The sun is shining outside my window and I can’t wait for Spring to arrive. If you are like me, you can’t wait to be able to spend time outside, soaking up the beautiful northern Colorado sunshine. I’m already making my list of “things to do,” to get ready for and to embrace spring – and want to make sure you have filling out your ballot for the City of Fort Collins Municipal Election on that list.
The 2021 Election is on April 6. The City of Fort Collins conducts its elections by mail ballot. If you haven’t already received your ballot, please reach out to the City Clerk’s office right away to acquire a provisional ballot. Once you have your ballot in hand, use your time to VOTE. It’s the single biggest action you can take to impact the future of our community.
We appreciate every single citizen that is willing to put their name on a ballot, but we also have made it a priority to support the election of city Council Membership who support business and job creation. Your Chamber, after an exhaustive process that included more than 40 community leaders, is endorsing the following candidates for the City Council:
- Mayor, No Endorsement.
- District 1, Nick Armstrong (https://www.nickforfoco.com/)
- District 3, Gavin Kaszynski (http://www.electgavink.com/)
- District 4, No Endorsement
- District 5, Jeff Hansen (https://jeffhansen4foco.com/)
As well, your Chamber is recommending that you Vote NO on the the Proposed Citizen-Initiated Ordinance (relating to the former Hughes Stadium property).
Private property rights should be honored and protected and this ballot issue not only forces an unwilling seller (CSU) to have their property acquired by an unwilling buyer (the City), but also places two important community partners in direct opposition to each other. I was on a call today with a community leader that noted that we have a vibrant community because of CSU and the City. We simply can’t afford to have these organizations at odds with each other because of a poorly designed ballot issue.
My friend Kristin Candella at Habitat for Humanity was incredibly thoughtful when it came to outlining additional reasons for our business leaders to think with more vision when reviewing this issue. It’s not about voting for or against open space. She pointed out that “housing is essential infrastructure for a thriving and inclusive community. The proposed redevelopment plan from CSU includes the preservation of 70 acres of useable open space while creating hundreds of affordable homes for Fort Collins families. A successful design would provide ample opportunities for homes near transit, much-needed childcare, with high-quality design and public gathering spaces.” Thank you, Kristin, for helping all of us to think about smart development that preserves open space and creates opportunity through stable homes.
I hope that you have the opportunity to drink in the beautiful blue bird skies of Colorado this weekend (maybe on a patio of one of our amazing restaurants or breweries) and that you VOTE in the 2021 City of Fort Collins election. Ballots are due to the City Clerk’s office by 7pm on Tuesday. Please consider hand delivering your ballot at one of the following locations to make sure you vote is counted.