Ralph Becker (mayor)
| Ralph Elihu Becker, Jr. | |
|---|---|
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| 34th Mayor of Salt Lake City | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Rocky Anderson |
| Constituency | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 30, 1952 Washington, D.C. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Salt Lake City, UT |
| Occupation | urban planner |
| Website | Mayor's Office Ralph Becker |
Ralph Elihu Becker Jr. (born May 30, 1952) is an American politician and attorney who is the former Minority Leader of the Utah State House of Representatives, the 34th and current mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah.
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[edit] Early life and career
Ralph Elihu Becker was born in Washington, D.C. to Ralph Elihu Becker and Ann Watters Becker. He received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1973, his J.D. from the University of Utah College of Law in 1977, and his M.S. in Geography/Planning from the University of Utah in 1982. Becker is an attorney and planner (FAICP), who has co-founded Bear West in 1985, a planning, natural resources consulting firm. He also is an Adjunct Professor at the College of Architecture and Planning, University of Utah.
Becker has had a career that has spanned serving in the National Park Service as a garbage man, firefighter, and ranger (law enforcement and EMT) (1971–76), Utah State Planning Coordinator under Governor Scott Matheson (1981–1985), and Salt Lake City Planning Commissioner (1988–1996). He is one of three people in Utah to be a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners. His Utah legislative accomplishments include six years in Utah legislative leadership (four years as House Democratic Leader), leading the passage of the Quality Growth Act (1999), funding for trails, open space, and transit, Utah's first Energy Policy Act, and advocating social justice issues.
In November 2006, Ralph Becker announced his candidacy for the 2007 race for Salt Lake City Mayor and won on November 6, 2007.
At noon, January 7, 2008, Ralph Becker took the oath of office and began his four-year term as mayor.
[edit] Political accomplishments and controversies
In July 2009, Becker received major criticism for his decision to place a Public Safety Building in the same city block as Salt Lake City's Main Public Library known as Library Square. Eventually, Becker would opt to place the Public Safety Building on the block immediately east of the proposed location - a more popular option.[1]
In November 2009, Becker signed into law the most progressive non-discrimination ordinances ever seen in the state of Utah.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Rocky Anderson |
Mayors of Salt Lake City 2008–present |
Incumbent |
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