Measure Q

At the June 23, 2026, Council Meeting, we reviewed the results of the City of Hemet's Public Poll. 

No one was more surprised than me with the results. Indicating a large portion of citizens may (MAY!) support a general tax increase! We are already on the higher end of the tax category. So, my comment was, "Then put it to the voters and let them decide."

Make no mistake: while November 2nd and November 4th may look decidedly different, our financial hurdles will remain exactly the same.

You probably ask why and how we got here.

1. The sales tax income for our city has dramatically dropped. Unfortunately, this is also true for Riverside County AND cities surrounding dependent on sales tax. I try to remember this when I purchased something from Amazon. I ask myself; can I get this locally? I found out yes, with my dog treats that they LOVE! I found them at my local Hemet Walmart. Hemet Walmart has its good and bad, but still the tax comes back to this city. No, when it came to the LED Net Flag of the American Red, White and Blue flag. I will buy those dog treats as many times over and over as I want. And the price is comparable. I harp pretty hard on the Amazon purchases that our own city completes for common office supply needs. It was argued to me that it was the ease and time saver that was considered. While I get ease etc... Something bigger becomes more important. Supporting our own businesses that support our city. At every council meeting, during Warrants to be approved, I point out the Local Businesses this city has used. These are checks made out to entities that presented a receivable bill. This city was working against itself, and by simply pointing out when we change our spending habits, our city moves towards localization. BUT our businesses are suffering. The local stores and business owners are seeing a dramatic drop in commerce. And it is everywhere in every city. That store you use to visit for all things, now you only visit when you need human interaction. For instance, you walk into a hardware store because you need help determining which fan switch you need. Otherwise, you shop away online because of the selection and ease. Can we change our thinking to local, local, local? Believe it or not my parents would only purchase locally, and it even went farther to American Made. 

2. During the recent Annexation attempt by a local group of individuals, citizens came out in large numbers identifying reasons why they did not support this movement. Roads were the primary and City business was secondary on their list. They pointed to the disrepair of our aging roads.  They also said that the city needed to clean and tidy up its house before venturing beyond its borders. There were other reasons, but the top two were my sentiments. 

   3. Whether you know it or not, 2007-2009 economic downturn not only affected the citizens and finances, it also devastated the city. This cause          and effect created hard choices for the city at that time. Houses were being defaulted on, people were walking away, families were                                experiencing bankruptcy and businesses that were discretionary purchases closed. Hemet was hit pretty hard. All of the non-essential                        services were deferred. At that time those same services included any and all roads that were already in disrepair. 

   4. Covid came along and again the economy slowed to a trickle. Even though they were not back-to-back year wise, they were back-to-back                    decades. We have never been able to catch up to our roads and their condition. Since I had been on the Planning Commission to now,

        ONE mile of road completely repaired went from $750,000 to over 1.3 million. That is one mile!

   5. The city of Hemet has gone through a lot of instability. I cannot count the amount of money spent on city managers coming in and then being            asked to leave. Wages For the employees of the City of Hemet have always been low. We lost good employees across the board. Police                        officers left for other cities and fire department lost employees to other cities. Attracting quality applicants has and is a challenge.

   6. Doing business or projects in Hemet has and still continues to be a challenge. Our latest city manager, Mark Prestwich, sought outside help              to change the employee hierarchy and accountability. He tried to make a change for the better. As of today, I have several people who                            continue to experience the obstacles with doing business with the City of Hemet.

   7. This country has a real problem with Drugs, Alcohol Abuse, Mental Illness and Accountability. This problem should be discussed at a                           different time. Unfortunately, though, These problems do affect the perception of this city and its safety. Gratefully our current Police Chief                 Mike Arellano has a mindset that is improving our quality of life and decreasing the crime in this city. He welcomes the questions on                             statistics. Numbers cannot lie. We just need the perception to start changing and he leads in this movement.

   8. This city is landlocked. As the years go forward with the current city boundaries as they are, this creates a unique problem. We have to make             sure that our properties when vacant are used or built upon wisely. We have to get it right the first time. Slumlords cannot be allowed to                       continue bringing the city down. Exploration and financial constraints create a paradox. We would love to have this, but we can't afford this.               One situation for me is a Sports Complex outside towards Domenigoni Parkway. What comes with this is quality development, most                               importantly the retail that follows such a project Include hotels of quality, aesthetically pleasing buildings and a better "local" experience.                  Unfortunately, we just don't have this kind of financial holding. Anyone know Elon Musk? We just need a boost!

 

If this tax is approved by Hemet Citizens, then we should focus on:

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        1. Improved infrastructure. Fixing roads, potholes, sidewalks. Catching up before the cost prevents affordability.

 

        2. Improved Water Mains and lines. Removing antiquated materials and replacing them with current standards. Improving drinking water                    delivery to residents.

 

   3. Hire In-House administrative personnel in place of costly outsourced contracts.

       Adding additional resources to Administrative Departments for better public service. Maintaining the current level and improving ALL                         departments staffing level. 

 

      4. Build financial security to afford large infrastructure improvements, such as firehouse remodels, new firehouse locations, and public works            projects.

 

       5. Improve the Hemet Library Hours and operations. 

 

       6. Rehabilitate Weston Park, Mary Henley, and other parks in the city. Investing back into the public for better Parks access and improved                    aesthetics.

 

       7. Developing the city finance reserve for future wage increases that are in line with surrounding cities and help in retention for all                                     departments.

 

       8. Removing the growing total dependency on grants to fund the city. 

 

Whether or not the citizens approve Measure Q, the problems will still be there for the city on November 4, 2026. That is a fact. I was asked to

sign the Measure Rebuttal for the voters. I put my name to the factual information that the rebuttal stated with the #8 above targets that I personally have. YOU DECIDE, by vote.

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Connie