Six of the seven candidates running for mayor of Fort Collins sat down to answer
questions during a forum held at Horse and Dragon Brewery on July 10, 2025. The
forum was sponsored by YIMBY Fort Collins, a non-profit group that advocates for
affordable housing. YIMBY organizer, Peter Erickson, moderated the forum.
Watch the entire hour-long forum on YIMBY’s YouTube page,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwXFrNDotFI.
The six candidates attending were Tricia Canonico, Adam Eggleston, Emily
Francis, Shirley Peel, Scott VanTatenhove, and Austin White. Adam Hirschhorn did not
attend. Van Tatenhove, White, and Hirschhorn were not initially invited to attend. They
found out about the forum through other means and contacted YIMBY themselves.
YIMBY did not respond to Snapshot News inquiries regarding their candidate selection
process.
The hour-long program featured the candidates responding to six questions.
They had one minute each for their answers.
One of the questions that brought forth the most differences of opinion regarded
making Fort Collins a 15-minute city, meaning residents should be able to find
groceries, banking, health care, and most of their other needs within 15 minutes of their
home.
Van Totenhoven said he believes the 15-minute city is a wonderful dream, but
added, “We’re past it.” He said that the plan would bring more traffic onto residential
side streets and he doesn’t want to see that happen.
Francis, currently on city council and serving as the mayor pro-tem, said she
disagreed with Van Totenhoven and feels that the city is “not past it.” She said that she
believes the city can make the 15-minute city happen by investing in neighborhood
shopping centers, and then making sure there is transportation to those centers.
Peel, a former city council member, said she feels like that concept would make it
easier for people to live in Fort Collins, but will not be simple to achieve. She said it will
take time because the city will have to make the changes needed section-by-section.
Current city council member Canonico said she felt the 15 minute city could be a
possibility. She noted she’d like to see the Harmony corridor moved towards a more
residential area, bringing in micro-transit to make it more walkable.
Eggleston, who serves on the county’s planning and zoning board, also said he’d
like to see Fort Collins become a 15-minute city, but noted that the transportation
system isn’t working for that right now. He said he thinks it needs improvement and to
become more accessible for people with mobility issues.
White said he also agrees with the concept of the 15-minute city for Fort Collins
and added he hoped to see Transfort routes added to roads that are currently not
serviced. He also encouraged the city to look for transportation alternatives, such as an
underground subway.
The final question of the evening fittingly concerned residents’ final years, what to
do about the aging population of Fort Collins.
White said the city needs to encourage more senior living communities with
diverse housing available in them.
Canonico said that the elderly are one of the fastest growing segments of the
homeless population. She said she would encourage redevelopment of commercial
buildings for residential uses. “It pencils out,” she said.
Eggleston said there’s a need to help seniors find right size housing, including
the use of tax credits, if needed.
VanTatenhoven said that people who made Fort Collins “into the gem of
Colorado (that it is) should not be forced out.” He noted the needs of seniors also
include transportation and health care.
Francis noted that while the city’s population isn’t growing, it is aging. She noted
how hard it is for seniors to find smaller homes they can afford. “We’re not going to be
an age-friendly city without changes,” she said.
Peel said she would advocate for policies that allow seniors to age in place.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Ballots will be mailed to all registered
voters in October, and polling places will also open to voters in October. In Colorado,
voters may vote in person or drop off their ballots at a polling place. Ballots may also be
dropped off at a ballot-drop-off-box or returned in the US Mail.
This election will mark the first time Fort Collins voters are utilizing Ranked Choice
Voting and with seven candidates running, RCV will prove an important tool for making
sure a true representation of the majority vote is chosen. For more information on RCV,
see the city’s page on it at https://www.fcgov.com/elections/ranked-voting. There is a
video, along with detailed answers to frequently asked questions about ranked choice
voting.
It October, also watch for your local Vote411.org site to become active. At Vote411.org,
voters will find information on the candidates that they upload themselves. Other
candidate forums are also planned, including a mayoral candidate forum sponsored by
the League of Women Voters. Details will be provided soon.