Sidna Rachid has a commitment to the residents of Fort Collins.
Running for the District 4 City Council seat, Rachid’s top priority is helping people from underserved populations. Though Rachid has no prior experience with City Council, she believes that she can be a successful council member for District 4.
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Before moving to Fort Collins in 2001, she lived in various places, including Egypt for 10 years.
“(Fort Collins) was the perfect size,” Rachid said. “It’s just a wonderful town; it’s just a wonderful place to live. There’s lots to do; I haven’t had any problem keeping busy.”
Rachid attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, earning her bachelor’s degree in zoology. Years later, she pursued a master’s in business administration in accounting from Rutgers University in 1989, graduating with honors.
Rachid is confident in her ability to organize spreadsheets and budgets through her degree and said this will carry over if elected.
I’m not taking any contributions for my campaign, so I’m only going to be doing what’s best for the City, not for anyone else.” -Sidna Rachid, District 4.
“You’re going to have a certain amount of money,” Rachid said. “So you have to figure out where it’s best spent.”
In addition to handling money, Rachid explained her position on urban development. She doesn’t want the City to continue expanding as it has been, calling it “the biggest problem” for Fort Collins.
Rachid said that with the water drought, she has concerns about how much the City can withstand if it continues to grow.
“In the future, it’s going to come back and be a real problem,” Rachid said. “We’re building as if there’s no tomorrow.”
On her website, Rachid specifically opposes the development of the Hughes Stadium area. She believes it should remain an open, green space.
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“Located at the base of the foothills, it begs to be included in Fort Collins natural areas,” the website reads. “If developed, this gem will be lost to future generations.”
Additionally, Rachid explained that more development will not resolve affordable housing. She wants to propose rebates and assistance to help add rental units into pre-existing homes, according to her website.
“This takes advantage of existing infrastructure and is a more sustainable solution,” her website reads. “To accomplish this, restrictions in the land use code should be reexamined and changed to allow higher density areas.”
In the spirit of sustainability, Rachid also supports the plastic bag ban initiative, explaining that it’s the “first step in trying to control the use of single-use plastics in our community,” according to her campaign site.
Rachid also believes the Fort Collins Police Services should be more transparent and accountable.
She has worked on numerous campaigns to fight for criminal justice reformation, particularly with jails, including one that opposed the Larimer County Jail Sales Tax Replacement in 2011.
Rachid said that homelessness should stop being criminalized. She explained that the City needs to help people experiencing homelessness instead of putting them in jail or ticketing them.
“I think that we need to change how we look at situations and people in our community and the way we treat some people,” Rachid said. “We waste money enforcing laws that are unnecessary.”
Rachid said that if she is elected, she will work with FCPS and nonprofits in the area to change the mindset around homelessness.
Finally, Rachid believes affordable child care is “essential,” explaining that the positive impacts of early education are proven, according to her website.
“In the 2020 election, Portland, (Oregon), overwhelmingly passed a ballot initiative which would provide free preschool for all 3- and 4-year-old children,” the website reads. “Fort Collins should consider a similar initiative.”
If elected, Rachid said she will continue to pose questions that others may not think of. She said she will try to get other perspectives and ask what the decisions are being based on.
In addition, her campaign is not accepting any financial contributions.
“I’m not taking any contributions for my campaign, so I’m only going to be doing what’s best for the City, not for anyone else,” Rachid said.
Laura Studley can be reached as news@collegian.com or on Twitter @laurastudley_.
