Fort Collins City Council updates election code, removes write‑in option and tightens campaign enforcement

Fort Collins City Council on first reading approved a package of changes to the city election code that reorganizes campaign‑finance enforcement, raises contribution limits, shifts filing timelines, removes write‑in candidates from city ballots and makes clerical cleanups to align local rules with state regulations.

City staff and the council framed the changes as a multi‑part effort to make enforcement clearer, bring local deadlines into alignment with state law and prepare the city for ranked voting. Cecilia Goode, senior deputy city clerk, walked the council through the proposed ordinances and said the revisions were the product of the election code committee’s work beginning in 2024.

The package matters because it changes how complaints about campaigns are handled, who can appear on a ballot and how campaigns report money — areas several public commenters flagged as essential to voter confidence. The League of Women Voters of Larimer County and other residents urged the council to add independent oversight or additional resources for audits and candidate training.

City staff described the enforcement changes as primarily procedural. The rewritten enforcement article clarifies what constitutes a sufficient complaint, requires a reasonably based factual showing before proceeding, and gives respondents an early chance to “cure” violations or pay a presumptive fine before a matter is referred to municipal court. Sarah Arfmann, assistant city attorney, and Goode said the draft also clarifies that when a complaint involves a current or potential member of council or the mayor, the city attorney’s office will retain outside counsel to avoid conflicts.

Other notable provisions in the package approved on first reading: - Contribution limits: proposed increases to $200 per donor for mayoral candidates and $150 per donor for council candidates, with an inflation adjustment tied to the Denver‑Aurora‑Lakewood CPI beginning late 2026 and every two years thereafter. The proposal also explicitly prohibits cryptocurrency contributions. - Reporting timelines: campaigns would begin filing periodic reports two weeks after receiving their first contribution, with schedules aligned to state reporting multiples of seven days. For the November 2025 cycle staff proposed May 1 as the first reporting start date for the year. - Petition and filing rules: nomination petitions remain available with a 25‑signature threshold; staff recommended changing the petition circulator rule so circulators need not read entire petitions aloud on demand but must provide reasonable accommodations (for example, a read‑aloud or translator) when requested. - Ranked ballot compliance: the code now directs the city clerk to follow Colorado Secretary of State rules and Colorado Code of Regulations for administering ranked voting in city elections. - Removal of write‑in candidates from the city code: the council voted to remove the write‑in candidate process from the city code. Under the current draft, only candidates who submit nomination petitions (25 signatures by the deadline) would appear on the ballot. City staff said the change was partly to avoid conflicts between code and charter requirements and to reduce confusion when ballots use ranked voting.

Public commenters repeatedly pressed the council for an independent election oversight mechanism. Kathleen Schmidt, co‑chair of the election reform team and speaking for the League of Women Voters of Larimer County, read the League’s letter asking the council to create an independent authority with quasi‑judicial powers to train candidates, audit campaign finance reports, adjudicate and close complaints, and advise on election‑code updates. Robbie Moreland and Marge Norskog urged funding and an independent oversight function to reduce perceived conflicts when the clerk or city attorney adjudicate complaints involving future elected officials.

Rich Stave and several residents raised questions about specific procedures and about clarity for students and others who live in nontraditional addresses. Greg (Elections Chair, DSA Fort Collins) urged the council to recognize worker organizing in other parts of the meeting, and several council members said they plan additional follow‑up with staff on public‑education and candidate training plans ahead of the next election.

Votes at a glance (first reading outcomes): - Ordinance 29 (campaign enforcement rewrite): passed on first reading, 7–0. - Ordinance 30 (campaign contribution limits, CPI adjustment and reporting timelines): passed on first reading, 7–0. Council adopted an amendment substituting the Denver‑Aurora‑Lakewood CPI region for the originally proposed Denver‑Boulder‑Greeley index. - Ordinance 31 (removal of write‑in candidates from city code): passed on first reading, 5–2. - Ordinance 32 (petition circulator accommodations): passed on first reading, 7–0. - Ordinance 33 (various cleanups and clerk authority for investigations): passed on first reading, 7–0.

What the council decided and what remains: the council approved the changes on first reading and several councilmembers and staff said they will continue to discuss independent oversight, additional candidate training and public outreach. City staff also agreed to provide follow‑up detail for council on the prioritization and scheduling of related capital and administrative tasks before second readings and the November election cycle.

The council’s action amends multiple sections of the Fort Collins City Code in Chapter 7 (elections) and directs the city clerk’s office to implement the updated timelines and reporting processes. Several speakers asked the council to add funding for independent oversight and expanded public education; councilmembers said those options remain under consideration and could be addressed separately.

Councilmembers who voted in the roll calls recorded on the meeting minutes were Arndt, Francis, Olson, Patani/Pinotaro, Canonico, Kotowski and Gutowski (individual roll‑call entries recorded in the meeting transcript for each ordinance are reflected in the official minutes).