The information on mayors of Jacksonville from 1832 to 1848 is limited, mostly due to the Great Fire of 1901 which destroyed some of the city's records.

During the Reconstruction era, mayoral elections resumed but the position had no real power, with the city being administered by the United States Military.

On May 31, 1887, the city instituted a new charter, annexing several suburbs, including LaVilla, Springfield, Riverside, Brooklyn, East Jacksonville, and Fairfield.

On December 13, 1887, another election was held and Charles Bristol Smith, a Republican, won with support from members of the city's large African American community.

The biggest change to local government, however, was the Jacksonville Consolidation, which took effect on October 1, 1968.