Four candidates file for four city council races

By Dan MacArthur
Fossil Creek Current

So far Fort Collins City Council races are arousing little excitement and no competition for the four seats open in the April 3 election, although there's still plenty of time for that to change by the Feb. 22 filing deadline.

Mayor Doug Hutchinson and District 6 council member David Roy are seeking re-election. Glen Colton is once again pursuing the District 4 seat being vacated by term-limited Kurt Kastein, and Matt Fries is running for the District 2 seat being vacated by the also term-limited Karen Weitkunat.

Community and business activist LeRoy Gomez said he intends to file for the District 4 seat.

Doug Hutchinson

Hutchinson said he is seeking a second two-year term to continue implementing the fundamental changes in the way the city functions instituted in his first term.

Most notable among them, Hutchinson cites the Budgeting for Outcomes process streamlining city operations and eliminating some 110 positions. Hutchinson said that effort went a long way toward paring down city government to its essential functions.

He believes additional economies are possible and must be pursued before seeking any new revenues. But, he said, that means more difficult decisions loom ahead when the council confronts the next budget.

"We're trying to strike a balance between the services people need and money we have," he said.

Hutchinson said he also wants to continue the strides Fort Collins has made toward creating a more "business-friendly environment" to maintain a vibrant economy.

Hutchinson, 64, retired after a 23-year career in the Air Force and 10 years as a civilian in the Department of Defense.

David Roy

David Roy promises more of the same in a second term--protecting the Poudre River, revitalizing the downtown, improving neighborhoods and communicating incessantly with residents.

Such dialog is important to Roy, who prides himself on sponsoring numerous public outreach meetings during his tenure. "A strong citizen/city council relationship is only possible with a fully informed citizenry," Roy stated. "I have always believed in being available and responsive to citizen questions and concerns."

Among the major issues Roy cited were water supply, transportation, redevelopment of the Foothills Mall, the work of the Clean Energy Cluster and the success of the Urban Renewal Authority for north Fort Collins.

He rejected the need for any new revenues, saying "Right now we can make it with what we have."

Roy, 50, has worked for the last 13 years with FedexKinkos. He was appointed to fill a council vacancy and was subsequently elected in 2003. District 6 encompasses northwest Fort Collins.

Glen Colton

Glen Colton's campaign is all about preserving the city's quality of life.

He defines that elusive term as parks, trails, libraries, open spaces, cultural arts, safe neighborhoods, excellent schools, a great downtown and a feeling of community. To that end, he broadly pledges to work toward maintaining a healthy economy, helping the city resolve its budget issues, improving the safety and livability of neighborhoods, and continuing the cooperative working relationship demonstrated by the current council.

More specific to his district, Colton said he wants to ensure extensive public involvement in the improvement of west Harmony Road.

The city should control spending and consider implementing fees only after considering all other alternatives, he said.

Colton, 50, retired after a 22-year career at Hewlett Packard and Agilent Technologies. He was narrowly defeated in his previous run for the District 4 seat, which represents southwest Fort Collins.

Matt Fries

Matt Fries pledges to bring his innovative vision to the economy, government and the environment.

But his clear emphasis is creating a "business-friendly community" and eliminating "all unnecessary barriers to great entrepreneurial solutions that many bright individuals want to bring to Fort Collins."

On the environmental front, Fries advocates cleaning up and improving the Poudre River and a comprehensive expansion of the recycling program.

He also believes natural areas funds could be applied to parks, trails and open spaces closer to the city to provide relief to the general fund. "If you are like me, I never thought we would be buying land on the Wyoming border with our open space money." Fries stated, later adding, "We need to discuss asking the voters to redirect some of those funds."

Fries, 39, is the owner of Professional Document Management, which stores and shreds documents, and managing partner of Fries Enterprises, which owns and manages commercial and residential real estate. District 2 generally encompasses southeast Fort Collins.