Fort Collins voters will see six proposed amendments to the City Charter on the 2025 ballot. The City Charter functions as the city’s local constitution, outlining how the municipal government operates. All six measures are city-initiated proposals and require voter approval to take effect.
“The City Charter is sort of like the city’s ‘little-c’ constitution,” said Matthew Hitt, associate professor of political science at Colorado State University. “It governs how the city governs itself. So from time to time, council or city staff will notice language that’s unclear or not working as intended, and they’ll refer those changes to voters.”
Hitt said most charter amendments are technical in nature and rarely spark controversy.
“They’re not usually controversial,” Hitt said. “But it’s still important that voters do their diligence and make sure they understand what’s changing before they check that box.”
Ballot Question 2B: Correct Errors and Eliminate Outdated or Unnecessary Language
This measure would update technical language in the City Charter to align with previous election changes, including the 2022 approval of ranked choice voting. It would also extend the time allowed for gathering petition signatures from 63 to 77 days and clarify how voters can challenge council qualifications.
A “yes” vote supports updating the charter to fix errors and reflect current election practices. A “no” vote keeps the existing language.
“I think the description of these as ‘housekeeping’ is often fair,” Hitt said. “You’re not going to see a big change in your day-to-day life because of them.”
Ballot Question 2C: Modernizing and Updating the Charter
Question 2C focuses on making the charter more inclusive and easier to read. It replaces gendered pronouns, switches “shall” to “will,” “must” or “may” for clarity and reorganizes sections into clearer subsections. It also removes outdated rules that no longer apply to Fort Collins’ current government structure.
“The city’s trying to make the Charter more readable and current,” Hitt said. “But again, the language can be technical and legal, which makes it harder for some voters to fully understand what each measure does.”
A “yes” vote supports reformatting and modernizing the Charter. A “no” vote leaves the current structure and language unchanged.
Ballot Question 2D: Modernizing publication requirements and requirements for adopting ordinances, resolutions and motions
This amendment would change how the city publishes and adopts ordinances. It removes the requirement that any council member can request an ordinance to be read aloud in full. It also allows the city to post public notices online instead of in print and clarifies adoption procedures for resolutions and motions.
A “yes” vote supports updating publication rules to reflect modern communication practices. A “no” vote keeps the current requirements.
Ballot Question 2E: Alignment with amended or further developed laws and removing inconsistencies
This measure would bring the charter in line with current state and federal law. It expands what can be discussed in executive sessions, clarifies that city records are subject to the Colorado Open Records Act and allows most city employees to participate in elections while still restricting certain officials and contractors.
A “yes” vote updates the charter to comply with state and federal laws. A “no” vote keeps the existing rules and language.
Ballot Question 2F: Conflicts of Interest
Currently, the city cannot buy or rent property from council members or employees. This measure would allow those transactions in limited circumstances, for example: If the city needs a parcel for a public project or if an employee lives on-site for their job, as long as fair market value is paid and proper disclosures are made.
A “yes” vote allows limited real estate transactions under specific conditions. A “no” vote maintains the full ban.
Ballot Question 2G: Council Vacancies
This amendment clarifies how vacancies on the Fort Collins City Council are filled and how partial terms count toward term limits. It specifies that serving more than half a term counts as a full term, requires City Council to fill vacancies within 35 business days and keeps the process for selecting an acting mayor when needed.
A “yes” vote updates how vacancies and term limits are handled. A “no” vote keeps the current system in place.
Although most of the proposed amendments are procedural, Hitt said the number of measures might make this year’s ballot more demanding for voters.
“Doing six in one election is a lot,” Hitt said. “It’s more work for voters, especially in a year where we already have big, complicated measures on the ballot.”
Hitt added that understanding each measure may depend largely on how much voters trust their local government.
“I’m not confident all voters will understand all six amendments,” Hitt said. “Whether people support them will probably depend on how much they trust the City Council to handle these kinds of updates.”
Reach Maci Lesh at news@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
