Angelica Salinas
Commissioner. Organizer. Advocate.
What I believe
I do this work because change starts local. It starts with whether a family can afford to stay. With whether a child gets access to quality care. With whether a hospital keeps its doors open. With whether the climate plan is implemented. The global, national, and state-level fights eventually come back to those questions, and to the people answering them in places like ours.
I believe the people closest to the work should be closest to the decisions. That housing, childcare, healthcare, and a livable climate aren't political talking points. They're the things that decide whether communities can hold together. And rural communities aren't an afterthought to that conversation. We're part of where it gets decided.
I believe leadership looks different when more of us are at the table. I came up through community organizing, nonprofit work, and showing up. Not through a political machine. As Routt County's youngest commissioner and the first from an underrepresented background to hold this seat, I know what it means to be the person who finally got a chair. My job now is to pull more of them up.
Local is where the work starts. It's also where the change does.
The Work
Since taking office in January 2025, here's some of what I've been working on:
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Expand affordable housing across Routt County
Serving on the Yampa Valley Housing Authority board and supporting workforce housing projects that meet local needs.
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Strengthen public transit and rural transportation access
Helping establish a Regional Transportation Authority that connects communities and expands mobility options across the valley.
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Protect public lands and invest in long-term conservation
Helped lead the County's Public Lands Resolution and is strengthening the Purchase of Development Rights program to preserve open space, working ranch lands, and wildlife habitat across Routt County.
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Support a Just Transition and strengthen rural economic resilience
Working with local and state partners to support impacted workers, plan for economic stability, and advocate for long-term investments as Hayden Station closes.
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Protecting rural healthcare and the people who depend on it
Pushing back on federal proposals that threaten Medicaid access and rural hospital stability, and advocating for clinics, public health programs, and local services facing rising costs and limited state funding.
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Lead on local climate action and clean energy planning
Serving on the Routt County Climate Action Plan Board and collaborating with regional partners to implement rural-focused climate solutions.
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Expanding access to early childhood education and care
Working with First Impressions and local providers to address the infant and toddler care shortage facing Routt County families, and helping shape statewide policy through the Early Childhood Council.
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Supporting working families and local businesses.
Advocating for pro-worker, pro-small business policies and helping the county navigate economic challenges during funding freezes and federal cost shifts.
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Bringing rural Colorado's voice to the state and national level.
Serving on the Colorado Workforce Development Council by appointment of Governor Polis, and helping lead fiscal reform work.
This work doesn't happen behind a desk. It happens at rallies, in board meetings, at neighborhood gatherings, and at every kitchen table where someone wants to talk about how to make this place work for more of us.
Priorities
HOUSING FOR ALL
Support local housing projects, expand workforce options, and make it possible for people to live where they work and stay in Routt County.
PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT
Advance local climate action, preserve open spaces and clean water, and support the long-term health of our land and communities.
CHILDCARE FOR FAMILIES
Build public-private partnerships and invest in providers to reduce costs and expand access—especially for infants and toddlers.
ACCESSIBLE, RURAL HEALTHCARE
Defend clinics and services from budget cuts, advocate for Medicaid access, and ensure essential care is available across the county.
STRONG, LOCAL ECONOMY
Champion small businesses, protect our rural economy, and bring forward-thinking solutions to support workers, entrepreneurs, and job growth.
REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION
Lead regional efforts to expand public transit, improve rural access, and plan for a future where everyone can get where they need to go.
