Dear Mayor Francis and Councilmembers Conway, Pignataro, Fudge, Potyondy, Hoeven and Nelsen:

The Fort Collins Sustainability Group (FCSG) shares the concerns that have been expressed by the Community for Sustainable Energy (CforSE) regarding the spending of the proceeds from the “2050 Climate tax” approved by Fort Collins voters in 2023.

The ordinance specifies that 25% of funds are targeted for Climate, with 50% for Parks and Recreation, and 25% for Transit. The funds targeted for climate are for the advancement of certain goals established for the City in the Our Climate Future Plan, adopted by City Council on March 16, 2021 in Resolution 2021-031, related to reducing greenhouse gases, reducing air pollution, achieving 100% renewable energy, and achieving community- wide carbon neutrality.

Fort Collins voters have a right to expect that the city provide an accounting of how much climate pollution will be reduced per dollar spent and how expenditures will impact reaching our 2030 and 2050 goals, along with the list of climate expenditures provided in the September 10 memo for the upcoming budget. There must be budget items that advance each of the four identified climate goal areas, and the actions taken should be those most effective in the furthering of the specific goals. More cost competitive options such as the municipal solar plan, batteries, and bidirectional vehicle charging should be considered in order to fulfill the requirements of the ordinance.

The voters of Fort Collins approved this tax because we understand the dire threats we face from a heating planet, and the urgent need to draw down climate pollution. We expect to see results!

Thank you,

Barbara Krupnik-Goldman

Steering Committee member, Fort Collins Sustainability Group