Sales tax collections decline

Phil Castle, The Business Times Mesa County officials have revised downward their projection for sales tax revenue after collections dropped on a year-over-year basis for a fourth consecutive month. Combined sales and use tax collections for the City of Grand Junction have declined for three straight months. Year-to-date tax collections for the county and city […]

Nominations due Dec. 14 for landowner award

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is seeking nominations for its Wildlife Landowner of the Year Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions made by private landowners to conserving wildlife, enhancing wildlife habitat and providing public access for hunting and fishing. The winner will be honored at a banquet and an awards ceremony during the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association […]

Community Hospital receives high marks for orthopedic care

Community Hospital in Grand Junction has earned high marks for orthopedic services in an evaluation of about 4,500 hospitals nationwide. Community Hospital received a Five Star Award for its overall orthopedic care from Healthgrades, a leading provider of information designed to help consumers make informed choices in selecting hospitals and physicians. “This designation represents the […]

Contributions sought for CMU scholarships on Montrose campus

Contributions will be accepted through Dec. 31 as part of an effort to raise $150,000 for scholarships to students who attend Colorado Mesa University in Montrose. If the campaign is successful, those contributions will be matched in establishing an endowment, said CMU President Tim Foster. “We love working with our partners in Montrose. If you […]

Colorado moves up in latest tax ranking

Colorado fares comparatively well in an annual study of state and local tax burdens, but moved up seven spots in the latest ranking. Colorado came in at 32nd in the state and local tax burden ranking compiled by the Tax Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan tax research organization based in Washington, D.C. New York ranked first […]

Lodging tax report reflects increasing hospitality business

A monthly measure of hotel and motel stays in Grand Junction continues to reflect increased business compared to last year. According to the Grand Junction Visitor & Convention Bureau report for October, $137,108 in lodging taxes were collected. That’s a 6.5 percent increase over what was reported in October 2011. For reports for January through […]

Mesa County jobless rate increases

Phil Castle, The Business Times  The monthly unemployment rate increased in Mesa County between September and October for the first time in four years. Still, the latest jobless rate remains lower than this time last year even as labor demand remains at its highest level since 2007. “Are we better off than we were last year? […]

Small business group polls members on issues

Phil Castle, The Business Times When Tony Gagliardi lobbies on behalf of the small business advocacy group he leads in Colorado, he knows whether members of the group support or oppose certain measures. That’s because Gagliardi asks them. The National Federation of Independent Business bases its lobbying efforts on the state and national levels in […]

Grand Junction rental market tightens, but rents drop

Phil Castle, The Business Times Apartment vacancy rates in Grand Junction have dropped to their lowest levels in nearly four years. But average monthly rents also have dropped in a market that can’t yet bear substantial increases. While rental activity has slowed in recent months, the long-term trend continues toward a tighter market, said Cindy […]