Short was born July 11, 1866, near Elora, Canada West and studied law at the University of Toronto before coming to Alberta in 1889.

He faced no opposition to his re-election bid in 1902, and defeated his former school board colleague H. C. Taylor in the 1903 election to retain the title.

During this first stint as mayor, Short oversaw the extension of the railroad to the north side of the North Saskatchewan River in 1902 (an event which occasioned the proclamation of a civic holiday by Mayor Short).

He returned to the mayoralty in December 1912 by defeating two candidates, including future mayor Joseph Clarke.

William Short was active with the Masons, the Edmonton Board of Trade, and the Conservative Party of Alberta.