Less than 24 hours after Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario swore him in as jail supervisor, Anthony Mazzola has resigned to return to the Rio Blanco Sheriff’s Department.

On Tuesday, Mazzola told the Glenwood Springs Post Independent he planned to commute to Glenwood Springs from his home in Meeker. Thursday, he said the 136-mile round trip from Meeker to Glenwood Springs and back was too much.

“I realized the amount of time I’d be spending away from my family,” Mazzola said from his home in Meeker. “My family has always been my primary priority. I’d have to spend too much time away.”

Mazzola has a wife and 12-year-old son.

Vallario, who was also sworn in on Tuesday, was unavailable for comment.

Before taking office, Vallario notified jail administrator Dan Hall and jail Lt. Les Beckman they would not be retained.

Tuesday morning, Mazzola seemed upbeat about being tapped as Vallario’s jail supervisor.

“My first impression after Lou called me was that I was honored,” said Mazzola, who served with Vallario on the multi-county Trident drug task force.

Mazzola, who was undersheriff in Rio Blanco before accepting the Garfield County job, indicated he was also looking forward to being a full-time jail supervisor.

“It’s a whole new challenge,” Mazzola said. “I’ll be going from an 18th-century jail with 18 prisoners, to a 21st-century jail with over 200.”

After resigning, Mazzola complimented Vallario and his staff. “They are great people,” Mazzola said. “Lou is going to be an excellent sheriff.”

Mazzola has worked for the Rio Blanco Sheriff’s Department for 12 years. He said he’ll return to the department as a patrol sergeant, under new sheriff Cy Woodruff.

Contact Lynn Burton: 945-8515, ext. 534

lburton@postindependent.com