Paducah's Mayors

Government Structure

Paducah operates under a City Manager Plan form of government. On November 8, 1932, the citizens of Paducah voted to become a City Manager form of Government. The Paducah Board of Commissioners is made up of the Mayor and four Commissioners elected at large by the citizens on a non-partisan basis. The Mayor is elected for a four-year term and Commissioners for a two-year term. The Mayor and Commissioners have equal voting powers.

The Paducah Board of Commissioners sets the policies that govern the City. It appoints advisory citizen groups that help in the decision-making process. The City Manager is appointed by the Board and assists it in formulating objectives, policies, and programs. The City Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the City's approximately 330 full-time employees. Department directors are responsible for their respective departments and report directly to the City Manager.

List of Paducah's City Managers >>
List of Paducah's Commissioners >>

Oath of Office

When the Mayor and Commissioners are sworn into office, they take the following oath:

I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this Commonwealth, and be faithful and true to the Commonwealth of Kentucky so long as I continue a citizen thereof, and that I will faithfully execute, to the best of my ability, the office of [Mayor/Commissioner], according to law; and I do further solemnly swear that since the adoption of the present Constitution, I, being a citizen of this State, have not fought a duel with deadly weapons within this State nor out of it, nor have I sent or accepted a challenge to fight a duel with deadly weapons, nor have I acted as a second in carrying a challenge, nor aided or assisted any person thus offending, so help me God.

#	NAME	TERM	ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
39.	Brandi Harless	2017-Present
38.	Gayle Kaler	2013-2016
37.	William F. Paxton, III	2001-2012	Served three four-year terms.
36.	Albert Jones	1996-2000
35.	Gerry Biggs Montgomery	1988-1995	Served two four-year terms.
34.	Joseph Viterisi	1984-1987
33.	John K. Penrod	1980-1983
32.	William S. Murphy	1976-1979
31.	Alice Hite (Dolly) McNutt	1972-1975
30.	Robert C. Cherry	1968-1971
29.	Thomas W. Wilson	1964-1967
28.	Robert C. Cherry	1960-1963
27.	George G. Jacobs	1956-1959
26.	Robert C. Cherry	1952-1955
25.	Stuart Johnston	1949-1951	Completed Mayor Peak's term.
24.	Gene Peak	1948-1949	Died in office.
23.	Wayne C. Seaton	1944-1947
22.	Pierce E. Lackey	1940-1943
21.	Edgar T. Washburn	1936-1939
20.	E.G. Scott	1932-1935
19.	Ernest Lackey	1928-1931
18.	J.W. Bailey, M.D.	1924-1927
17.	Frederick William Katterjohn	1920-1923
16.	Frank N. Burns	Nov. 1916-Nov. 1919	Resigned to accept appointment as KY Railroad Commissioner.
15.	Ernest Lackey	Jan. 1916-Nov. 1916	Election ruled invalid by the KY Court of Appeals in June 1916. Governor appointed Lackey to serve until the November election of 1916.
14.	Thomas Needham Hazelip	1912-1915
13.	James Peterson Smith	1908-1911
12.	David Ayers Yeiser, Sr.	1902-1907	Paducah became a second class city in 1902.
11.	James M. Lang	Dec 6, 1897-1901	All third class city mayors served two-year terms. In 1897, the first primary election was held, and mayors were elected for four-year terms.
10.	David Ayers Yeiser, Sr.	1891-1897
9.	Joseph Henry Johnson	March 1889-1891
8.	Charles Reed	March 21, 1881-March 1889	Elections in March 1881, 1883, 1885, and 1887. Served four two-year terms.
7.	Meyer Weil	1877-March 1881	Elections in 1877 and 1879. Served two two-year terms.
6.	John G. Fisher	1875-1877
5.	Meyer Weil	1871-1875	Elections in 1871 and 1873. Served two two-year terms.
4.	John W. Sauner	1867-1871	Elections in 1867 and 1869. Served two two-year terms.
3.	John G. Fisher	1863-1867	Elections in 1863 and 1865. Served two two-year terms.
2.	John W. Sauner	1859-1863	Elections in 1869 and 1861. Served two two-year terms.
1.	Jesse Hampton Gardner	March 10, 1856-1859	March 10, 1856--The date Paducah became a third class city.