Housing
Building Affordable Housing
Housing in Fort Collins is not affordable. There are not enough homes to rent or buy that meet people’s needs and budgets. It is almost impossible to find an affordable starter home, find a place to downsize, or have any choice in where you live. This means that many young adults, seniors, and people in our community we rely on- like teachers, childcare workers, and service workers- can’t find homes they can afford in the city they serve. Since 2019 Emily has been the leading expert and point person on City Council when it comes to housing. She has helped the City of Fort Collins make affordable and available housing its top priority for the past 6 years. As Mayor, Emily will continue to focus on housing and make Fort Collins more affordable by: Expand housing choices and availability across the city Making the City’s development process more predictable and efficient, reducing the time it takes to build a home Breakdown City organization silos so all decisions consider the impact and cost on housing Increase funding for affordable housing
Protecting Renters from Unsafe or Unfair Housing
Every Fort Collins resident deserves a safe and healthy home. As Mayor Pro Tem, I supported rental registration to help protect renters from unsafe or unfair housing. We need to make sure the program is working. As Mayor, I will ensure that we hold negligent landlords accountable.
Affordability
Small Business
98% of firms in Fort Collins are small businesses and they employ 47% of our workforce. It has become so expensive and difficult to navigate the local bureaucracy to open a business that small business owners are being priced out entirely. Not only does this impact jobs, but having fewer small businesses also takes away from the charm and character of Fort Collins. As Mayor, Emily will make it easier and more predictable to start and run a business in Fort Collins. She will prioritize policies that reduce costs, shortening the time it takes to open a small business, and dedicating resources to support mom and pop businesses, so that Fort Collins keeps what makes it special…. Small, local businesses.
Transit
Buses in Fort Collins are already fare free, but we have work to do to make our transportation system more reliable, safe, and accessible. As Mayor, Emily will make buses faster by focusing on building out the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and make sure routes are going to and from where people need to go. Keeping buses fare free and making our transit system faster will make our transit system more reliable and accessible.
Neighborhood Investment
Safe and Complete Streets
Safe, complete streets are essential to a city where everyone—whether walking, biking, rolling, or driving—can move safely and comfortably. As Mayor, Emily will prioritize investments that make our streets work for all ages and abilities. Better sidewalks, protected bike lanes, accessible transit, and safer crossings—especially near schools, parks, and busy corridors. Emily knows that equitable mobility is key to climate resilience, and connected communities and is committed to making Fort Collins a place where everyone can get where they need to go—safely.
Rebuild Community Connection
Community connection is at the heart of Emily’s vision for Fort Collins. In a time when too many feel isolated or unheard, Emily believes local government should be a bridge—not a barrier—to belonging. Let’s invest in neighborhood programs that bring people together and create and support inclusive public spaces. Emily will champion community-driven events, expand access to local meeting spaces, and ensure every neighborhood has the tools it needs to build strong relationships among neighbors.
365 Services
Every resident of Fort Collins deserves access to city services that work—every day of the year. That means reliable transit, responsive snow removal, clean parks, reliable electricity, clean water and infrastructure that meets the needs of a growing city, no matter the season. Emily understands that strong city services are the foundation of trust between local government and the people it serves. As Mayor, Emily will fight for consistent, well-funded, and equitable services across all neighborhoods—so whether it’s a bus ride to work, safe streets after a storm, or access to clean water, our city is working for everyone, 365 days a year.
Climate Resilience
Protecting our Land, Air and Water
Our land, air, and water are the foundation of our community’s health and future. We must keep protecting our natural environment, ensure we have an adequate water supply, and improve our air quality. As Mayor, Emily will prioritize strong environmental protections because clean water, healthy air, and thriving natural spaces aren’t luxuries—they’re necessities. As part of her commitment to preserving our environment as a public good for all both now and for future generations, Emily will do everything she can to safeguard the Poudre River and the City’s open spaces.
Food Composting
Industrial-scale composting is an important piece of a resilient, climate-focused city. As Mayor, Emily will create a pilot program for food composting and make real progress on a food composting facility.
Energy Efficient Upgrades
Achieving 2030 carbon neutrality takes changes small and large as a community, but making energy efficient upgrades to a home or switching to an electric car or bicycle is financially out of reach for many of us. As Mayor, Emily will expand and streamline the Epic Home program as well as create a program to incentivize landlords to make climate-friendly upgrades—both reducing the carbon footprint of homes and saving residents money. She will also work towards City rebates for electric bicycles to help residents shift their mode of transportation.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Fort Collins must remain an open and safe place for all. As chair of the Community Impact Committee, Emily helped create the City’s Equity and Inclusion Office, and continues to be a leader in advancing DEI at the City— and she isn’t stopping. While diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are facing an increasingly hostile environment nationwide, Emily will ensure that our current protective laws are enforced for our LGBTQIA+ residents and that the City of Fort Collins will not work with ICE.