Who we are

At its core, our budget reflects the needs and priorities of the people behind it: the leaders elected by County voters, the staff and volunteers who deliver services to the community, and, most importantly, Mesa County residents. 

Mesa County is located in western Colorado, the site of an ancient flood plain that was home to dinosaurs whose fossils now attract tourists and scientists from around the world. The first known humans in the area were Fremont Indians, who lived in the Grand Valley from 250 to 1300 A.D. and left behind the pictographs and petroglyphs that still decorate the walls of Bangs Canyon. Later, the Northern Ute Tribe, led by the famous Chief Ouray, occupied the area before Spanish padres, mountain men, and surveyors came to explore and document the region in the latter half of the 19th Century.

In September 1881, the region experienced a land rush settlement and a townsite was staked. Mesa County was established in 1883 with Grand Junction as the County seat. Grand Junction began to thrive when the main line of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroads reached town in November 1882. Soon after, major irrigation turned the Grand Valley into a fertile agricultural region known especially for its peaches. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th Century, Mesa County’s population boomed as the area became a hub of regional commerce and transportation.

Uranium mining emerged as a driver of the local economy during and after World War II, with Grand Junction home to as many as 35 mining companies by the 1950s. The industry reached peak production in 1961 before shale oil drilling became the focus of the region’s natural resource economy in the 1970s. The collapse of the oil industry in 1982 began an era of boom-bust cycles which characterized the local economy until the region began to diversify away from resource extraction in the early 21st Century.

Steady population growth to continue through next decade

Unemployment hovering around pre-pandemic levels

Year	Percentage
2017-2019 Average	3.6%
April 2020	12.1%
2021 Average	5.7%
2023	3.4%

Median Household Income

Income Up and Poverty Down Significantly since 2016

Year	Income	Percent below Federal poverty line
2016	$49,825	16.3%
2022	$70,711	10.3%

Median Price of Single Family Homes up 90% since 2016

Year	Price
2016	$211,050
2023	$400,000

Mesa County Board of County Commissioners

A 3-member Board of County Commissioners governs Mesa County. Commissioners serve staggered 4-year teams, and are limited to serving a maximum of two consecutive terms. Each commissioner is elected at large to represent the County as a whole, but must reside within the district in which they run. The Board administers all County functions, appoints members to County boards and commissions, adopts the County budget, and sets mill levies. The Board also acts as the Board of Human Services, the Board of Equalization, and the ex-officio board of seven improvement districts administered by the County.

Commissioner, District 1

Cody Davis
Current Term: 2021-2025

Commissioner, District 2

Bobbie Daniel
Current Term: 2023 - 2024

Commissioner, District 3

Janet Rowland
Current Term: 2021 - 2025

Assessor

Brent Goff
Current Term: 2023-2027

The Assessor discovers, lists, classifies, and assesses all real and taxable property in Mesa County.

Clerk and Recorder

Bobbie Gross
Current Term: 2023-2027

The Clerk & Recorder licenses motor vehicles, preserves public documents, and acts as chief election official and clerk to the Board of County Commissioners.

Coroner

Dean Havlik
Current Term: 2023-2027

The Coroner certifies all deaths in Mesa County and investigates the causes and manner of deaths not occurring from natural causes.

District Attorney

Dan Rubinstein
Current Term: 2020-2024

The District Attorney prosecutes criminal actions within Colorado's 21st Judicial District, which covers all of Mesa County.

Sheriff

Todd Rowell
Current Term: 2023-2027

The Sheriff acts as Mesa County's chief law enforcement officer, coordinates emergency and rescue services, and operates the County jail.

Surveyor

Scott Thompson
Current Term: 2023-2027

The Surveyor assists Mesa County staff and residents with interpreting deeds, easements, rights of way, and other boundary issues.

Treasurer

Sheila Reiner
Current Term: 2023-2027

The Treasurer collects and distributes property taxes levied, conducts all County banking activity, and makes investments on behalf of the County. The Treasurer also acts as the County's Public Trustee, which serves as a neutral mediator between property owners and lenders during the foreclosure process.

 

 

Mesa County Citizens

• 21st Judicial District Attorney - Dan Rubinstein
• Assessor - Brent Goff
• Clerk and Recorder - Bobbie Gross
• Coroner - Dean Havlik
• Board of Commissioners - Cody Davis, Bobbie Daniel, Janet Rowland
  • Board of Health - Birth and Death Certificates, Communicable Disease, Environmental Health, Health, Community Outreach
  • Human Services - Adult Services, Child Welfare, Self-Sufficiency, Workforce Center
  • County Attorney
  • County Administrator
    • Administration
    • Public Relations
    • Finance
    • Human Resources
    • Risk Management
    • Public Works - Engineering, Road and Bridge, Fleet, Solid Waste, Traffic, Stormwater
    • Deputy County Administrator
      • Community Development - Building, Planning, Code Compliance, OWTS
      • Justice Services - Animal Services, Community Corrections, Day Reporting, Deferred Judgment, Pretrial, Summit View Treatment, Useful Public Service
      • Information Technology
      • Facilities, Parks and Fairgrounds
      • Regional Transportation Planning Office
      • Tri-River Extension
• Sheriff - Todd Rowell
• Surveyor - Scott Thompson
• Treasurer - Sheila Reiner