The mayor of Danville, Illinois is Rickey Williams Jr., who is serving a four-year term that runs through 2027. He is the city’s chief executive, overseeing all municipal departments, appointing most city officers, presiding over the City Council, and serving as local liquor commissioner. His current annual salary is $110,000.
Who Rickey Williams Jr. Is
Williams first took office in November 2018. He had been appointed by the City Council to fill the vacancy left when longtime Mayor Scott Eisenhauer resigned to take a village administrator job in Rantoul, and was sworn in on November 6, 2018. He then won a full term on April 2, 2019, running on community policing and fiscal responsibility.
His 2023 re-election was close. On April 4, 2023, Williams defeated challenger Jackie Vinson by 59 votes out of more than 4,400 cast.
Before elected office, Williams worked in Danville’s nonprofit sector, serving as Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club and later as CEO and CFO of Project Success, where he managed a $1.8 million annual budget and more than 120 staff across 15 locations in Vermilion County.1City of Danville. Mayor He first won elected office in 2009 as a Danville City Council member.
What the Mayor Does
Danville uses a mayor-council form of government, which puts the mayor in charge of the city’s executive branch. Under the Illinois Municipal Code, the mayor is responsible for seeing that all city laws and ordinances are faithfully enforced.2Illinois General Assembly. 65 ILCS 5/3.1-35-5 – Mayor or President; General Duties That translates into directing day-to-day department operations and setting budget priorities.
The mayor appoints Danville’s department heads, city officers, and the members of boards, commissions, and committees.1City of Danville. Mayor The mayor can also remove appointed officers, subject to review by the council: if two-thirds of the council disapproves, the officer is reinstated.3Illinois General Assembly. 65 ILCS 5 – Illinois Municipal Code – Section 3.1-35-10 Not every office is a mayoral pick. The City Treasurer, for instance, is elected by Danville voters.4City of Danville, IL. City Treasurer
By operation of state law, the Danville mayor also serves as the city’s liquor commissioner, with authority over issuing, suspending, and revoking liquor licenses inside the city limits.1City of Danville. Mayor
Role at the City Council
The mayor presides over City Council meetings but is not a regular voting member. Illinois law gives the mayor a vote in defined situations: when the alderpersons are tied, when exactly half of those elected have voted yes, or when a supermajority is required to pass an ordinance.
The mayor can also veto ordinances, resolutions, and certain motions. The council then reconsiders at its next regular meeting, and overriding the veto takes a two-thirds vote of all alderpersons then holding office, recorded by name in the official journal.5Illinois General Assembly. 65 ILCS 5/3.1-40-50 – Reconsideration; Passing Over Veto
Salary
The Danville mayor’s job is full-time and salaried.1City of Danville. Mayor As of 2026, the salary is $110,000 a year. A proposal Williams introduced in April 2026 would raise it to $130,000 starting in 2027. Illinois law bars salary changes from taking effect mid-term, so any increase would apply to whoever holds the office after the next election.
Next Election and Who Can Run
The mayor serves a four-year term.6Illinois General Assembly. 65 ILCS 5/3.1-15-10 – Mayor; President Illinois holds municipal elections in the spring of odd-numbered years, and Danville’s next mayoral election is scheduled for April 2027, on the same ballot as the City Treasurer and aldermanic seats.
To run, a candidate must be a qualified Danville voter and must have lived inside the city for at least one year before the election. State law also prohibits anyone convicted of a felony, bribery, or perjury from taking the oath of office, unless the Governor has issued a pardon or formally restored their rights.7Illinois General Assembly. 65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-5 – Qualifications; Elective Office
How to Reach the Mayor’s Office
The mayor’s office is in the Robert E. Jones Municipal Building at 17 W. Main Street, Danville. The phone number is 217-431-2400.1City of Danville. Mayor Email contact and public documents are available through the city website.
Residents can also raise issues in person. The City Council meets at 6 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of each month, and the meetings are open to the public with time set aside for public comment.8City of Danville. City Council