Shortly after filing his paperwork to run for Loveland City Council Ward 1 representative, attorney Russell Sinnett packed up his camper and headed for the Nevada desert to attend Burning Man, an art-centric festival that attracts tens of thousands each year. Near the end of the week-long event, a large wooden effigy called “The Man” is burned in a symbolic ceremony.
Though Sinnett’s experience there this year was marred by wind and rainstorms, it was also full of extraordinary moments that the Fort Collins native won’t soon forget.
“I just wanted to see the art, the culture, the experience with the people and I was absolutely rewarded in that way,” Sinnett said. “Because I’ve never seen anything like that. … And I liked the attitudes of freedom of self-expression and self-reliance.”
Now that he’s back in Loveland, Sinnett is turning his attention to his next grand adventure: campaigning for a seat on Loveland City Council.
“I thought that running for City Council would be a good way to give back to the community that I enjoy,” he said. “I enjoy living here, and I’d love to help and continue what it is that attracted me to live here as well as try to be a reasonable voice.”
Among those things is what Sinnett called Loveland’s “sensible” approach to growth in the face of a population boom in Northern Colorado. He said that more development in the city is “inevitable,” and, if elected, he will advocate for “controlled” growth done “fairly and smartly.”
For Sinnett, that means more scrutiny of incentive-laden development deals to ensure they benefit Loveland as a whole.
“My first inclination is to protect the free enterprise system,” he said. “That is, if these developers cannot afford to do this without being subsidized, then let the chips fall where they may, as far as who can afford to do development.”
The candidate also wants to make sure that Loveland’s businesses are competing on a “level playing field,” and that no companies, groups or sectors are being favored over any other.
That aversion to favoritism extends to a proposal to eliminate the city’s 3% sales tax on food for home consumption, a measure Sinnett says has unequal benefits. Instead, he would rather see more general tax relief that both residents and businesses can take advantage of.
When it comes to public safety in Loveland, Sinnett said that his top concern is the “mental health crisis,” which is spurring criminality, homelessness and substance abuse. If elected, he would advocate for city programs that connect residents with mental or behavioral health treatment and help them get “back on the right track.”
“If you start addressing the mental health crisis, you’re going to see a reduction in violent crime, you’re going to see a reduction in domestic violence and a reduction in drug use and alcoholism,” he said, adding that it is also the most “up front” way to deal with homelessness.
At the same time, the longtime attorney is a strong opponent of gun control measures and Colorado’s Red Flag laws in particular.
“A lot of politicians and local or state and federal governments, they’re targeting guns, instead of the underlying issue,” Sinnett said, referring back to mental health. “Because violence is going to happen no matter what weapons someone uses.”
Sinnett joins Lenard Larkin, Troy Krenning and Dan Anderson in the crowded race to replace two-term City Councilor Richard Ball, who announced his retirement earlier this year.
The 2023 election is Sinnett’s first foray into municipal politics, though he did run for Eighth Judicial District Attorney in 2020 on a platform of seeking justice for victims. In the past, he has served on the board of Poudre School District Foundation and donated his time to legal assistance services.
When he’s not advocating for clients in court or running for office, Sinnett hangs out with his dog Wilson or spends his time creating art or creating music, two lifelong talents. He is also an avid reader and history buff.
For more information about Sinnett’s campaign, visit Russell970.com. For more information about Loveland’s upcoming municipal election, visit lovgov.org/city-government/city-clerk/elections.
