Six of the seven candidates for Fort Collins mayor participated in front of a modest crowd in a public forum hosted by the League of Women Voters on Wednesday night. The event, held in the City Council chambers and streamed by FCTV, offered residents a chance to hear directly from the candidates on issues ranging from housing affordability to water conservation.
Candidates Tricia Canonico, Adam Eggleston, Emily Francis, Adam Hirschhorn, Shirley Peel, and Scott VanTatenhove took part in the 90-minute forum. Candidate Jeffrey Shumway was invited but did not attend.
Housing and Affordability
Housing affordability was a central theme throughout the evening.
“We are probably going to see schools close because young families can’t afford to live in our city,” said Tricia Canonico. She advocated for housing diversity, including accessory dwelling units (ADUs), cottage clusters, and infill development.
Emily Francis emphasized the personal nature of the issue. “It is too expensive for people to remain here, move here, or raise their families here,” she said. “We want diversity and we want folks of all ages and abilities to be here.”
Adam Hirschhorn took a more radical stance: “We’ve got to stop robbing workers,” he said. “Infill will save our bacon… not just pollution, not just climate, not just money put into your gas tank, but it’s going to keep us close and connected.”
Adam Eggleston tied housing directly to the city’s fiscal health. “Everything stems from our ability to actually maintain a balanced budget,” he said.
Shirley Peel added, “We just have to make sure we’re not making it harder for people to own houses here,” and called for a flexible land use code.
Budget Shortfall
With a projected $11 million deficit for the rest of 2025, candidates offered a range of responses.
“At our last work session, we looked at cutting 6.2% of our budget,” said Canonico. “We have to be scrappy in this moment and figure out a good way forward.”
Francis emphasized evaluating service outcomes: “We really need to start looking more at what is the outcome and the impact of the programming that we are providing.”
Eggleston proposed reevaluating programs funded by short-term federal aid and streamlining the city’s two-year budget cycle.
Peel called for metrics around every dollar spent and preserving core services. “We need to quit making it so hard for businesses to operate here,” she added.
Hirschhorn rejected the premise: “I considered both the question and the answers offensive. I think it’s stupid… We can’t keep squeezing the small guy.”
VanTatenhove focused on the human impact of cuts: “How does that affect the character of the town?”
Small Business Support
Eggleston, who recently closed his coffee shop, said, “There’s a lot of redundancies built into our permitting system… putting in paid parking right after a year-long water main project… will do nothing but hurt small businesses.”
Francis shared, “I met with two small business owners this morning… they cannot navigate the city process on their own and have to hire outside help.”
Canonico emphasized partnerships and incubators: “We should be seen as a partner in developing businesses rather than an adversary.”
Peel called for dedicated liaisons and a business-friendly environment.
VanTatenhove shared a personal story: “They ripped up the sidewalk to make it beautiful… and we lost our business.”
Transit and Transportation
Hirschhorn said he rode Transfort six times that day and called it “the only way to get around for me.”
Francis noted, “Since we went fare free… it’s such a seamless process now,” but emphasized the need for smaller buses and better hiring.
Eggleston criticized inefficiencies: “To go to King Soopers… it would take me 3.5 hours.”
Canonico said, “We are undergoing a transit optimization study and looking at how we can incorporate microtransit.”
Peel recalled a poor experience waiting in the cold and emphasized the need for microtransit.
VanTatenhove said, “We’ve got some major issues with our bus routes… we really don’t run this bus system as well as the people deserve.”
Water Conservation
Francis explained, “We do have tiered water rates… residential use of water in the state of Colorado is a very small percentage of our overall use.”
Eggleston proposed incentives: “I would like to see the city engage in a similar program like the Epic Home loan program for energy efficiency.”
Canonico emphasized regional collaboration: “We’re seeing other communities buy up our water… we have to be cognizant of our low-income residents.”
Peel said, “We need to go back to our water districts and say, how can we be more efficient and more effective.”
Hirschhorn suggested geoengineering: “We could make it rain… we don’t have to dry up and blow away.”
VanTatenhove reflected on water law: “Every drop of water in the Poudre River is owned… that’s weird, but you gotta think of it that way.”
Concrete Batch Plant
Canonico said, “The city council passed a resolution opposing this batch plant… we are hoping to see this stopped.”
Francis added, “I still oppose the location of this batch plant.”
Eggleston recused himself due to his role on the Larimer County Planning Commission.
Peel said she, “Just heard about this today… probably not the best place for it.”
VanTatenhove questioned jurisdiction: “Is this in city limits?… it’s not really a question for the mayoral candidates of Fort Collins.”
Hirschhorn proposed underground industrial operations to contain pollution.
Plastic Water Bottle Ban
In a lightning round, most candidates responded “maybe.” Hirschhorn said “yes.” VanTatenhove declined to answer, saying, “We deserve better as a community to talk about these things. Yes or no answers are not it.”
Closing Thoughts
Each candidate emphasized their unique background and leadership style. Canonico focused on responsiveness and regional collaboration. Francis highlighted her experience and steady leadership. Eggleston leaned into his policy expertise and community engagement. Peel described herself as a deep thinker and bridge builder. VanTatenhove emphasized civic empowerment. Hirschhorn pledged to protect marginalized communities and push bold climate action.
Fort Collins voters will choose their next mayor in the upcoming municipal election this November. Ballots will be mailed starting October 10, and this will be the city’s first election using ranked-choice voting.
The City has published video from the forum here: https://youtu.be/Wj4nHGeOrco?si=RX7JGcqmFAfnI-N_