Mayor Tripp means business, and Burdaliens know it good and well. He's been elected and reelected for decades, becoming the town's youngest mayor at the age of 34 in 1987 - defeating the incumbent of the previous 9 years, a cat named Meowty McFly. McFly ran a great campaign, breaking donation records, but it still wasn't enough for Mayor Tripp's tenacity, vigor, and perseverance. 

The son of a wealthy land developer, and a fourth generation Burdalien, Samuel Tripp Loch was raised in the heart of Burdale, spending weekends throwing a baseball with his brother Simon at Bridwell Park, and "borrowing" his dad's car to catch a flick at Skin/Walker Drive-In on Friday nights. He was also a frequent at The Spiral Staircase - the shop of oddities that once stood where The Burdale Historical Association Museum stands today. A proud Burdale High School graduate, Tripp's main claim-to-fame (even more so than being Mayor) is that he provided the inspiration for Spectral Spectacles, Burdale's thrilling amusement park - the story goes like this:

One hot day in July of 1964, an eleven-year-old Mayor Tripp was walking down Cliffside Drive with his brother, when he spotted a flier in a shop window - it was an advertisement for a traveling circus that had come to town. The brothers ran home, begging their father to take them. Their father, Clinton Tripp Loch, agreed. While his boys were riding the ferris wheel, eating popcorn and cotton candy, and enjoying the overall atmosphere, Papa Tripp thought it would be great if this could be a permanent fixture for families in Burdale to enjoy - he approached the couple who owned the traveling amusement spectacle with his idea, offering to bankroll what money was needed to see this through, in exchange for a modest cut of the profits. They declined and the circus promptly disappeared the next day. Tripp decided to take it upon himself to create his own amusement enterprise, thus, Spectral Spectacles was born. It took many years, but the park finally opened its doors in 1975 and has been a source of joy for Burdaliens ever since. 

In 1977 when Papa Tripp unexpectedly passed away in a motor vehicle accident, the park came into his possession where he spent the next decade expanding and turning it into the amazing wonderpark we know and love today. After winning his mayoral campaign in 1987, Tripp made the tough decision to pass his leadership duties and stake in the park to his brother, in order to create total transparency in regards to his newly acquired mayoral duties.

Today, Mayor Tripp works tirelessly to provide Burdale with the exceptional services Burdaliens know and expect.


Fun fact about Mayor Tripp:

His great-great grandfather, Tripp Loch, was the original land broker for the Town of Burdale, selling property to miners during Burdale's early years as an incorporated municipality. His duties were later expanded by Mayor Oliver Bridwell to include managing the coal mine operations beneath Conjure Mountain.

To meet Mayor Tripp and take a tour of Burdale Town Hall, send an email to his assistant at votefortripp@townofburdale.gov