Dakotah McGinlay, the youngest person to ever be elected to the Steamboat Springs City Council, has announced she will not seek reelection when her term concludes later this year. 

In an interview with the Steamboat Pilot & Today, McGinlay reflected on her four years of service, the challenges and rewards of public office and her hopes for the future of both the council and the community she has called home throughout her 20s.

“I have so many passions, and lately I’ve been feeling like I want to focus on some of my other passions in life, to be able to work with kids and volunteer in some other ways, and this would afford me more time to be able to do that,” she said. 

McGinlay, who joined the council in 2021 at age 26, has balanced her council duties with a full-time job as executive coordinator at Northwest Colorado Health and active participation on several boards and committees, including the Yampa Valley Housing Authority and the Yampa River Fund Board of Directors. 

Despite finding a rhythm, McGinlay acknowledged the toll the work has taken.

“It is a very heavy schedule, working full-time and doing council,” said McGinlay. “It does take a toll on me, personally, mentally, it has over the last four years, and I’ve done better at times with the stress management and not great at times with the stress management.”

The decision, McGinlay emphasized, was not made lightly. She spoke candidly about the mental and emotional toll of public service, especially in a national climate where threats to elected officials — and the broader turmoil and instability in federal government — have become all too common.

“It is a really hard time to step down from council with everything that’s going on, everything that we’re talking about,” she said. “Reading that there has been gun violence against representatives in our country is devastating to me.”

“For my own mental health and stress levels, this is the right decision for me right now,” she added.
“I want to be an open-hearted leader, right? My heart is hurting immensely, and it’s hard to walk away for sure.”

A transformative experience

Looking back, McGinlay described her time on council as transformative.

“This has been a really beautiful experience for me. I’ve grown so much. I’ve met so many remarkable people. I’ve gotten to do some really amazing things,” she said, recalling highlights like participating in the Yampa River Awareness Project alongside river experts and state leaders.

McGinlay outlined the “gifts” she takes from her council service, including learning to use her voice for meaningful action, practicing the art of compromise and representing the underrepresented. 

“I learned to value diverse opinions. I learned how to fail and get back up. I learned to look beyond someone’s emotion to the heart of what’s important to them,” she said.

She also reflected on her service as the city’s representative on the board of the Yampa Valley Housing Authority. 

“Affordable housing is complex, to say the least. The people who do this work are dedicated, passionate and very skillful,” said McGinlay. “I wish the community would recognize the value they bring and have more humanity towards their staff who work so hard to house our community members.”

She also credited her council colleagues and city staff, both former and current, for their support and inspiration. 

“The council I walked into in 2021, we had some serious challenges to face, not only in the community, but within our relationships with each other,” said McGinlay. “Those relationships broke me down at times, but they also broke me open for growth.” 

She offered a special thanks to former City Manager Gary Suiter, current Council President Gail Garey and fellow council members for their mentorship, friendship and the lessons they’ve imparted. 

“To the current council, I just want to say thank you. I’ve grown to love these people. I’ve grown to commiserate with them, to support them, to befriend them, and I feel very lucky,” said McGinlay.  “We don’t always agree, obviously, but I have so much respect for them, and they have respect for me, and I can feel that.” 

As the youngest Steamboat council member to ever hold office — 25 when she ran, 26 when sworn in, and 30 when she officially steps down — McGinlay has been a vocal advocate for youth engagement in local government.

“If you really care about something, don’t let somebody tell you that you can’t fight for it, or you can’t protect it, or you can’t work on it,” she said, addressing young people in the community directly. “I’ve been told so many times, ‘We’ve tried it, it won’t work’…I challenge you to be audacious and try anyway.”

Hope for a successor

To her successor, McGinlay hopes for someone who brings diversity and a willingness to tackle a wide range of issues. 

“It’s great if you feel really strongly about one particular project like Brown Ranch, but there is so much more to being on council than having one area of focus,” she said. “You have to be able to speak to a myriad of issues, whether you’re passionate about them or not.”

She stressed the importance of progress, compassion and an open mind.

“I hope whoever takes my seat on council works hard to represent those without the power to represent themselves,” said McGinlay. “I hope they work hard to find the truth and the heart in the matter. I hope they lead with compassion, empathy and humility.”

McGinlay, who leaves at a time when Steamboat Springs faces significant challenges, particularly around housing and transportation, underscored the importance of finding solutions. 

“There’s so many people that are upset about the traffic. There’s so many people that are in need of housing or upset about the Brown Ranch process,” she said. “I hope at the end of the day, people see that we need both a (Regional Transportation Authority) and more housing, whether that’s Brown Ranch, whether that’s a combination … we need to hit all areas, all angles with housing.” 

She urged the community to embrace both innovation and compromise, warning against “closed-mindedness” and encouraging frank, often difficult conversations.

“We need to be open to change, and we need to be willing to have hard conversations with our neighbors, with each other, no matter how divisive these issues are,” said McGinlay. “The only way we’re going to make them less divisive is by having an open mind.”

Though stepping down from council, McGinlay has no plans to leave Steamboat Springs any time soon. 

“I’d love to be able to grow even more roots here and start a family and call this place home,” she said. “So if you see me in the grocery store, still say ‘Hi’, and I’d still love to hear what you’re passionate about.”

As she closes this chapter, McGinlay leaves with gratitude, hope and a challenge for others — especially young people — to step up and serve.