Editing Decatur, Illinois (section)

==Government==
[[File:Macon County Illinois Courthouse.JPG|thumb|[[Macon County Courthouse (Illinois)|Macon County Courthouse]]]]
Between 1829 and 1836, the County Commissioners Court had jurisdiction as it was the seat of Macon County.<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9">Irwin, Dayle Cochran. Decatur: Serving Others, pg. 9{{ISBN missing|date=October 2019}}</ref><ref name="Banton, Oliver Terrill 1976 pg. 275">Banton, Oliver Terrill. History of Macon County (1976), pg. 275</ref> By 1836 the population reached approximately 300, and Richard Oglesby was elected president of the first board of trustees.<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/> Other members of the board of trustees included Dr. William Crissey, H.M. Gorin and Andrew Love as clerk.<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/><ref name="Banton, Oliver Terrill 1976 pg. 275"/>

In 1839 a town charter was granted to Decatur that gave power to the trustees "to establish and regulate a fire department, to dig wells and erect pumps in the streets, regulate police of the town, [and] raise money for the purpose of commencing and prosecuting works of public improvement."<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/><ref name="Banton, Oliver Terrill 1976 pg. 275"/> Those who served as president of the town of Decatur were: Richard Oglesby (1836), Joseph Williams (1837), Henry Snyder (1838), [[Kirby Benedict]] (1839), Joseph King (1840), Thomas P. Rodgers (1841), David Crone (1846–47), J.H. Elliott (1848), Joseph Kauffman (1849), Joseph King (1850), William S. Crissey (1851), W.J. Stamper (1852), William Prather (1853–54), and Thomas H. Wingate (1854–55).<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>

In the winter of 1855–56, a special city incorporation charter was obtained.<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/><ref name="Banton, Oliver Terrill 1976 pg. 275"/> This charter provided an aldermanic form of government and on January 7, 1856, an election was held for mayor, two aldermen for each of the four wards, and city marshal.<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/><ref name="Banton, Oliver Terrill 1976 pg. 275"/> This aldermanic form of government continued until January 18, 1911, when Decatur changed to [[city commissioner]] form of government.<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/><ref name="Banton, Oliver Terrill 1976 pg. 276">Banton, Oliver Terrill. History of Macon County (1976), pg. 276</ref> The new commissioner system provided a mayor elected at-large and four commissioners to serve as administrators of city services: accounts and finance, public health and safety, public property, and streets and public improvements. The mayor also served as Commissioner of Public Affairs.<ref name="Banton, Oliver Terrill 1976 pg. 276"/><ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 10">Irwin, Dayle Cochran. Decatur: Serving Others, pg. 10</ref>

The mayor and commissioner system prevailed until a special election on November 25, 1958, in which the present [[council-manager]] form of government was adopted.<ref name="Banton, Oliver Terrill 1976 pg. 275"/><ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 10"/>
According to the city website, the "City of Decatur operates under the Council-Manager form of government, a system which combines the leadership of a representative, elected council with the professional background of an appointed manager."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.decatur.il.us/council/citycouncil.html|title=Decatur Mayor and City Council|website=City of Decatur Illinois|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110226224949/http://www.ci.decatur.il.us/council/citycouncil.html|archive-date=February 26, 2011|access-date=May 18, 2011}}</ref> The mayor and all members of the council are elected at-large. Their duties include determining city policy and representing the city in public ceremonies, for which they receive nominal annual salaries.<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 10"/> The appointed manager handles all city administration and is the council's employee, not an elected official.<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 10"/> Since 1959, the following have served as City Managers: John E. Dever, W. Robert Semple, Leslie T. Allen, Jim Bacon, Jim Williams, Steve Garman, John A. Smith (acting), Ryan McCrady, Gregg Zientara (interim), Timothy Gleason, and Scot Wrighton, the current holder.<ref name="herald-review.com">{{cite news|url=http://herald-review.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/gleason-promises-he-won-t-let-city-down/article_da1ba764-39d1-50f5-8696-ab8cb2315a50.html|title=Gleason promises he won't let city down|last=Petty|first=Allison|date=March 26, 2015|work=Herald&Review|access-date=October 14, 2019|publisher=Lee Enterprises|location=Decatur, Illinois|url-access=limited}}</ref>

[[File:Decatur transfer house by douglas grohne.jpg|thumb|The Decatur Transfer House in the background in downtown's Central Park]]
Julie Moore Wolfe serves as the current mayor of Decatur.  Moore Wolfe was appointed unanimously by the Decatur City Council following the death of Mayor Mike McElroy.<ref>{{cite web |title=Unanimous council appoints Moore Wolfe mayor |date=August 18, 2015 |url=http://herald-review.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/unanimous-council-appoints-moore-wolfe-mayor/article_53643f6e-29b1-5252-a87b-da21823f4806.html}}</ref> She is the first female to be mayor of Decatur. Moore Wolfe, who had been appointed mayor pro tem in May 2015, became acting mayor after McElroy died on July 17, 2015.<ref>{{cite web |title=Decatur Mayor Mike McElroy passes away |url=http://www.wandtv.com/category/182814/video?clipId=11688751&autostart=true |access-date=July 17, 2015 |archive-date=July 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721055305/http://www.wandtv.com/category/182814/video?clipId=11688751&autostart=true |url-status=dead }}</ref> McElroy had been mayor since 2009 and had recently been re-elected to a second term as mayor in April 2015.<ref>{{cite web |title=Decatur mourning death of Mayor Mike McElroy on Friday |date=July 17, 2015 |url=http://herald-review.com/news/local/decatur-mourning-death-of-mayor-mike-mcelroy-on-friday/article_d5be2fe2-af35-5321-8769-4020a34aa735.html}}</ref> Moore Wolfe was elected to a four-year term as mayor on April 4, 2017.<ref>{{cite web |title=In historic moment, Moore Wolfe secures Decatur mayor win |date=April 4, 2017 |url=http://herald-review.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/in-historic-moment-moore-wolfe-secures-decatur-mayor-win/article_bdbcfdd1-de3e-5824-adf7-f6f20ec0b460.html}}</ref>

===Mayors===
Those who served as president of the town of Decatur were: Richard Oglesby (1836), Joseph Williams (1837), Henry Snyder (1838), Kirby Benedict (1839), Joseph King (1840), Thomas P. Rodgers (1841), David Crone (1846–47), J.H. Elliott (1848), Joseph Kauffman (1849), Joseph King (1850), William S. Crissey (1851), W.J. Stamper (1852), William Prather (1853–54), and Thomas H. Wingate (1854–55).<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>

During the winter of 1855–56, a special incorporation charter of Decatur as a city was obtained providing for an [[alderman]]ic form of government.<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* John P. Post (1856)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* William A. Barnes (1857)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* James Shoaff (1858)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Alexander T. Hill (1859)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Sheridan Wait (1860)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84031492/1879-07-27/ed-1/seq-3/ |via=Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers (Lib. of Congress) |title=Obituary, Major Sheridan Wait |page=3 |last=Staff |newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune |quote=In early life he was of the Democratic persuasion, and just before the War was elected major of Decatur on the Union ticket. |date=July 27, 1879 |volume=XXXIX }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014511/1860-03-15/ed-1/seq-1/ |last=Staff |title=Spring Elections (Decatur, Ill.) |date=March 15, 1860 |page=1 |newspaper=The Press and Tribune |location=Chicago, Illinois |via=Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers (Lib. of Congress) |quote=S. Wait, Democratic candidate for Mayor in Decatur, was elected by 132 majority, on Monday of last week; |volume=XIII |issue=220 }}</ref>
* [[Edward O. Smith]] (1861)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Thomas O. Smith (1862)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Jasper J. Peddecord (1863–1864)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Franklin Priest (1865–66; 1870, 1874, 1878)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* John K. Warren (1867)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Isaac C. Pugh (1868)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* William L. Hammer (1869)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* E.M. Misner (1871)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* D.S. Shellabarger (1872)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Martin Forstmeyer (1873)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* R.H. Merriweather (1875)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* William B. Chambers (1876–1877; 1883–1884; 1891–1892)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Lysander L. Haworth (1879)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Henry W. Waggoner (1880–1882)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Michael F. Kanan (1885–1890)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* David C. Moffitt (1893–1894)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* D.H. Conklin (1895–1896)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* B.Z. Taylor (1897–1898)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* George A. Stadler (1899–1900)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Charles F. Shilling (1901–1904)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* George L. Lehman (1905–1906),<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* E.S. McDonald (1907–1908)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* [[Charles M. Borchers]] (1909–1911; 1919–1923)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* [[Dan Dinneen]] (1911–1919)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Elmer R. Elder (1923–1927)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Orpheus W. Smith (1927–1935)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Harry E. Barber (1935)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Charles E. Lee (1936–1943)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* James A. Hedrick (1943–51)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Dr. Robert E. Willis (1951–1955)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37205772/24000_ballot_davis_holmes_join_coincil/ |via=Newspapers.com |title=24,000 Ballot; Davis, Holmes Join Council |last=Martin |first=J. Neely |date=April 18, 1951 |newspaper=The Decatur Review |page=28 |volume=74 |issue=92 }}</ref>
* Clarence A. Sablotny (1955–59)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Jack W. Loftus, acting (1959)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Robert A. Grohne (1959–1963)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Ellis B. Arnold (May 1, 1963, to April 30, 1967)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* [[James H. Rupp]] (1966–1977)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Elmer W. Walton (1977–1983)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Gary K. Anderson (1983–1992)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Erik Brechnitz (1992–1995)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Terry M. Howley (1995–2003)<ref name="Irwin, Dayle Cochran pg. 9"/>
* Paul Osborne (2003–2008) (resigned)
* Mike Carrigan (2008–2009) (appointed)
* Mike McElroy (2009–2015)
* Julie Moore Wolfe (2015–present) (appointed 2015, elected 2017)
{{div col end}}