Council Meetings 1990-2003 26-1 11177 Council Meetings 1973-2005 27-1 14534 Council Meetings 2006-2008 40-1 12990 Appendix D Series 4: Artifacts Title Date Volume/Item Box Silver Spoons 1995 4-3 11142 Pins/coins 1990's 27-2 14534 Corporate Seal n.d. 28-1 10138 Corporate Seal n.d. 29-1 11182 Poster n.d. 30-1 11201 Nickels 1937-1944 33-1 10945