Kelly says he's done; won't run for another term - Coloradoan
Thomas Clayton
Kelly Ohlson says he won't run for reelection to Fort Collins City Council
Rebecca Powell
Kelly Ohlson, who has been a fixture on City Council and in the Fort Collins community for more than 40 years, announced he will not run for office again.
"Public service is the defining aspect of my life, and it's very hard to bring it to a close but with one year left on this term and four more the next term, that is half of a decade," District 5 council member Ohlson said while reading a statement at the Nov. 19 regular council meeting. "I can't see that far down the road at this point in my life. Therefore, I choose to leave when I can still hit the fast ball."
"I am announcing this decision now because it is less than one year until city elections, and I wanted anyone thinking of running to have plenty of time to decide, plan and execute a campaign. Also, I wanted folks to know that it's an open seat with no incumbent, which makes for an easier path to winning."
Ohlson said he has been in publicly elected or appointed positions for 42 of the past 43 years: He was 32 when first elected and will be 75 when he is done.
"It has been a great privilege and honor to represent the people of Fort Collins for such a long time. You put your trust in me, and I will be forever grateful," he said.
Ohlson was first elected to Fort Collins City Council in 1983. He was mayor in 1986-87.
He won the District 5 council seat in 2005 and served two terms. He also served as mayor pro-tem during a portion of that time. In 2021, he was elected again to the same seat.
In between council stints, he was appointed Larimer County Public Trustee and has served on numerous other community boards and commissions.
He said he's never lost a race and never had a close election.
But Ohlson might be best known for his conservation activism. He has led eight efforts to fund natural areas and open space in Fort Collins and Larimer County, according to his bio.
In an interview Wednesday, Ohlson said he is just one of many who helped lead those efforts but he is the only one who helped lead all of them. And only one of those campaigns coincided with his time on City Council.
He served on the Natural Resources Advisory Board and the Land Conservation Stewardship Board for 16 years. And in 2022, the city created the Kelly Ohlson Natural Areas Conservation Award in his honor and named him the first recipient.
Before the end of his term, Ohlson said, he'll work on the next campaign to renew the city sales tax that funds natural areas, which could be on the ballot in 2025 if the citizen initiative can gather the thousands of signatures it needs.
The next City Council election is in November 2025. The seats for mayor, District 1, District 3 and District 5 are up for a vote.
Eligible candidates must be:
- A citizen of the United States.
- At least 21 years old.
- A registered elector within the city for at least one year immediately preceding the election.
- A resident of the district for which they are running.
See a map of council districts here.
Petitions can be circulated beginning about 90 days prior to the election.
At least three people have filed paperwork declaring their intent to run for office in districts 1 and 5.
For more information, visit the candidate page on the Fort Collins City Clerk's Office website.
 | Tom Clayton Communication and Media Specialist, Public Affairs |
| Commissioners' Office 200 W Oak St, Fort Collins, 80522 | 2nd Floor W: (970) 498-7005 tcla...@larimer.org | www.larimer.org |