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Downtown Fort Collins ColoradoPhoto: Citycommunications at English Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0
Town Hall · Fort Collins

Fort Collins spent more per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar cities

Fort Collins’ city government spent $361.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $2,147 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($268.1 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Next public meeting

City Council Work Session

6:00 pm · Council Information Center (CIC), 300 Laporte Avenue

All meetings →
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$361.2M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$2,147
In 2022: $2,147, more than 87% of 15 similar cities
Long-term debt
$224.2M
end of 2022, reported
City staff, 2025
1,898
full-time · 991 part-time · March payroll $15.9M
Typical tax bill
$2,875
0.50% of home value · CO 0.48%

What stands out about how Fort Collins is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $2,147 per resident, more than 87% of 15 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer55% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Poudre School District R-1 with 2 other towns.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Fort Collins’ own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Your share of the 2022 budget

About $2,147 per resident a year, or $5.88 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 22%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 33%Sales taxes 29%Fees & charges 14%Property taxes 9%From the federal government 7%From other local governments 6%Interest, fines & other 2%From the state 1%Other taxes & licenses <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $45.1 million; interest on debt $7.5 million; payments to other governments $31 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $716.7 million.
Compared with similar places

$2,147 per resident in 2022: more than 87% of them

Fort Collins’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,147 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,395, and the middle half spent $1,058–$1,806. Fort Collins spent more than 87% of them.

Middle half of the group, $1,058–$1,806Median $1,395Fort Collins

Includes sewer and trash ($78 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
15

Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Fort Collins itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

Fort Collins reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2023, 2024 are estimates), so there is no trend yet.

City staff
1,898

full-time in March 2025, up from 1,618 in 2022.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,875 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.50% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Timnath$5,381
Windsor$3,863
Fort Collins$2,875
Colorado$2,602
$2,875
typical bill a year
0.50%
effective rate
$577,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Fort Collins’ rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Tax bills are one input to Fort Collins’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Fort Collins →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Fort Collins

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See fcgov.com for Fort Collins’ current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Fort Collins yet.fcgov.com ↗
Who works for Fort Collins

One full-time city employee for every 89 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (168,234).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Parks & libraries212 + 865 pt
Administration & buildings590 + 44 pt
Police374 + 15 pt
Roads & transportation225 + 27 pt
Water & other utilities191 + 7 pt
Sewer & trash113 + 1 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections49 + 11 pt
Housing & development13 + 2 pt
Other131 + 19 pt
1,898
full-time
991
part-time
$15.9M
payroll for March 2025
$191.2M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$95,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
247
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Fort Collins had 9.6 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 7 of the 15 Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 8.9: Fort Collins had more than 71% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Poudre School District R-1

Fort Collins’ K–12 school district, shared with Wellington, Timnath. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Fort Collins →
$15,698
per pupil · CO $15,889
29,772
students
$365.3 million
long-term debt

Of the $15,698 per pupil, $8,648 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 59%State 35%Federal 6%

Colorado districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.

Also serving Fort Collins

Thompson School District R-2J · $14,924 per pupil

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Fort Collins’ votes are counted by county

Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Fort Collins alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Larimer County’s results.

President · Larimer County’s results225,654 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat57.3%129,376 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican39.7%89,680 votes

Others: 2.9% (6,598 votes).

Most votes in Larimer County: Kamala D Harris

Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%

The county’s page

100% of Fort Collins lies in Larimer County. Every 2024 race in Larimer County is on the county’s page.

Larimer County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Fort Collins

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Fort Collins.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: fcgov.com ↗
  2. 2
    Colorado HouseFort Collins is split between 2 districts
    Yara ZokaieAndy Boesenecker
  3. 3
    Colorado SenateState senator
    Cathy KippBarbara Kirkmeyer
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Jared Polis
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Joe Neguse
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Colorado
    Michael F. BennetJohn W. Hickenlooper
Find your state legislators by address ↗

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Fort Collins compares with the towns next door

No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.

Windsor: $1,174 per resident (2022)Timnath: $3,427 per resident (2022)WindsorTimnathFort Collins
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Windsor$1,174$3,863
Timnath$3,427$5,381
Fort Collins$2,147$2,875

Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).

Reach Fort Collins’ government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitefcgov.com ↗

Questions about Fort Collins’ government

How much does Fort Collins spend per resident?

About $2,147 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,147 was more than 87% of 15 Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Fort Collins?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,875 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.50% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see fcgov.com.

Who runs Fort Collins’ government?

See fcgov.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Fort Collins yet.

How did Fort Collins vote in 2024?

Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Fort Collins alone. Larimer County, where 100% of Fort Collins lies, voted Harris 57.3%, Trump 39.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Fort Collins?

1,898 full-time and 991 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $15.9M (about $191.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Fort Collins in the state legislature?

Fort Collins is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Colorado Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Fort Collins?

The next posted meeting is City Council Work Session on Tuesday, November 10, at 6:00 pm in Council Information Center (CIC), 300 Laporte Avenue, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Fort Collins’ government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →