City Council

Close-up of Fort Collins City Council in front of City Hall

The Fort Collins City Council is the elected leadership for the City and sets the City's policy and laws. City Council includes six district Councilmembers and a Mayor elected at-large.

Councilmembers serve four-year terms and can serve up to two terms. The Mayor serves two-year terms and can serve up to three terms. City Council chooses the Mayor Pro Tem from all Councilmembers for a two-year term.

 

Contact and Events

To email all Councilmembers and the City Manager at once, use cityleaders@fortcollins.gov.

Want to invite the Mayor or Councilmembers to your event? Submit a request at least two weeks in advance.

Council Information

2026-2027 Council Priorities

City Council Priorities are the areas Council will dedicate extra time and focus. They are one component of the policy and operational work the City does. These priorities work in tandem with the Council-adopted Strategic Plan.

  • Promote affordability and sustainable growth by making development predictable, efficient and cost-effective:
    • City Plan sets forth a bold vision of livable and sustainable growth for Fort Collins. This priority will remove, replace or fix the systems and regulatory layers creating the biggest challenges to build. We will evaluate programs, incentives, and costs and fees through a lens of a simplified customer experience, to provide growth and development that supports community resilience, creates jobs, provides housing choices, and contributes to cleaner air.
  • Bolster a thriving economy, with a focus on small businesses, neighborhood centers, and quality job creation:
    • A thriving economy is a key factor in the City’s ability to provide municipal services. The City aims to create an environment where small businesses and residents thrive, and where companies can grow, creating quality jobs in high opportunity industries. We support vibrant commercial hubs and neighborhood centers, energized by the creative and nighttime economy, that will position Fort Collins as a regional destination of choice to live, work and play.
  • Accelerate progress toward Vision Zero:
    • The City’s Vision Zero Plan aims to eliminate all traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by 2032. This data-driven approach focuses on safer street designs, lower speeds and community education, emphasizing efforts that benefit the most vulnerable road users (cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists), such as updating speed limits and accelerating improvements near schools and on arterial roads.
  • Connect community to Council actions:
    • By leveraging a variety of communication strategies and channels, we create more proactive and accessible avenues for everyone in the community to stay informed, provide input, and feel connected to their local government. This includes communication before, during and after Council policy development, allowing the community to have a clear and consistent understanding of Council discussions, decisions, and the data-driven policies that shape them.
  • Ensure the City organization's long-term financial sustainability:
    • Rising costs, aging infrastructure, and economic uncertainty make long-term planning essential to the City’s ability to ensure it can provide the services the community relies on, both now and in the future. This priority includes modernizing financial processes and systems, allowing the City to use public funds wisely and to make informed, transparent financial decisions to realign service levels with long-term financial capacity.

     

Council Compensation

In November 2022, Fort Collins residents passed a Charter amendment to base Council pay on the Area Median Income (AMI) for the Fort Collins/Loveland area for a single-person household. The amounts are updated each year:

  • Mayor: 75% of AMI
  • Mayor Pro Tem: 60% of AMI
  • Councilmembers: 50% of AMI

As of July 1, 2024, Councilmembers receive this annual pay:

  • Mayor: $62,400
  • Mayor Pro Tem: $49,920
  • Councilmembers: $41,600

 

Email Transparency

Access the Council Email Archive

Submit your email address to have the username/password and login instructions sent to you.

Click here to view form.

About Email Transparency

Under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA), all emails to and from City Council must be shared with the public, with few exceptions. To promote transparency, emails will be visible in an online archive unless the sender puts #PRIVATE in the subject line. However, the City of Fort Collins can't guarantee that emails marked "#PRIVATE" will stay private. The online archive is usually updated twice a week.

 

Anti-Discrimination & Anti-Harassment Policy

The Mayor and City Council are committed to providing an environment that exemplifies the highest standards of ethical behavior, treats others with dignity and respect and is known for its honesty, inclusivity and transparency. Adopted in 2023, the Fort Collins Anti-Discrimination, Anti-Harassment Policy ("Policy") embodies the City Council's commitment to prevent and address discrimination; harassment, including sexual harassment; and retaliation. Discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace are against the law and will not be tolerated.

Through adoption, implementation, and enforcement of this Policy and through continuing education and training provided by or through the Human Resources Department ("HR"), the Fort Collins City Council seeks to prevent, address, and correct behavior that violates this Policy.

Back to top