Emily Francis has served on the Fort Collins City Council since 2019 (District 6) and has been unanimously selected twice by her peers as mayor pro tem. A Fort Collins native and Colorado State University graduate (natural resources), she focuses on affordability, housing, transportation, climate, and neighborhood investment. She works for the State of Colorado and is running for mayor in the November 2025 election.
Episode Summary
Host Nick Armstrong interviews mayoral candidate Emily Francis about housing affordability, economic opportunity, and inclusive community building in Fort Collins. Francis argues the City can “bend the curve” on rising housing costs by making development review more predictable, partnering on desired outcomes, and re-examining impact and capital expansion fees. She cites a roughly $40M/year funding gap to reach the City’s 10% affordable-housing goal and is open to discussing a dedicated revenue source after a prior ballot measure failed.
Francis connects affordability to job access, noting many CSU graduates leave due to a lack of local mid-career roles. She supports targeted business attraction—especially green/climate tech—paired with removing City barriers that make it hard to open or expand businesses. On growth, she favors proactive planning that aligns with climate and water goals.
Beyond core infrastructure, Francis highlights arts and nighttime, non-alcohol activities as part of an inclusive economy, and suggests the City more readily offer public space for community uses. Regarding LGBTQIA+ inclusion, she says she has heard worries about the City’s commitment and supports reaffirming Equity Office resources, visible allyship, and practical support (e.g., Pride partnerships). On the City’s first Ranked Choice Voting election, she plans to campaign on authenticity and broad appeal.
Key Takeaways
- Housing: streamline development review to reduce delay-driven costs; be a proactive partner on outcomes residents want.
- Funding: acknowledges a ~$40M/year gap to reach 10% affordable housing; open to exploring dedicated revenue and re-prioritizing budgets.
- Jobs: recruit and retain employers (especially green/climate tech) so graduates and mid-career workers can stay; reduce City barriers to opening businesses.
- Fees & parks: re-evaluate impact/capital expansion fees and park standards to ensure affordability and long-term maintenance (noting the 2025 maintenance tax).
- Growth: “grow smartly” with planned, resource-aware development that supports climate goals and reduces commuting.
- Arts/nightlife: encourage inclusive, non-drinking nighttime activities and make City facilities easier for community use.
- Inclusion: reaffirm support for the Equity Office and community partnerships; notes concerns raised about symbols like the rainbow crosswalk without plans to remove it.
- Elections: in Fort Collins’ first Ranked Choice Voting cycle, she aims to earn broad rankings via pragmatic, values-driven positions.
Notable Quotes
- “What we can do is instead of like this, we can bend it slightly. And that’s really what we’re trying to do.”
- “Do we want to grow smartly and do we want to grow planned or do we want to just grow and see what happens?”
- “In my mind, that’s changing it to being more of a partner.”
- “I came back for a reason, because this is my home and this is my community.”
Resources / Links
Candidate site: https://emilyforfc.com/
La Familia/The Family Center: https://thefamilycenterfc.org/
Dear Fort Collins website:
https://dearfortcollins.com/
Dear Fort Collins YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@dearfortcollins
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