Since 2021, the deputy mayor has been chosen by Common Council after each election, having previously been the councillor at large who gained a plurality of votes.

Since the incorporation of Saint John in 1785, the mayor has served as the chief representative of the city.

As head of the largest city in New Brunswick, many mayors have served as elected officials at the federal and provincial level both before and after their tenure.

Notably, Samuel Davis, 1977-1980, served as the first elected Jewish Mayor of Saint John.

While serving only two years, Thomas J. Higgins was the first Catholic Mayor of Saint John.