The 2025 Fort Collins mayoral race is shaping up to be one of the most interesting we’ve seen in years. Six very different candidates are running — each with their own background, leadership style, and approach to some of the biggest issues facing our city: affordability, growth, and a projected $11 million budget shortfall. If you would like to watch the full YouTube video of the Forum – you can watch it here.
Here’s a breakdown of where each candidate stands so you can get a clear sense of who’s aligned with your priorities.
Candidate Snapshots
Tricia Canonico – Current City Councilmember (District 3). Vice President of Colorado Communities for Climate Action and on the EPA’s Local Government Advisory Board.
Adam Eggleston – Realtor, business owner, and longtime volunteer on local boards like Planning & Zoning.
Emily Francis – Current Mayor Pro Tem and Councilmember (District 6) with a background in affordable housing and senior services.
Shirley Peel – Former Councilmember, educator, and small business advocate focused on fiscal responsibility.
Adam Hirshhorn – Climate activist and community organizer known for pushing for worker rights and social equity.
Scott Van Tattenhove (“Scotty V”) – High school social studies teacher and historian, co-founder of FoCoMX, and champion of civic participation.
Affordable Housing
- Canonico: Pushes for more infill, ADUs, and “missing-middle” housing with faster permitting.
- Eggleston: Wants tiered tap fees and reforms to encourage smaller, more attainable homes.
- Francis: Supports streamlined approvals and a dedicated housing fund to hit affordability goals.
- Peel: Favors flexible land-use codes and promoting homeownership for working families.
- Hirshhorn: Advocates for dense infill and new construction tech like 3D-printed homes.
- Van Tattenhove: Wants strong neighborhood input so growth doesn’t erase community character.
City Budget & $11 Million Shortfall
- Canonico: Cut non-essential programs but protect core services and city staff.
- Eggleston: Calls the deficit the top issue and wants a deep review of every city program.
- Francis: Backs outcome-based budgeting and wants to diversify revenue beyond sales tax.
- Peel: Focused on return-on-investment evaluations for every city expense.
- Hirshhorn: Rejects “austerity” and wants to raise more from large corporations.
- Van Tattenhove: Stresses transparency — says we can’t just cut for the sake of cutting.
Supporting Small Business
- Canonico: City should act like a partner, not a barrier — streamline the red tape.
- Eggleston: Simplify processes and address property-tax pressures.
- Francis: Says small business owners shouldn’t need consultants to deal with the city.
- Peel: Proposes business-liaison roles to help entrepreneurs navigate city systems.
- Hirshhorn: Wants to empower local co-ops and unions to compete with big chains.
- Van Tattenhove: Urges city hall to listen to operators before rolling out new policies that could hurt them.
Transit & Transportation
- Canonico: Focus on route optimization and microtransit.
- Eggleston: Use smaller buses and delay full electrification until ridership improves.
- Francis: Keep fare-free service and improve reliability.
- Peel: Expand microtransit for better coverage and efficiency.
- Hirshhorn: A daily bus rider himself — wants to expand regional connections.
- Van Tattenhove: Pushes for better ADA compliance and smarter route design.
Water Use & Conservation
- Canonico: Supports regional collaboration and affordability while meeting conservation goals.
- Eggleston: Prefers incentives and more storage projects over higher rates.
- Francis: Wants equitable rate structures to protect low-income households.
- Peel: Pushes coordination among water districts before any rate hikes.
- Hirshhorn: Frames water as a climate innovation issue — open to new tech and even geo-engineering.
- Van Tattenhove: Says each situation deserves a case-by-case look due to legal complexity.
Homelessness & Vulnerable Populations
- Canonico: Backs the 250-bed trauma-informed shelter and ongoing prevention funding.
- Eggleston: Wants more navigator programs and collaboration with the HOPE Team.
- Francis: Brings hands-on housing experience and balances compassion with accountability.
- Peel: Focuses on permanent supportive housing and lessons from time with police ride-alongs.
- Hirshhorn: Believes with enough resources and political will, Fort Collins can end homelessness.
- Van Tattenhove: Leans on 26 years in education to promote humane, proactive solutions.
Noise Enforcement & CSU Relations
- Canonico: Supported muffler-ordinance updates and aims to balance CSU vibrancy with neighborhood peace.
- Eggleston: Backs education first, escalating fines second.
- Francis: Co-led noise ordinance reform and wants tighter city-campus coordination.
- Peel: Wants clear standards and empowered enforcement.
- Hirshhorn: Open to using technology for enforcement.
- Van Tattenhove: Sees the mayor as the bridge between CSU, residents, and city staff.
The Role of the Mayor
- Canonico: Regional ambassador and consensus-builder.
- Eggleston: A practical, protective leader for staff and community.
- Francis: Grounded in local outcomes and collaboration.
- Peel: Servant-leader focused on cross-government teamwork.
- Hirshhorn: Connector of people and systems pushing climate and social goals.
- Van Tattenhove: Citizen-first advocate focused on rebuilding public trust.
Concrete Batch Plant (Hwy 287 North)
- Canonico & Francis: Oppose current site due to air-quality and neighborhood concerns.
- Eggleston: Recused (county planning commission).
- Peel: Leaning “no” pending more data.
- Hirshhorn: Acknowledges need for materials but insists on clean containment.
- Van Tattenhove: Calls for better communication and jurisdictional clarity.
Plastic Water-Bottle Ban (Under 1 Gallon)
- Canonico & Peel: Open to discussion, cautious on unintended effects.
- Hirshhorn: Supports — calls it a step toward waste reduction.
- Van Tattenhove: Declined “yes/no,” saying voters deserve a more thoughtful conversation.
- Francis & Eggleston: No formal stance shared.
Common Ground
Despite their differences, there’s overlap:
- Everyone agrees affordability is a top issue — housing, cost of living, and small business costs are constant themes.
- Budget discipline is front and center.
- Small-business reform and simplifying city processes get support across the board.
- Transit modernization — microtransit, smaller vehicles, and fare-free rides — is widely discussed.
- Collaboration matters to all of them, whether it’s with CSU, neighboring cities, or nonprofits.
This election is less about party lines and more about vision.
Voters are choosing between pragmatic fiscal managers, progressive reformers, and community-first advocates — all with very different ways of defining what “the next chapter of Fort Collins” should look like.
Each one brings something unique to the table: educators, activists, entrepreneurs, and long-time public servants. Now it’s up to Fort Collins residents to decide whose leadership reflects the direction we want to go.