Affordable Housing Group Hosts Six of Seven Candidates for Mayor of Fort Collins
By Jorie Kramer, Larimer County Snapshot News
Six of the seven candidates running for mayor of Fort Collins sat down to answer questions during a forum 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 channel:
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 then said, “We’re past it.”
Francis, currently on city council and serving as 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 realize this goal 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 feels 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 (flexible, on-demand transportation) 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 it needs improvement and should 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 hopes to see Transfort routes added to roads that are currently not serviced. He also said the city should look for transportation alternatives, such as an underground subway.
The final question of the evening fittingly concerned residents’ final years and what to do about the aging population of Fort Collins.
White said the city needs to encourage more senior living communities made of diverse housing.
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 that 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, Nov. 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 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 https://www.fcgov.com/elections/ranked-voting for a video that describes the process, along with detailed answers to frequently asked questions about ranked choice voting.
In October, the League of Women Voters will share more insights on candidates at Vote411.org. Other candidate forums are also planned, including a mayoral candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters. When available, details will be announced at lwv-larimercounty.org.
*Citizen Observers further the commitment of the League of Women Voters to its principle of Citizens Right to Know, however, we are not acting as journalists. Omissions and errors are possible. It is assumed that users of this information are responsible for their own fact-checking. This could include contacting a government clerk, conversing with an elected official or staff, and/or asking us to speak to the Observer who attended.