By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice
As Cody Davis received the gavel as the new chair of the Mesa County board of commissioners, he reflected on its playful history. Like when Bobbie Daniel became chair, Davis helped bedazzle it to add a glittery flair in honor of her leadership.
Now that the gavel has been passed to him, Davis joked about expecting “something like Thor’s Hammer” but admitted the simple wooden gavel feels fitting for his no-nonsense approach.
“I’m not a very glittery, in-your-face personality,” he said. “If I were to upgrade it, maybe I’d add a little plane or something aviation-related.”
In December, Davis accomplished a little-known feat — he earned his pilot’s license. Flying has been a lifelong aspiration inspired by his father, who also held a pilot’s license.
“When you take off on the runway, it’s like you’re no longer an earthbound mortal,” he shared.
When he’s not in the air, he’s still connected to the world of flight by serving on the Grand Junction Airport Board Authority.
Before pursuing elected office, Davis followed in his father’s footsteps as a builder, a journey that started when he was 18.
“My dad wanted me to learn how to do it, so he took me to work a lot and said, ‘Start building,’ ” Davis recounted.
He faced skepticism from subcontractors, noting, “People don’t have respect for an 18-year-old kid trying to build a house.”
Despite the difficulties, Davis credits the experience with shaping his ability to manage stress, work with people and confront challenges head-on.
His frustrations as a builder and developer dealing with local governments motivated him to step into a public leadership role.
“What frustrated me is local governments would set rules, policies and regulations, and we would follow those rules. Then, because of a little pressure from someone in the room, they would cave and go against their own rules,” he explained.
Davis emphasized the importance of the rule of law in governance: “We are still a rule-of-law community, and if we don’t follow the rules, we have no predictability or protections,” he said. “That’s what really got me into politics to begin with — the land use side.”
Having previously served as chair in 2022, Davis approaches the role pragmatically: “In Mesa County, chair is more of a responsibility than a title.”
Davis identifies budgeting as Mesa County’s biggest challenge in 2025, citing the constraints of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) amid rising inflation.
“Budget is definitely our biggest challenge. Our revenue couldn’t keep up with inflation, just like everybody’s personal budget,” he said.
Road infrastructure is also a priority for Davis this term. He acknowledges the challenges of maintaining roads amidst increasing costs and limited resources. He reflects on the county’s recent failed attempt to secure additional funding from voters for road improvements.
“Roads are getting more expensive, and it’s hard to keep up. That’s why we asked the voters this last year for the $11.5 million to put toward roads, and they gave us a resounding ‘no’,” Davis said, adding that he appreciates the principles of TABOR, which keeps fiscal responsibility in the hands of the taxpayers. “We’ll make it work.”
The county’s goal is to maintain its pavement condition index (PCI) score, which currently averages 72.
“When you start dipping into the 60s, the average person really starts noticing road deterioration, and it actually starts costing them a lot more money for things like [vehicle] alignment,” he explained.
Davis described the federal funding secured for the Orchard Avenue project as a win for Mesa County residents, enabling faster progress on critical infrastructure.
“We just got a big grant from the federal highway transportation program — $22.5 million for Orchard Avenue. That was in our long-term plan and was probably going to take us 10 to 15 years to finish,” he said. “Now, we’ll be able to do it in three or four years.”
Leading various boards and currently chairing the Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado has taught him how vital collaboration is in driving results.
“The greatest lesson I’ve learned is, it’s not what you know, but who you know,” he said. “When we face an issue, it’s not about what I know — it’s about the people you know who can help solve it and bring better expertise.”
Davis’s network has often positioned him as a problem-solver, both in and outside of his official responsibilities.
“A lot of people call me for random issues that have nothing to do with the county,” he explained. “Sometimes it’s just me saying, ‘Hey, you need to call this person.’ They didn’t even know they needed to call that person; I know who they need to talk to.”
He enjoys this capacity to help others solve problems.
The payoff for these connections is often tangible, Davis points out: “People will text me days or weeks later and say, ‘Thanks, you solved my problem.’ ”
He likens his role to that of a matchmaker, focused on aligning people with the resources or individuals who can help them succeed.
“It really is about who you know and connecting others with the right people,” Davis said. “Sometimes, I feel like I’m just putting the right people in the right seats on the bus.”
As Davis begins his second term as commissioner, he reflects on his work with the communities affected by policies, an invaluable learning experience. He recalled a time when he pursued an ordinance to restrict truck traffic on 16 Road after hearing local residents’ safety concerns.
“16 Road is a really small road with a lot of big trucks traveling fast. One resident told me, ‘My kid literally rides their bike there, and a semi-truck going 65 could hit them over the hill.’ That’s a safety issue, and I wanted to solve it,” Davis explained.
He sought to implement a local truck traffic ordinance targeting interstate trucks that were avoiding the Loma port by using 16 Road, a route not designed for heavy freight vehicles.
However, the process revealed unintended consequences and gaps in community engagement.
“I didn’t connect with the trucking community in the area,” he admits. “When we held our first hearing, those truckers packed the room and I took a licking from them.”
Through those conversations, Davis learned that hazmat vehicles were required to use 16 Road because of regulations prohibiting them from being within 500 feet of schools.
“We killed the ordinance after hearing from the community,” he noted. “One guy came up to me afterward and said, ‘I hated you when I first heard about this. But you stopped, listened to us and understood the implications. For that, I respect you.’ ”
This experience underscored a key takeaway for Davis: “Listen to the community that’s most affected by your decisions. Engage with them before moving forward. We often think we have the perfect idea, but there’s always an unintended consequence.”