At the City Council meeting on Tuesday 2/18/2025 the City Council will be voting on several measures to affect our local election rules. One of the ordinances will be directed at the maximum amount an individual donor can give. If you are thinking to yourself, “good, there is too much money in politics”, then you will be surprised to find that is not what your City Council is thinking.
The City Council has put forth Ordinance No. 30, 2025 for approval. This ordinance will increase the maximum individual contribution for a Mayoral candidate from $100 to $200. It will also increase the maximum individual contribution for a City Council candidate from $75 to $150. They also are planning to add wording that will increase these contribution amounts regularly based upon the percentage change over a two-year period in the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Price Index Denver-Boulder-Greeley.
I don’t know about you, but when I think about what City Council can change involving money in my local politics, I go immediately to how can we get more money out of politics. Allowing more money to enter politics, especially local politics, is not good for our community. I am not sure who in the Fort Collins community was clamoring for their City Council to solve the issue of how to get more money into politics, or to solve the issue of the inflationary effects on their donations to local politicians. In fact, I have a feeling that if asked, the citizens of Fort Collins would be asking their City Council to take on the issue of getting money out of Fort Collins elections, and how to keep the effects of inflation from affecting their daily lives. That is why I was quite surprised to find out that the City Council would be voting not to decrease the individual maximum donation level, but instead to increase the maximum individual donation level from $100 to $200.
At first glance you might think that an increase of this amount is not too significant. Well, let’s think about who’s voice this strengthens and who’s voice this diminishes. It definitely does not help the poor in the community; it does not help the person who is working three jobs just to pay their bills; it is not helping out the nurses, the teachers, or the service industry workers; it is not helping out those living on fixed incomes. It definitely does help the wealthy and those with expendable incomes.
It is not helping out those that are running a grassroots campaign for office. It is helping out those running for office who have plenty of wealthy friends. Someone running a grassroots campaign might be lucky to see donations of $20 or $50. It would take 10 donations of $20 or 4 donations of $50 to equal a single $200 donation. Small donors more closely represent the average constituent.
I would ask that if this City Council is looking to make positive changes to the maximum individual donor contribution levels, that they do the exact opposite of what they are currently proposing. Lower the maximum donation level to $50. Make it so that those with the least money in our community have a better chance of having their donation have an equivalent voice as those with the most money in our community.
Update (2/19/2025) Last night the City Council voted on 1st reading 7-0 to pass Ordinance 30,2025. Reasons given for voting for the ordinance included the price of yard signs, the price of postage, the amount of time it takes to make fundraising phone calls, and wanting to help future councils not have to worry about the issue. Reasons not given, how more money in elections will help the actual citizens of Fort Collins.
What We Can Do About It!
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- I encourage you all to read this article from the Center for American Progress on Small-Donors vs. Big-Donors in politics:
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/small-donor-antidote-big-donor-politics/ - Write your City Council and Mayor asking that they DO NOT INCREASE the maximum amount an individual donor can give.
City of Fort Collins City Council and the Mayor (email all of them regardless of your district).
Here is my email for use as a template.
- I encourage you all to read this article from the Center for American Progress on Small-Donors vs. Big-Donors in politics: