Municipal voter guide: Candidates for City Council District 1

In this year’s Nov. 4 regular election, residents of Fort Collins in Council District 1 will vote to elect their next city council representative. District 1 encompasses the northeast portion of Fort Collins, stretching from the northeastern streets of Old Town to east of Terry Lake and greater Fort Collins. Susan Gutowsky currently represents District 1 and has served since January 2019. Voters will decide to reelect Gutowsky or elect one of her opposing candidates: Chris Conway or Daisy Montgomery.

Chris Conway 

Chris Conway, a lifetime resident of Fort Collins, has been teaching English for seven years and served as a board member for both the Historic Preservation Commission and Habitat for Humanity. In addition to serving on these boards, Conway founded YIMBY Fort Collins, a prohousing organization dedicated to optimizing residential spaces.

Conway said he believes the rising cost of housing is Fort Collins’ defining issue, noting he decided to run for city council “after years of watching friends, coworkers and even students’ families (be) forced to leave the city they love.”

To combat these rising costs, Conway advocates for growth plans like cutting the “red tape” surrounding real estate and housing, along with allowing for choice when it comes to the types of housing allowed within city limits, such as duplexes, townhomes and property add-ons. By doing this, Conway said he believes Fort Collins will be “more affordable, more sustainable and more connected.”

Also on Conway’s list of visions for Fort Collins is the protection of open spaces and the maximization of government efficiency.

“Fort Collins is an incredible city, but it’s at a crossroads,” Conway said. “We can choose to let rising costs push out the people who make this community work, or we can come together to keep Fort Collins a place where everyone belongs.”

Among those endorsing Conway’s bid for city council is Rep. Andrew Boesenecker of Colorado House District 53, former Fort Collins Mayor Susan Kirkpatrick and Larimer County District Attorney Gordon Mclaughlin. 

Daisy Montgomery 

Daisy Montgomery is seeking her first term on City Council of Fort Collins. Having moved to the city seven years ago from a military family, Montgomery said she chose to settle down in Fort Collins after being charmed by its people, recreation and inclusivity.

Montgomery currently serves as a board member for Autism Society Colorado and was recently selected to serve as vice chair on the Fort Collins Disability Advisory Board. Beyond serving on these boards, Montgomery owns a small business and is involved in various nonprofits throughout Fort Collins.

Montgomery said she envisions a Fort Collins where “everyone has a chance to thrive.” She said she believes that small businesses are suffering, teachers and public servants are not being paid sufficient wages and, in District 1 specifically, there is currently not enough adequate infrastructure to support its residents.

“We’re talking basic things like sidewalks, (Americans with Disabilities Act) crossings, bike connectivity to Old Town or even safety mechanisms for kids who go to Tavelli (Elementary School) to get there safely,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery said her chief concern is the state of Fort Collins’ economy.

“Our local economy impacts and is impacted by a lot of things, (like) competitive wages and minimum wage, job loss and creation, housing being built, … small businesses versus big box stores, FoCo’s aging population versus D1’s projected growth,” Montgomery said.

By voting and supporting the local economy and small businesses, everyone will benefit, Montgomery said.

“Voting is not a useless exercise,” Montgomery said. “Always remember that the most important role in America is not the president, or even the councilmember. It’s the citizens. It’s you.”

Montgomery is endorsed by Lisa Powell Graham of Wonder Woman International and Dustin Barrington of L’Arche NoCo, among others. 

Susan Gutowsky 

Susan Gutowsky currently serves as the District 1 representative after having been appointed in 2019 to fill a vacancy. Gutowsky won re-election 2021 and is seeking her second and last term as representative for District 1. 

The Collegian was unable to reach Gutowsky for comment.

According to her website, Gutowsky was a public school teacher for 34 years and worked in Poudre School District for 26 of those years before becoming a director on the Poudre School District Board of Education for two consecutive terms. In addition to volunteering for various organizations, Gutowsky is a member on the executive board of the Museo de Las Tres Colonias, an organization that celebrates the rich Hispanic culture in Fort Collins.

Among Gutowsky’s goals for her second term on city council is to bring harmony back to the Fort Collins community.

“Over the past two years, Fort Collins has become fractured,” she stated on her website. “Starkly different points of view have created an undercurrent of discontent.”

Gutowsky also said she wants to improve the relationship between citizens and their city council representatives.

“(A large portion of the community) believe that their council members should be working for them,” her website reads. “But, in reality, collaboration and community outreach have become rare occurrences.” 

Former Colorado state senators Joann Ginal and Bob Bacon, and former Fort Collins Mayor Ray Martinez have all endorsed Gutowsky.