NOVEMBER 12 - 19, 2025
VOLUME 32, ISSUE 44
THE DEFINITIVE SOURCE FOR GRAND JUNCTION BUSINESS & COMMUNITY NEWS SINCE 1994
County faces reduction in deputies
THEBUSINESSTIMES.COM
New Career in Cookies
Brandon Leuallen The Business Times
M
esa County Sheriff Todd Rowell told county commissioners on Nov. 6 that proposed budget cuts would reduce deputy staffing and critical operations at a time when call volumes and unfunded, state-mandated costs continue to rise. This also comes as the Sheriff’s Department is going through its collective-bargaining agreement. The presentation, delivered in the Mesa County Commission board room, outlined potentially more than $3 million in cuts to the Sheriff’s Office, including 18 deputy positions and nearly $1 million in operational reductions. It also brought up concerns that the county’s generalfund allocation for law enforcement has steadily declined compared with other departments. Mesa County Administrator Todd Hollenbeck said staff will review the sheriff’s data and bring a recommendation back to commissioners at a later date. $3.1 Million in Cuts and 18 Fewer Deputies Rowell said his office voluntarily held 20 positions open this year, returning roughly $2 million to the county’s general fund, but the 2026 proposal goes much deeper. See story Page 4
Couple’s trip to Fort Collins led to Mary’s Mountain Cookies coming to Fruita. — See Page 2
Justin, left, and Tara Adis stand behind the 12-foot display case at Mary’s Mountain Cookies, 138 S. Park Square, Unit 103, in Fruita. They said the variety of cookies they offer each day pose a challenge for customers. “You really have to stand back and take a minute to take it all in,” Justin said, “because it’s just so amazing-looking.” He added, “We have a ‘buy six cookies, get two cookies free,’ and that can take people five or 10 minutes to figure out what they want to put in that box.” Also, if that’s more than the customer can eat in a day, the cookies can be stored in a freezer for up to two months. Photo by Tim Harty.
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