Wildomar, Southwest Riverside County Leaders, Speak At State Capitol This Summer

WILDOMAR, CA — A unified coalition of elected officials and executive leaders across Southwest Riverside County recently met with state legislators in Sacramento to advance local agendas and seek equitable representation for our corner of the state.

Calling themselves the Southwest Elected Leaders Collaborative, these local leaders from Wildomar, Canyon Lake, and Lake Elsinore, as well as from across Southwest Riverside County, sought to amplify the region’s voice through a series of meetings with key decision-makers in Sacramento on June 25.

Local leaders from Canyon Lake, Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, Menifee, Temecula, Wildomar the County of Riverside, the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC), Riverside Transit Agency (RTA), and the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG), made it clear that Southwest Riverside County is a critical driver of California’s housing and population growth, according to Murrieta Mayor Cindy Warren.

Still, the region continues to face a shortage of state investment in transportation infrastructure and deserves stronger representation in policy decisions that directly impact residents’ daily lives.

“We’re not here to ask for special treatment — we’re here to demand fair consideration,” Warren said. “Our cities are delivering on housing, investing in local infrastructure, and leading with regional collaboration. The State needs to treat us as a partner, not an afterthought.”

Throughout the day, the Collaborative emphasized three core themes:

1. Local Performance, State Partnership – Southwest Riverside cities are meeting their Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) housing targets and advancing high-impact locally funded projects, yet are routinely bypassed in competitive State infrastructure funding programs.
2. Policy Flexibility for Real-World Conditions – Statewide policies like vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reduction goals and zero-emission bus mandates need flexibility to accommodate inland regions whose residents contend with long commutes and limited resources to fund additional transit options.
3. Equitable Representation in State Decision-Making – The Collaborative called for greater inclusion in state working groups, grant review panels, and legislative discussions to ensure fast-growing, inland communities have a voice in shaping policy.

Menifee City Council Member Ben Diederich said that our diversity and explaining our unique situation were the reasons for the meeting:

“California is too diverse for one-size-fits-all mandates. What works in downtown San Francisco doesn’t work in Menifee, Murrieta, or Lake Elsinore. If we’re going to move forward together, we need regional flexibility and fair funding.”

The group also raised concerns over the I-15 Express Lanes Project Southern Extension to Lake Elsinore being left out of the most recent round of SB 1 funding, despite the region’s demonstrated need and collaborative planning efforts.

Temecula Council Member James Stewart spoke of the state mandates as "creating an imbalance" in local communities.

“State-mandated housing is creating an imbalance in Southern California’s infrastructure and economy—turning locally zoned commercial properties into residential eliminates jobs and the unanticipated new housing strains our transportation system," Stewart said. "We urge the State of California to look beyond special interests that are overshadowing funding for vital freeway and roadway infrastructure that is critically needed to support housing. Southern California residents and families are struggling to sustain their quality of life without this essential investment."

Results from the meeting were what mattered.

The group's efforts resulted in a renewed commitment from state officials to keep the conversation going and consider the region’s unique circumstances as part of future planning and funding frameworks. What that translates to in the long run remains to be seen.

For the time being, these leaders promise to continue advocating for infrastructure investment, policy flexibility, and state partnership as the voice of Southwest Riverside County in Sacramento and beyond.