Age: 70
Occupation: Truck driver/Retired South Adams County Fire Chief 
Years lived in Commerce City: 70
Years lived in Colorado: 70
Phone: 303-810-4336
Website: TeterForCouncil.com
Email: roteter@aol.com
Candidate Documents: 
Candidate Affidavit | New Committee Registration
Report of Contributions and Expenditures: Second Filing | Third Filing | Fourth Filing | Fifth Filing | Sixth Filing
Large Contribution Notices:
Rocky Teter Large Contribution Notice - Oct 2, 2023
Rocky Teter Large Contribution Notice - Oct 9, 2023 1st
Rocky Teter Large Contribution Notice - Oct 9, 2023 2nd
Rocky Teter Large Contribution Notice - Oct 19, 2023
Rocky Teter Large Contribution Notice - Nov 3, 2023

Why are you running for council?

I was born and raised in Commerce City. I’ve watched our city grow from a community of pig farms and refineries to the city it is becoming today. We have a lot to be proud of, but we also have areas of concern we need to address as a city to become a place where everyone can thrive and enjoy a high-quality life.  

A city of our size should have more retail, grocery, and restaurant options for our families. It should be easy to spend our hard-earned dollars in the city we live. 

We need to address our public safety and ensure that, as our community continues to grow, that our neighborhoods remain safe places for our families and neighborhoods. 

And, we deserve safe and well-maintained roads that allow for us to safely and efficiently navigate our community. 

These issues are all the basics of what we expect out of our government. However, over the past few years we have had turmoil that’s made it difficult to keep high quality staff employed in our city government. As a former Fire Chief, I understand what good leadership looks like. I understand what it takes to put out fires and get the job done. And, I understand how to support a team dedicated to the critical work of keeping our neighborhoods safe. 

I’m running for City Council to ensure we have a city government that is dedicated to serving the people of Commerce City and to make sure we finally have the quality of life, safe neighborhoods, well-maintained streets, and a government that efficiently serves the people of our community. 

What do you see as the three biggest opportunities for Commerce City?

The opportunities in front of our community are centered around determining what kind of city we want to grow to become. The three biggest opportunities I see for our future are: 

1. Identifying an approach to how we grow that prioritizes the needs and expectations of our current residents that ensures we can provide affordable and attainable housing, that we create the amenities, retail, grocery, and restaurant spaces that our community is asking for, while ensuring we are able to maintain our identity as a community as we move into the future. There is a balancing act to make sure we do this well and in a way that serves our community. I’m excited for the challenge and the opportunity to work with our residents to accomplish this goal. 
2. Our location in the Denver metro and proximity to the airport fosters a tremendous potential to grow as an economic force. We should be aggressive in identifying companies and industries that align with our community values and can bring high paying jobs. Our residents deserve good jobs in our community where they don’t have to leave their hometown for work. I believe this has been an unrealized opportunity that, with the right creativity and leadership on Council, can ensure our city becomes destination for high-paying jobs and opportunities for upward mobility for our residents. 

What do you see as the three biggest challenges facing the city?

The three biggest challenges facing our city are all related improving the quality of life for our residents. 

The first challenge is ensuring that, as we move into the future, we are maintaining a cost of living that doesn’t burden our residents. We need to ensure a good mix of housing to ensure residents from all walks of life can afford a roof over their head. We also need to keep our tax burden low by working to diversify the industries that do business in Commerce City. This will allow our city to maintain and improve city revenues without placing the burden for funding essential city services on the backs of residents. 

Our second challenge is improving our public safety to ensure our neighborhoods remain safe places for our families and neighborhoods. Yes, this means working to lower our crime rates and ensuring we have the ability to quickly respond in times of emergency. However, it also means continuing to improve our infrastructure and roads to ensure we can safely and efficiently travel through our city. 

And thirdly, our residents deserve the amenities, shopping, and restaurant opportunities that exist in most communities our size expect. For years we’ve heard from our residents that it’s important to be able to shop and play in Commerce City and our City Council hasn’t been able to deliver on that promise. We deserve to spend our hard-earned money in our own city. We deserve the space to shop, we deserve the space to dine out, and we deserve easy access to groceries and fresh food. As your City Council I will work with residents, city planners, and other stakeholders to ensure we finally have the amenities and recreational activities residents expect and are demanding of our city. 

What does a “Quality Community for a Lifetime” mean to you?

To me this means creating a community where people of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life can see themselves grow and prosper. It means a community where children have places to grow and explore, there’s opportunity and jobs for young adults to start their careers, and where those of us with a little bit more seasoning under our belts can enjoy our days with community and retire with dignity. Commerce City can be a place that sets us all up for a high-quality of life. It’s up to us as a community to work together to build a Commerce City that works for everyone. 

What is your favorite aspect of the city?

As someone who spent 42 years as a volunteer firefighter for our fire department and has worked full-time for the last 50 years as a truck driver, I’ve had an opportunity to see and experience every neighborhood of our city. I’ve had the privilege of watching our city grow and change over the years. At the core of the history of our city is the people who call Commerce City home. I love the blue collars roots of our city and the fact that we’re a community where people from all walks of life can thrive and build a high-quality life. We’re one of the last remaining places in the Denver metro where a working-class family has a shot at a reasonable cost of living and an opportunity to live the American dream. That reality is worth celebrating and protecting. I love the people who make our community what it is, I love the culture and heritage of Commerce City, and I look forward to protecting and promoting the quality of life for all our residents once I’m elected to City Council.