Mayor Bud Starker

I am humbled and honored to have been elected as the new Mayor of Wheat Ridge. I believe we build great communities with respect for one another, a sense of pride in our past, and a willingness to listen for good ideas coming from many directions. I am committed to a process of dialogue and collaboration for the future we can build together. I want to thank all of the citizens who cast their ballots in this election and look forward to working in common to build that successful future for our city.

Since some of you may not know me, I thought I’d launch my first Mayor’s Matters with some personal background information. I was born in Houston, Texas. My mother was a registered nurse from east Texas and my father was an Air Force officer from Colorado. He was raised in Rifle with family roots in the Denver area dating to the 1870s.

My early childhood was spent in Alabama, Germany, Maine, the Washington, D.C. area, and Tehran, Iran. I was very fortunate to be part of a close, loving family that enjoyed traveling and doing lots of things together. My life abroad left me with two distinct life lessons - that America is my home and a great country, and that we share a common human bond with people around the globe. I graduated from high school in Iran and receive a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a major in political science. 

I worked as a carpenter during college and continued after graduation, rising through the ranks to superintendent and project manager. I started my own construction company in 1983 building commercial and institutional projects throughout the Front Range, including several here in Wheat Ridge. After 45 years, I am in the process of retiring from the construction business and look forward to the additional free time I can dedicate to serving as your Mayor.

I moved to Wheat Ridge in 1975 with a dozen chickens, a goose and a gander, one goat, and a dog. My wife, Mary, and I have two grown sons who attended local public schools and still live in the area. Now that the livestock are gone and the boys have moved out, we share our home with two great cats - twin brothers – who have us pretty well wrapped around their paws. I’m an avid skier and enjoy gardening, golf, woodworking and family life.

Several years ago we bought a distressed property a few blocks from home and transformed it into a neighborhood restaurant, West 29th Restaurant & Bar.  The main building was an early 20th century neighborhood grocery which we renovated, adding a commercial kitchen, dining room, two patios and a small parking lot. The business now provides employment for a couple of dozen employees, tax revenue for the city, and a gathering place for neighbors.

I am looking forward to working on your behalf as the new Mayor of Wheat Ridge, and hope we are able to meet in the New Year.  Please accept my very best wishes for a wonderful holiday season with peace and joy for the New Year!