Top three priorities
When asked to outline her top three priorities for Fort Collins, she said:
“We raised four kids here…my kids had great opportunities here and Fort Collins had always been such a healthy city. I am running on the platform that I want to keep Fort Collins healthy… one of the indicators of a healthy city is responsible spending and a strong economy.
“The second one would be safe and secure neighborhoods. We all want our kids to grow up in safe and secure neighborhoods. That would also encompass our business community and the budget process of the city.”
Another one would be affordable living for working families...it’s getting more and more expensive for people to live here, work here, raise their family here, own a business here. So when you have all of those factors your city’s health and people can prosper.
By Isabella Hemness
The Ramspondents
FORT COLLINS — Mayoral candidate Shirley Peel says her campaign is rooted on a simple platform and vision: to keep Fort Collins a “healthy city.”
Fort Collins Strategic Plan:
When asked about whether her priorities align with the Fort Collins Strategic Plan, Peel agreed that her platform was in accordance with the plan. She went on, noting that “I was on council when some of those priorities were brought forward. When you have a framework like that, any priorities that any council brings forward is going to work toward any of those key elements of a healthy city.”
Housing Affordability
With housing affordability a current concern for many of Fort Collins residents Peel addressed this directly. Peel agreed that affordability is a pressing issue facing Fort Collins but that while she cared about it, residents should not be expecting a quick fix.
“What I tell people is, we didn’t get here overnight. It’s not going to be a quick and easy solution.” she said. “So we have to work with what we have.
Peel went on explaining that the city needs to take accountability to work toward affordability.
“I firmly believe that the city needs to look in their own backyard first and see what they are doing to hinder affordability in the city. I would look at our processes, to make sure they are efficient and they are not hindering the building of affordable housing.”
She explained that the city should play a more proactive role in identifying land suitable for development and working with small developers. “Just identifying commercial buildings that need rehabbing…mainly I would say it is on the city to use their processes and and just be more proactive and the last thing is making sure the land use code is flexible enough.”
Parking in Old Town
As the city considers adding paid parking to Old Town, Peel said she remains undecided but stressed the importance of engaging small businesses before making a decision.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, so if we want to be able to afford things, we have to take care of our businesses,” she said. “If anything this is going to cause more hardship on businesses, I’m always leery of that.”
“At the very least, the city needs to bring them in. They need to sit down and they need to figure out the best way to do this.”
Peel additionally acknowledged the city’s interest in this but continued to stress the importance of caring for the local businesses. “I understand the city’s position, why they want paid parking but you can’t just make decisions and cut out the people that it’s going to impact the most.”
City Revenue and Spending
Peel also addressed concerns over city revenue, which has fallen short of projections in recent years. She pointed to inefficiencies in government and the need to prioritize spending that benefits the greatest number of residents.
“Again we need to look on our own. Making sure that the money is being spent efficiently and also making sure that the money is being spent to where it does the most benefit for the most people.”
Peel again stressed the importance of supporting local businesses and making it easier for business owners to start and sustain operations in Fort Collins.
“Our revenue is going south and east because it’s very hard to start a business and own a business here,” Peel said. “We have to take care of the businesses we have and we are going to have to see about attracting other small businesses here to our community to help with our tax revenue”
Why Run for Mayor?
When asked why she chose to run for mayor rather than simply for her home district, Peel said the decision came during the time after her youngest child graduated.
“ I was just thinking how much Collins had given to us over the years, so I really did want to serve…I love local government. I love the people. I love the groups I get to interact with. If you boil all that down it is just service to my community and then just a love of local government.”
Reaching Voters
Peel emphasized her continued connection to college students, noting her family’s long ties to CSU.
“We’ve hosted students in our home, and even Cam the Ram lived with us for a time. I want students to know I’ll always be their biggest advocate in this city.”
Shirley Peel’s campaign can be followed at her camping website shirleyforfoco.com as well as on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X.
Isabella Hemness is a student at Colorado State University, studying journalism and international studies. With journalism experience through classes such as Newswriting, Video Editing and Advanced Reporting and an interest in community engagement and factual storytelling, Isabella works to inform and entertain through her writing. As a member of the Ramspondents, Isabella seeks to inform the population of CSU, Fort Collins, and beyond with accuracy and creativity.