Jim Nowlan: With Illinois struggling, the Edgar Fellows could draft a vision for a positive future
Situation: After considering thousands of bills, the Illinois legislature paused its brief, frenetic spring session, putting off until the fall action on the really sticky issues, such as how to address a $770 million 'fiscal cliff' shortfall in funding for metro Chicago's critical mass transit.
Legislative bodies exist to resolve conflict, which is time-consuming, challenging, even painful. Politics are largely a game of 'who gets what.' Granting additional money, say, to school kids, requires either, one, taking an equivalent amount from some other spending program; two, taking more in taxes out of the hides of voters; or three, transforming the equivalent expenditure into debt for future generations to pay off. (This assumes no or slow real economic growth in Illinois, as is the case.)
Each of the 177 Illinois state legislators has his or her own bills to shepherd through the two houses of the legislature, and any bill that does anything has its pesky opponents. Members must feel as if they are running around like chickens with their heads cut off — scores of committees, floor sessions, meetings with constituents and lobbyists.
Long-term thinking in Illinois is: 'How do we paper over next year's budget deficit?' There is never time for the big picture, 'the vision thing.'
Where do we want the state to be in 10 to 20 years? How should we respond to climate change (which could be bad and good for Illinois)? What about our jerry-built revenue system, which is rather unresponsive in a services-driven economy? And an education system in which achievement for those on the lower half of the economic ladder is being devalued? (For example, achievement in our rural schools is abysmal, yet few seem to know or care.) How do we reverse state population decline and tepid job growth, which for decades has been slower than for the rest of the Midwest and nation?
The singular piece of really forward thinking in Illinois history came with the Burnham Plan for Chicago of the early 1900s, led by architect Daniel Burnham and commissioned by the Commercial Club of Chicago. The effort followed on the heels of the stupendous Chicago World's Fair of 1893, visited by 27 million folks from around the world. So, the 'city of the big shoulders,' as poet Carl Sandburg described it, knew it could do big things.
After much work, the plan was presented to the City Council, which also labored over the plan, ultimately adopting about half the recommendations. But what marvelous results: Thirty unbroken miles of lakefront open to the public; wide boulevards and spectacular parks, and more. Chicagoans and visitors have benefited every day since its adoption in 1909.
Other states take the long look. With Texas 2036 (the state's 200th anniversary of nationhood), that state's civic and business leaders are shaping a stronger state for the long haul.
I propose an idea for tapping into an incredible but underutilized resource for future thinking. Former Gov. Jim Edgar's greatest legacy may be his Edgar Fellows Program. Each summer for more than a decade, Jim gathers 40 of the state's young leaders, many of whom are now lawmakers, from all walks of life, political persuasions and geography. For a week, the fellows are sequestered near the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where they learn about our state and its government from experts and national leaders. Over bourbon and branch water in the evenings, they bond and come to appreciate one another.
But then they leave town and fail to build on their relationships and any aspirations for a state they will lead in the years to come.
I propose that the 500 Edgar Fellows, rather than simply feel good about themselves, take on the task of creating a vision for Illinois, as with the Burnham Plan. This needs be done outside the hurly-burly of politics, after which they would take their vision into the political arena, where it would be wrestled with, and adopted, if only in part. The fellows have both the smarts to create a vision and the growing clout to see it enacted.
Illinois needs to know where it should be going, for a change.
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10 Lansing candidates running for 2 at-large council seats. Here's where they stand on key issues
This story has been updated to correct Councilman Jeremy Garza's Ward 2 representation. LANSING — Many of the 10 candidates in a crowded race for two at-large seats on the City Council are skeptical of the city's years-long pursuit of large downtown apartment developments as an answer to the loss of thousands of state workers to work-from-home policies. "I don't think this is a viable solution," said Nick Pigeon, a 30-year-old musician and former executive director of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network. He said the city should be more creative in zoning because tall buildings can become neglected with little the city can do to force changes. It's a different tone from the present council that voted unanimously to accept $40 million from the state to help seed New Vision Lansing, a private, $315 million downtown housing development that will include the city's first skyscraper in a century. It aims to develop more than 560 apartment units across five buildings, mostly new construction, with commercial, office or retail space in each building. Mayor Andy Schor supports state workers returning to their offices to help boost the city's downtown and its businesses, but has said, regardless of that, the addition of apartments downtown adds to the city's property tax and income tax revenues. 'My pitch from the beginning is this helps the city's bottom line, by new residents paying property and income taxes," said Schor, who is seeking a third term. "It helps the city with revenues." About 600 new apartments have been built in and around downtown in the past several years, with another more than 800 planned. The composition of the City Council will change in after November's general election, as at-large councilmembers Peter Spadafore and Jeffrey Brown are not running for reelection for their current seats. Spadafore is seeking a Fourth Ward seat, and Brown is challenging Schor in the mayor's race. Lansing residents Miles Biel, Aurelius Christian, Gloria Denning, Jeremy Garza, Clara Martinez, Jonah Stone, Olivia Vaden, Julie Vandenboom, Tirstan Walters and Pigeon are running in the Aug. 5 Primary election. The top four vote getters advance to the November general election. Garza did not respond to requests for an interview and Christian could not be reached. The terms are four years. Council members get a base salary of $28,146 with higher salaries, up to $30,730, for the president and vice president, according to Chris Swope, the city clerk. Biel, Walters and Martinez were the strongest supporters of the new developments, with Walters saying it is the best way of boosting the city's density and tax base. Martinez likes the wide mix of developments and Biel said the downtown projects would work best if they draw people from neighboring communities into Lansing. Denning and Stone have concerns about whether city residents will be able to afford rents at the planned developments. Vaden and Vandenboom said they have struggled to support the projects but do want the plans to succeed as part of a larger city strategy of revitalization. "Lansing is a company town, the state is our top employer but we are not, for a lack of a better word, being held hostage by the state's decision,' Vaden said. 'We can have a conversation with the state about what is being utilized downtown and what the state can let go of so we can start to get tax revenue from those spaces," Vaden said. Should the city do more to get state workers back downtown? Most of the candidates said they think forcing state workers to be downtown more often, or urging state government to push for more downtown work, isn't worth the effort. Pigeon, Vaden, Walters, Vandenboom and Martinez said there are better ways to compensate for the loss of state workers, whether that's through better services, better parking or freeing up state property so the city can tax or develop it. Stone and Biel, who have each been state workers, said they favored some form of hybrid work with many state workers in downtown at least part of the week. Denning said state workers had to reinvent their jobs after the pandemic and one of the effects was that workers were no longer getting city parking deducted from checks, which could affect the city's revenue. Lansing's static population Pigeon said the city has few available places to live, in part due to a high number of red-tagged homes and expensive rents, and growing the city can be done with more investments from residents as well as better city services to attract more people. Lansing has about 112,000 people, according to both the 2020 U.S. Census and a 2023 U.S. Census Bureau estimate. Vaden said there are options at the state level for changing city tax policies, to allow for a more progressive income tax, which could help to boost the city's services, which could grow the city's population. Stone said Lansing's focus on manufacturing needs to be supplemented by tourists and their dollars to help diversify the city's economy, and Lansing should push the state to complete plans for a major downtown park, as well as more support for museums and other entertainment options. Walters said Lansing is one of the most affordable places in Michigan and the Midwest, with a big potential to grow. He said a closer relationship between the city and the Lansing School District could help to bring more activities and residents to Lansing. Vandenboom said people are frustrated with Lansing's property taxes and level of services. "There's a perception, it's a perception, that the LSD does not hold up to the same standards as school districts in surrounding areas and the way to solve that is to do a better job of promoting the district to young families who might otherwise choose somewhere else to live," Vandenboom said. Martinez said Lansing is facing the same challenges much of the Midwest is and council members have worked to rebound from the pandemic. Martinez said focusing on the city's people, making them feel like they belong, will help to grow the city. Biel said people leave for warmer climates, but also the possibility of economic opportunity. "We get painted as a one-trick pony," Biel said. "Autos or nothing. What do we do to fix that? More economic opportunity and development." Denning said the city needs to be inviting, which starts at the top levels of the governor and state legislature and then the mayor and city council, who need to hear from residents about priorities, starting with housing for the homeless and safety for residents. Is the city doing enough to help small businesses? Pigeon said a more walkable city would help small businesses, many of which are frustrated with how the city has handled corridor construction projects that have closed major streets for months at a time. Vaden said the city can do more to support small businesses with better coordination and reconsidering parking fees in places like Old Town and downtown. "The solutions are there," Vaden said. Stone said the city gives out grants and loans to small businesses but he wants to see the process become more targeted, by offering different kinds of grants to attract specific businesses such as small groceries in neighborhoods. Walters said there are many great programs for small businesses, but many aren't aware of the range of programs that could help. Vandenboom said her "pie in the sky" idea is "to see the city advocate for some type of universal health care so many people would try a new business idea or quit a job they can't stand." Martinez said she wants to learn more about small business concerns and the current programs but wants to ensure small businesses have any tools necessary to thrive. "The city could always do more to help small businesses, it's a hard endeavor to start and sustain a small business," Biel said. He suggested strategic investments in corridors and more funding for small business programs. Denning said a friend recently began to develop a business and has run into many problems, some of which the city could streamline, including communication of guidelines from the city and from economic development partners. "I see small businesses popping up throughout the city, Old Town and downtown and everywhere, some on the south side," Denning said. "It's great and hopefully the city continues to support them but when the newness wears off, when the honeymoon phase is over, is the city there for them?" City vacancies an issue None of the candidates identified specific cuts they would make to the city's $173 million general fund budget. Pigeon said the city needs to better address its vacancies and be cautious about developer incentives, and said the city should not consider additional property tax millages to pay for city hall. The city plans to fund a new city hall with a $40 million appropriation from state government. Vaden said people are understandably concerned about police staffing but a focus on services and access to food and education could reduce crime more effectively than more police officers. And she suggested pursuing state tax changes that could help stabilize Lansing's budget including a progressive city income tax. Stone said there are unfilled positions in the police department and elsewhere in the city which could be reprogrammed into social workers or other positions. Walters said the city could look at contracted services, such as bringing mowing back in-house, as a way to get better results and save money. Vandenboom said she doesn't have any cuts in mind but would ask that city leaders get more creative, such as adopting a medical taxi policy to curb the number of not-medical emergencies that city firefighters respond to. Martinez said she doesn't have cuts in mind but does want to support better infrastructure. "Voters want solid infrastructure that's going to last through another generation or more," she said. Biel said he is reluctant to cut anything that would aid residents and any targeted cuts should have minimal effects on people. Biel said BWL, a city utility, could push to convert more home appliances to electric, which could help lower residents' bills and grow the city's budget. Denning said she wants to learn more about the city's budget but knows residents want more to be done about homelessness, housing and public safety. "We have homeless people and yet we're building new apartments all over, at some point those things should come together," she said. "Can you find a happy medium?" Meet the candidates: Miles Biel Age: 36 Professional background: Energy efficiency expert who works for Consumers Energy. Political background: He has not held elected office Quote: "I've noticed the city hasn't really bounced back as well as I hoped for, post-COVID, and we're in a more precarious state because of what's happening at the federal level." Aurelius Christian Age: Did not respond Professional background: He is a development programs coordinator for the Lansing Economic Development Corporation. Political background: He is on the Allen Neighborhood Center Board of Directors and the Capital Region Community Foundation's Impact Grant Committee and previously served on the Ingham Community Health Centers board. Quote: Did not respond Gloria Denning Age: 67 Professional background: Constituent services for Michigan Senate Democratic staff and for more than 20 years for U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow Political background: Worked in state and national politics Quote: "I'm a fighter, I like helping people and I like serving and now I have my voice and I can speak and say 'that's wrong' or 'why are you this.' I have a servant's heart, I serve at my church, and I serve my family." Jeremy Garza Age: Did not respond Professional background: Plumber and union official. Political background: Ward 2 council member, first elected in 2017. Quote: Did not respond Clara Martinez Age: 33 Professional background: A dance instructor at Everett High School and a school union official, she is involved with the All of the Above Hip Hop Academy, and has been on a variety of boards including the Lansing Arts and Culture Commission and the Michigan Dance Council. Political background: Union official, served on a variety of arts and culture boards Quote: "I still hear students say I have to leave Lansing because there's nothing for me here but that's not true and I want to show them the greater community we have here with resources and people. You can live your life here." Nick Pigeon Age: 30 Professional background: Musician and former executive director of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network. Political background: Worked in politics Quote: "The city has to look at our fill of vacancies and why we're not getting information on how the mayor is picking who is being staffed and what is being filled, that's frustrating." Jonah Stone Age: 31 Professional background: He is a forensic scientist for the Michigan State Police, specializing in DNA. Political background: He has not held elected office Quote: "What I know about science is you take a look at a problem and how you want to approach it and how you want to fix it and I think that's a good approach to politics and to Lansing." Olivia Vaden Age: 29 Professional background: Worked in philanthropy in Detroit and as director of policy for the Michigan Growth Office. Political background: Worked in politics Quote: "I see a lot of changes coming down the pipe in Lansing and I have a genuine concern that we're operating on growth for growth's sake agenda. We want development to happen but we're not taking the concern about what the development means for people: Displacement or erasure of culture." Julie Vandenboom Age: 50 Professional background: Policy analyst for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Political background: Board member of the Capital Area District Libraries, East Neighborhood, Friends of Bancroft and Place for Us, a start-up nonprofit working with unhoused LGBTQ people. Quote: "I'm offering change. I'm not part of the establishment and I haven't been groomed by anyone for this position. I offer change and would love to bring empathy and compassion to city government." Tirstan Walters Age: 25 Professional background: Data worker for state of Michigan Political background: Member of Lansing Parks Board and Ingham County Equal Opportunity Committee. Quote: "I've really tried to bridge the gap between the parks dept and the neighborhoods department and the people they serve and I'd like to broaden that advocacy to city issues like roads, making sure our first responders are supported and more developments to get more things going and broadening my advocacy." Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@ or 517-267-0415. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: 10 at-large Lansing council candidates: Here's where they stand on key issues Solve the daily Crossword
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Campaign cash in Spokane elections falls along typical lines -- even in race with two Democrats
Aug. 3—Washington's primary elections are Tuesday, and while Spokane's City Council races aren't yet attracting the kind of big money they did in 2023, hundreds of thousands of dollars are already pouring in. It's an opportunity for the council's thin conservative majority to gain the seats needed to have some power in city government, or for the liberal majority to oust one of their loudest critics — and for donors both big and small to attempt to sway the outcome. While there are three Spokane City Council seats up for election this year, one in each district, only one appears on primary ballots. This means more cash to spend in that race and a greater need to spend it. State law limits donations from a single source to $1,200 per candidate per election; primary and general elections count as separate elections. Races with more than two candidates appear on the primary election ballot, effectively doubling the amount of campaign cash donors can send to candidates. In recent years, races with an active primary election have primarily benefited the coffers of Spokane's conservative candidates, who are significantly more likely to receive maxed-out donations and can make the most use out of the higher limit. This pattern has held thus far for the only City Council seat on this year's primary ballots: Northwest Spokane, where incumbent Councilman Zack Zappone is defending his position from two conservative contenders. They are delivery driver Chris Savage and private cigar lounge co-owner Cody Arguelles. Arguelles leads total contributions, with $45,600 raised compared to $37,000 for Zappone and roughly $35,000 for Savage. Arguelles also leads, by far, in high-dollar contributions, with four double-maxed donations of $2,400 each from the Associated Builders and Contractors of Washington political action committee, the Harley Douglass Rental Account and LKB Properties. Arguelles has received another 11 donations of at least $1,200 from many of the area's most reliable conservative donors: real estate, hospitality and self-storage interests. Nearly half of Arguelles' donations came directly from companies or corporate associations. These other top donors include the self-storage company Pay 'N Pak, hotel managers Peppertree Hospitality Group, the trust of the family of Jerry Dicker of GVD Commercial Properties, Backyard Public House, RenCorp property management executive Chris Batten, the Build East political action committee, commercial real estate company Kiemle Hagood CEO Gordon Hester, the Rental Housing Association of Washington, Best Western Peppertrees of Washington owner Rita Santillanes, and Alvin and Jeanie Wolff of the Wolff real estate empire. A relatively small portion of Arguelles' campaign cash comes from small-dollar donations, around $2,700 in total. Zappone, who holds the record for the most money raised by a Spokane City Council candidate from his 2021 race, is currently in the middle of the fundraising pack this year with support from labor interests and other typical liberal donors, raising around $37,000. He has received two double-maxed donations: $2,400 each from the local branch of the Laborers International Union of North America and the Spokane Firefighters Union political action committee. Zappone received $1,200 from another six organizations, including three other unions, retired surgeon Jerry Leclaire, former Gesa Credit Union executive Brian Griffith, and Avista. Zappone leads significantly in small-dollar donations, with $8,700, nearly a quarter of his coffers. Both Zappone and Arguelles have been relatively frugal with their campaign cash with just days left in the primary election, likely in part because anything over a $1,200 donation from an individual donor generally can't be touched before the general election. The penny -pinching may also come with the expectation that they will make it past the primaries and need to spend big in the coming months. And at least in Arguelles' case, there's $5,000 in campaign debt to consider, which would need to be paid out of surplus contributions sooner or later, depending on his performance on Tuesday. Zappone reportedly has around $23,000 cash on hand, around 62% of his takings thus far, signaling his campaign's comfort headed into Tuesday's election, while Arguelles has around $18,000, or 39% of what he's raised. Chris Savage, on the other hand, has taken another approach entirely. This is his fourth run for Spokane City Council, and in all previous attempts he failed to make it past the primary, so his campaign cash strategy appears to be: spend it if you got it. He certainly has raised more cash this year than in any of his previous attempts, reporting roughly $35,000 in contributions, of which he has spent more than $29,000, more than either of his better-funded opponents. It appears to be part of a name-recognition blitz campaign, along with the string of public forums Savage has attended while either only Zappone or neither of his opponents joined him. It remains to be seen whether the strategy pays off, but if it does it will leave Savage in an initially precarious, cash-strapped position headed into the general election; at least temporarily, though he would likely soon attract the deep pockets currently in Arguelles' corner if the political newcomer fails to advance. Savage could also potentially ask some of his top donors to dig deeper into their own pockets, as he has attracted many high-dollar donations but few that have gone beyond that $1,200 maximum allowed for the primary election. Those current top donors include Mike Kelley, of KT Contracting; Brandon Casey, of the Casey Law Office; former Spokane County GOP vice chair Lyle Dach; retiree Brett Ellis, of Winnsboro, Texas; retired teacher Jackie Gleason; Erik Nelson, of Koru Pharmacy; and both Mark and Pam Walker, of Walker's Furniture. Savage's own family also gave the lion's share of the candidate's early campaign cash, and a Friends of Christopher Savage political action committee also donated around $2,400. Despite significantly lower contributions overall, Savage's small-dollar contributions total around the same as Arguelles, just shy of $2,700. Northeast Spokane Nowhere in Spokane is there a greater disparity between warchests than in northeast Spokane, where incumbent Councilman Jonathan Bingle — the only member of the city's conservative minority defending their seat this year — is facing reproductive rights activist Sarah Dixit. Despite not having a primary election and being unable to raise more than $1,200 from any single source, Bingle has thus far raised more cash than almost any candidate in the city with a whopping 25 maxed-out donations. Even after an infusion of cash from a Seattle-area fundraising group, Dixit has raised only around $35,000, currently one of the smallest war chests in the city this year. Bingle's top contributors are a veritable who's-who of Spokane developers and real estate interests, with maximum donations from the Associated Builders and Contractors of Washington; Batton, of RenCorp Real Estate; Build East PAC; Bonnie Quinn, of KVC Development; the Rental Housing Association of Washington; Sheldon Jackson, of Selkirk Development; Jackson's wife Melanie; LKP Properties; Hester, of Kiemle Hagood; the Washington Multi Family Housing Association PAC; Urban Empire Homes; Mead Works Development; and the Spokane Home Builders Association PAC. Other maxed-out donors include restaurant owner Derek Baziotis; Dallas Low, of Golden Rule Brakes; Santillanes, of Best Western Peppertrees of Washington; the Washington Hospitality Association; Jonathan Ferraiulio, of the Pacific Holding Corporation; and Avista. Perhaps the most surprising top donor is the Spokane Firefighters Union PAC, which has typically been more closely aligned with prounion liberal candidates. Meanwhile, every one of Dixit's maxed-out donors is either from the Puget Sound area or, in one case, her father, Augustin Dixit. She was a recipient of a "money bomb" from the First Mile donor circle, which works to boost the campaigns of progressive candidates of color throughout Washington with the support of deep-pocketed West Side contributors; that added nearly $15,000 to her coffers. At most, $12,000 of Dixit's contributions have come from Spokane — and more than half of that is small -dollar contributions that don't require information about the donor so the origin can't be quickly verified — while the majority of her campaign is currently funded by out-of-towners. Outside of the Seattle millionaire's who funneled cash to Dixit via First Mile's recommendation, her top donors the Seattle-based caregivers union SEIU 775. South Spokane South Spokane has an interesting election this year, with the only open seat up for election and two candidates who are both Democrats but whose contributions may indicate very different kinds of supporters. Former Councilwoman Lili Navarrete held the seat until recently, and Shelby Lambdin was appointed last Monday to fill the spot for the next four months while business executive Alejandro Barrientos and former prosecutor Kate Talis seek election this November for a full four-year term. Barrientos has attempted to position himself as a moderate Democrat concerned about liberal causes like immigrant rights while being friendlier to conservative efforts for stronger law enforcement. He faces a progressive closely aligned with the council majority. Barrientos has faced accusations of being too closely linked with local business conservatives from the jump, initially due to his employer, businessman Larry Stone, whose big budget political ads and independent electioneering have hounded Spokane's progressives for years with mixed success. Those accusations, potentially potent in the city's bluest district, have only mounted as Barrientos' campaign donations have come in. Many of his top donors are the standard supporters of local conservatives: $2,400 each from the Wolff family, Patricia and Jerry Dicker, and Bonnie Quinn-Clausen and Kent Clausen, who own marketing and hospitality businesses respectively. Batten donated $1,200, developer Cyrus Vaughn donated another $1,200, retired boat dealership owner William Trudeau gave another $1,200, as have the Build East PAC, the Associated Builders and Contractors PAC. Conservative politicians have also chipped in, with attempted Republican politician Kim Plese donating $250. Spokane County Commissioner Al French initially donated $125, as did his wife Rosalie, though this was later amended so the entire $250 appears only under Rosalie's name. Telis, meanwhile, has a coffer more familiar for left-leaning candidates in the city. That coffer's bursting with unions, Democratic politicians, liberal retirees and a significant number of small dollar donations, and at roughly $53,000, it's the largest war chest in the city currently. LeClaire has donated $1,200, as has attorney and Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown's husband Brian McClatchey, SEIU 775, the Washington Education Association and the Spokane Firefighters Union. Don Barbieri and Sharon Smith of the Smith-Barbieri Progressive Fund each donated $1,200, as have Scott and Kathryn O'Hare, a partner at Austin investment firm Daylight Partners and an attorney respectively. Two retirees from the Department of Homeland Security donated another $1,200, Leslia Hope and Sheila Rawls, as did retiree Kathryn Maynard. Three members of Telis' own family each pitched in $1,200: Alex, Sherman and Karen Telis. Others have donated smaller amounts, including City Council President Betsy Wilkerson, former state Sen. Andy Billig, the Washington state Democratic Party and the Washington Machinists Council. Solve the daily Crossword
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Here's who is running so far for Fort Collins mayor, City Council
There's a Fort Collins City Council election this Nov. 4, and it will be the first time voters will use ranked voting to select the next mayor and at least one council seat. More on ranked voting later. So who's running? The list might not be complete yet. The deadline for candidates to submit their nominiation petitions, with the signatures of at least 25 registered voters in Fort Collins, is Aug. 26. The list below, which is organized by candidates in alphabetical order by race, will be updated if new candidates enter the races. The Coloradoan will publish more information about each candidate and where they stand on key issues as part of election coverage leading up to the mailing of ballots in mid-October. For now, here's a small bit of context about each candidate and where to find more information about their campaigns: Fort Collins mayor Tricia Canonico is a current City Council member, representing southeast Fort Collins' District 3 since 2021. Her efforts are focused on livability, affordability and sustainability, so everyone has access to opportunity, stability and community life, according to Adam Eggleston is a victim advocate with experience as a Realtor and on civic boards and commissions. On his website, he says he will advocate for small businesses, expanding housing options through gentle density and improving mobility in the city. Emily Francis is a current City Council member, representing northwest Fort Collins' District 6 since 2019. She is also mayor pro tem. Focus areas for Francis are affordability, housing, climate change, transportation and community health, according to Adam Hirshhorn is a community member who has advocated before City Council on social, environmental and cultural issues. He has opted not to answer Coloradoan questions about his campaign. His candidate filing says he can be found at Shirley Peel is a former City Council member who represented southwest Fort Collins District 4 from 2021 to 2024. She is retired with a background in education. At Peel says she wants Fort Collins to be a place where "families can succeed, workers can thrive, small businesses can grow, and no one is left behind." Scott VanTatenhove, "ScottyV," is a Poudre School District employee who has served on the city's transportation board and helped create the Fort Collins Music Association, or FoCoMA, and its flagship event, FoCoMX. VanTatenhove has not responded to Coloradoan requests for information about his campaign. Find Scott VanTatenhove on Facebook and Instagram ( Austin White is a community member whose top issues are affordable housing and helping the homeless. He said he is formerly homeless and wants to help make it easier for people to get into housing, including turning unused commercial spaces into housing and building connections with those who are homeless to help find solutions. No website has been identified. District 1 Chris Conway is a high school teacher and founding member of Fort Collins YIMBY, which advocates for policies that promote housing. His priorities are affordable, abundant housing; protecting the environment; and making recreation and youth sports more accessible, according to Susan Gutowsky is a current City Council member, representing northeast Fort Collins' District 1 since 2019. On her website, she says she wants to bring harmony back to the community, and she believes council should collaborate better with the community. (Gutowsky previously told the Coloradoan she believed she was not eligible for another term after serving a partial term and a full term. Since then, Gutowsky said she received information from the city attorney's office advising that she is eligible. City Clerk Delynn Coldiron confirmed her eligibility, saying the current city charter doesn't address how partial terms apply to term limits.) Daisy Montgomery is a small business owner and disability advocate who serves on the city's Disability Advisory Board and the Board of Directors for the Autism Society of Colorado. On her website, she says she would focus on addressing the needs of people who are struggling to make ends meet and who are being pushed out of the community. District 3 Josh Fudge is a volunteer, board member for the Poudre River Public Library District and budget director for the Larimer County government. He says he's focused on striving for better affordability, more efficient government and balanced economic growth, along with climate resilience. Steve Yurash is the founder of the Colorado Center Party and has served on the Fort Collins Electric Board and Larimer County Board of Health. City Council should be responsive to citizen concerns about housing developments changing neighborhood character, he states on his website, District 5 Amy Hoeven is a community advocate and serves on Fort Collins' Citizens Review Board. She said in an Instagram post she wants to protect the most vulnerable populations, enable a strong workforce, make housing accessible and build on transportation infrastructure. Her website, is still under construction. Zoelle Lane is a human resources professional at CSU. She says on her website, that she wants to raise the minimum wage, expand efforts to make housing affordable in Fort Collins, protect and advocate for vulnerable communities, and improve the path to unionization for workers in Fort Collins. How ranked-choice voting works This election will be the city's first ranked-choice voting election, which will apply to only the races where there are three or more candidates. So far, that is the mayor's race and District 1. Voters will rank their preferences rather than selecting only one candidate. Any candidate who gets more than 50% of first-choice votes wins the race outright. But if no one gets a majority, it works like this: The last-place candidate gets knocked out, and those who voted for them have their vote redistributed to their second-choice picks. The process continues until one candidate reaches more than 50% of the votes. Other city ballot items In addition to the above races, voters will decide several city ballot issues and city charter changes. Officially on the ballot are: Six council-referred proposed changes to the city charter. Updating the charter is one of this council's major priorities for this term. The amendments voters will see Nov. 4 apply to a variety of charter sections that cover things like: elections procedures, public notifications about ordinances, campaign contributions, open records, executive sessions and council member conflicts of interest, terms, vacancies. A citizen-initiated question asking whether the entire former Hughes Stadium site now owned by the city should become a natural area. These items are likely to be on the ballot. Council will vote on whether to refer them on Aug. 19: A citizen-initiated question asking to permanently renew a quarter-cent sales tax funding natural areas and creating a new plan for how the funds are allocated. A council-referred question asking whether the former Hughes Stadium site now owned by the city should become a multi-use recreation and community space, as recommended by a citizen civic assembly. A council-referred question asking voters to renew a quarter-cent sales tax for specified capital projects in Fort Collins. This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins election 2025: Who is running for mayor, City Council Solve the daily Crossword
