About Bud
Joseph “Bud” Murphy for Council
Joseph “Bud” Murphy is running for Borough Council because he believes Mendham is at a pivotal moment where experience, integrity, and disciplined leadership matter more than ever.
A Mendham resident for 16 years, Bud and his wife Colleen have built their life in the community, raising their three children here and putting down deep personal and professional roots. Married for 23 years this June, they are the proud parents of Molly (20), Caitlin (18), and Aidan (17), all of whom attended Mendham schools. In addition to his legal career, Bud was also the co-owner of the Mendham Creamery, which he opened in July 2017, bringing to life something he had long envisioned for the town. The Creamery became a place that employed dozens of local students from West Morris Mendham High School, and to this day, many of those former employees reflect on it as one of their most meaningful early work experiences.
He founded and operated his own law firm in Mendham for six and a half years, managing staff, finances, compliance, and long term planning. His experience has given him firsthand insight into how municipal decisions impact residents and businesses.
For more than 20 years, Bud has practiced law handling complex, high-stakes matters that demand judgment, preparation, and ethical clarity. In 2014, he was certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Matrimonial Law Attorney, a distinction held by approximately 150 attorneys out of more than 40,000 active practicing attorneys in New Jersey (and over 100,000 admitted to the bar). This certification required a separate, rigorous examination process and continues to require recertification every four years. It is a professional achievement he has worked diligently to earn and maintain for over a decade.
In August 2024, Bud was appointed by the New Jersey Supreme Court to serve on the District XA Ethics Committee, a role that requires impartial evaluation, discretion, and professionalism.
Bud has also been actively involved in the community, including serving as a member of the Mendham Borough Recreation Committee and coaching baseball for five years, investing his time directly in the families and youth who make this community strong.
Bud approaches governance the same way he approaches his legal practice: analytical and fact-driven, fiscally disciplined, direct, honest, and transparent, collaborative but decisive.
He believes Mendham must focus on:
Long-term fiscal stability and multi-year budgeting
Responsible development and zoning that protects historic character
Proactive infrastructure and public safety planning
Bud is eager to hear from the community, and the community can rely on him to do the homework, ask the hard questions, protect taxpayer dollars, and put Mendham ahead of politics.