Longtime resident "ScottyV" hopes to bring historian perspective to council

His top three priorities are 

By Luke Purvis
The Ramspondents

Few embody Fort Collins’s character like Scott VanTantenhove. Known by many as ‘ScottyV”, the longtime educator, pro historian and co-founder of FOCOMX is once again running for mayor. VanTantenhove’s campaign remains unchanged, in both his message and motivation for nearly two decades.

VanTantenhove said he believes that leadership begins with perspective not promises. 

“Critical thinking skills help the community understand trade-offs during decision-making,” he explained. “We need to bring more inclusive voices to the table. One side can't run everything.”

As a historian, VanTantenhove says his strength lies in “the ability to contextualize everything that’s coming in.” He said he sees beyond headlines and partnerships to understand how decisions affect the city long-term. 

“I ran in 2005 and 2007. My platform is the same every year,” VanTantenhove explained. “I bring critical thinking. I’m a classically trained historian.”

VanTantenhove’s journey to Fort Collins politics began long before he first created any campaign posters. A graduate of St. Olaf College and Columbia University, he spent 26 years teaching in Fort Collins public schools. VanTantenhove shaped generations of students with the analytical mindset of a historian. 

“I bring the skills of a historian to the mayor’s office,” VanTantenhovesaid, “teaching and community building is what I do.”

VanTantenhove has lived in Fort Collins since 1983. He’s lived in India, China, Israel and Palestine and studied in New York City. Those experiences gave him a perspective, one that includes raising a family of three children and having a transgender parent.

“I have that perspective. I bring all those pillars to city government.” VanTantenhove said. “Since I am a product of Fort Collins, why not represent Fort Collins? I am the best thing that's happened to this town.”

Beyond, VanTantenhove helped build one of Fort Collins most iconic cultural landmarks: FOCOMX, the city’s annual local music festival. 

“Me and three friends started it 17 years ago,” he said “We wanted to support the music scene and FOCOMX just became a part of that. It has grown so much it’s become the town’s identity downtown.”

VanTantenhove still serves on the board of the Fort Collins Music Association, which he helped establish. For VanTantenhove, the festival is a reflection of Fort Collins itself. 

“We created a celebration of ourselves,” he said.

“People get to celebrate through music and breweries. That’s the foundation that made Fort Collins one of the greatest places to live.”

Scotty V has a vision for Fort Collins future 

“Fort Collins is at a crossroads,” he said “We are trying to figure out who we are.” 

VanTantenhove said he remembers when the city was still carving out its identity, when punk rock shows and DIY venues were the soul of Old Town.

“In the ’80s, our punk scene was huge,” he said . “Any band touring through Colorado had a place to stay and an audience here. That’s what built Colorado’s reputation by 2000, when Fort Collins was being named one of the greatest places to live.”

But that success, he said, brought new challenges. “When we made the top, everyone celebrated, but then the people said, ‘Oh no, everyone’s going to move here now.’”

As the city faces questions about growth, affordability, and identity, VanTantenhove says his approach is simple: “I can try to bring the table together.”

In recent years, some residents know VanTantenhove less for his teaching or politics — and more for his passion for local birds.

“It started when my kid was an infant,” he said. “We’d go on walks and watch the great horned owls nesting around Fort Collins.”

His interest in local ecology ties back to his historian’s mindset. 

“Fort Collins is on a migration path because of a narrow corridor. The drying of the eastern plains naturally pushes birds here,” he explained. “I like local music and local birds. I don’t do much birding outside of my house.”

VanTantenhove said the role of mayor in Fort Collins is largely symbolic, part of a council-manager form of government where administrative power lies with city staff. Still, he believes symbolic leadership matters.

“We grow up seeing mayors in cartoons who have power,” he said. “It’s different here. We get elected, but there’s no budget…. It's a symbolic role. But symbols matter.”

He said he understands the constraints of budgeting and staffing and avoids making unrealistic promises. 

“There are so many agencies that do their own thing,” he said. “I don’t make promises, I make decisions through critical thinking.”

VanTantenhove’s campaign is not flashy, in fact, he’s spent nothing on it. 

“It’s really hard to get campaign contributions,” he said. “I’ve spent zero.”

But he does have something no other candidate can claim: a commercial from 18 years ago.

“My ‘ScottyV for Mayor’ video on YouTube is from 18 years ago,” he said proudly. “I’ve been saying ‘critical thinking’ for 18 years. The only thing I’d have to change is the date.”

VanTantenhove's thinking, he said, hasn’t changed since 2005 “and that’s the point.”

“I’ve been thinking about this for 20 years,” he said. “I’m still here because I believe in Fort Collins.”

Luke Purvis is a CSU Journalism and Media Communication student. He hopes to gain as much knowledge as possible so that he can come prepared when he graduates.

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