The Mayor of Sunnydale has been the
mayor for a century. He has paid tribute to many demons and dark Gods in return
for his power and long life. Though the Chief of Police and Principal Snyder
alluded to cover-ups and conspiracies in the second series, it's clear that
Snyder had no idea of the Mayor's plans for Graduation Day at the end of the
third series.
The Mayor has a germ phobia, and doesn't like swearing. He has many connections
in the demon world, and is aware of the presence of the Slayer in Sunnydale,
although he has never directly challenged her.
Mayor Richard Wilkins III is played by Harry Groener.
Deputy Mayor Allan Finch is played by Jack Plotnick.
Sunnydale High School has gone through two principals in the last two years. The
first was Bob Flutie. He was a touchy-feely, caring-sharing type of principal,
concerned with how the students were feeling, and relating to them as
individuals. Although he assured Buffy on her arrival that she had a clean slate
on her arrival at his school, the fact that she had been expelled from her
previous school was entered on her permanent record.
In an attempt to foster school spirit, Flutie acquired a pig to use as a school
mascot, but it was unfortunately eaten by students-turned-hyenas in "The
Pack" (1.6), immediately preceding Flutie himself being eaten by aforesaid
students.
Principal Flutie was played by Ken Lerner.
Principal Snyder arrived at Sunnydale High after Principal Flutie's
death-by-hyena-students. Universally hated by Buffy and her friends, he does
nothing to alter their sentiments when he refuses to allow Buffy back into
school at the end of the second series after she was falsely accused of the
murder of the second Slayer, Kendra, and Joyce finds
out for herself just what a "nasty little horrid bigoted rodent man"
he is when she tries to appeal to Snyder's better nature and get Buffy back in
school in "Dead Man's Party" (3.2) and fails.
When Snyder discovers the Mayor's connection to the weirdness in Sunnydale, he
is unnerved, but persists in his fascistic devotion to order until the last - at
Graduation Day (3.21 & 3.22), when he dares to chastise the Mayor for
turning Graduation into chaos, the Mayor, who has evolved into an enormous demon
snake, eats him.
Principal Snyder is played by Armin Shimerman.
