On April 2, ballots are due for the Fort Collins City Council elections. This election season, 11 candidates are running for four City Council district seats and two candidates are running for mayor. Ballot issues include extending the Keep Fort Collins Great Tax and giving Council members full-time pay.
Ballots were mailed out during the week of March 18. It is recommended that you mail your ballot back by March 28 so it will be received by the 7 p.m. deadline on Election Day. Ballot dropoff locations are limited. Learn more about how to vote here.
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Below are resources to learn more about the candidates and issues on the ballot this election season.
Ballot Issues
Residents can vote on two issues this year. With the original Keep Fort Collins Great tax sunsetting in 2020, the City initiated Ballot Issue 1 which would extend and make partially permanent the 0.85 percent sales tax. The second issue, a citizen-initiated charter amendment, would offer City council members and the Mayor full-time pay for full-time work.
Read more on the ballot issues here.
Mayor Candidates
Incumbent Wade Troxell is running for his third term. Competitor Michael Pruznick is running against Troxell for the third time. Learn about the positions and platforms of the Mayor candidates.
District Candidates
Residents can only vote for the candidate in the district they live in. This year, districts 1, 2, 4 and 6 are up for election. District 3 and District 5, which includes all of Colorado State University, are not up for election.
Learn more about the candidates and where they stand on the issues: District 1 | District 2 | District 4 | District 6
Find your district using the map below:
On the Issues
Each of the candidates, in addition to their platforms, were asked about their stances on important issues in the Fort Collins community.
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Affordable Housing: With the continual increase of property values and rental rates in the City, candidates discuss how the City should provide affordable and attainable housing to residents.
U+2 Ordinance: U+2, the ordinance that states that no more than three unrelated people can live in a residence, has come under re-evaluation with a recent study. The Associated Students of CSU has pushed back against the ordinance and proposed Me+3, which would allow one more person to a residence. Candidates were asked whether or not they supported U+2 and if not, what they would replace it with.
Homelessness: As the Fort Collins’s homeless population includes over 300 people, candidates were asked how they would have the City approach this issue and handle conflicts between the City and service providers, such as what occurred with the Fort Collins Mennonite Fellowship 24-hour locker program.
Climate Change and Renewable Energy: With the City’s Climate Action Plan and renewable energy goals, City Council candidates were asked about the ambitious nature of the initiative as well as how and if they believe it can be met.
Water Conservation: With the potential for drought and the decreasing levels of water in the Poudre River, candidates talk about whether they want to only focus on water conservation, look into expanding the Halligan reservoir, or look into the Northern Integrated Supply project.
Waste management: With Fort Collins’ landfill set to fill in 2025, candidates were asked about what policies they’d support in terms of waste management.
Public transportation: With the growing population of Fort Collins, candidates were asked what public transportation developments they’d support, from bus route expansions to e-scooters and e-bikes.
Council Diversity: Candidates were asked if they felt the City Council represented the diverse population of Fort Collins, and if not, how they would encourage everyone’s voice to be heard in Fort Collins.
Full-time pay: Candidates were asked if they supported citizen-initiated charter amendment one, which would increase the City Council and Mayor salaries to full-time pay.
American Anti-corruption Act: Represent Fort Collins asked candidates were asked whether they’d sign a national pledge for anti-corruption, focusing on rank choice voting, independent redistricting and campaign finance transparency.
Collegian reporters Julia Trowbridge, Samantha Ye and Ravyn Cullor can be reached at news@collegian.com or on twitter @chapin_jules, @samxye4 and @RCullor99.
