Compare a replacement in the unified mayor selection
To change mayors in County of Fortune, use the settlement's mayor selection to compare a new hire with mayors already serving in your settlements. The October demo puts both groups in the same selection window and allows you to move an existing mayor where their bonus is more useful. The old penalty for swapping mayors between settlements has been removed.
The official County of Fortune mayor rework and demo FAQ explain that updated system, which is more relevant than the replacement penalties described in the June demo.
Choose the better production match
Open the settlement you want to improve and compare the available mayor bonuses with its buildings. If an existing mayor elsewhere supports this production more effectively, consider moving that mayor rather than only looking for a new hire.
Also check the settlement the mayor would leave. The point of a swap is to put the available bonuses where they fit your county's production, not simply to move a strong-looking portrait without considering the other settlement.
The developer does not expect every settlement to have a perfect bonus match. A mayor with a different bonus remains a valid choice, and adding or changing buildings can make that mayor more useful later.
Use the October rules instead of older penalties
The rework removes two features that caused frustration in the earlier demo: negative mayor bonuses and the penalty for swapping mayors between settlements. New and existing mayors are displayed together to make the comparison easier.
Older Steam community reports and narrated playthroughs describe relation penalties from moving or replacing leaders. Those describe an earlier rule set and should not be treated as the current penalty for an ordinary settlement-to-settlement swap.
The available announcement does not establish a current universal dismissal-and-refresh trick, a refresh timer or a method to force a particular mayor to appear. Use the available selection and its displayed production bonuses rather than relying on an invented reroll procedure.
FAQ
Can I move a mayor from one settlement to another?
Yes. The developer explicitly encourages moving mayors when another settlement would benefit more from their bonuses.
Is the old settlement-swap penalty still applied?
The October demo rework says that penalty has been removed. Older June demo comments describe the earlier system.
Where are new and existing mayors shown now?
They share one selection window in the updated system, allowing you to compare a new hire with a mayor already serving elsewhere.