LEGISLATIVE
2025
PLATFORM
City of Murrieta, City Council. 2025 Legislative Platform.
Approved _________, 2025, Council Item #___
3 Table of Contents
City Council and District Map 4
Introduction 5
Council Goals 6
Legislative Platform 7
8 Public Safety 9
Infrastructure and Transportation 10
Economic Development 11
Housing, Planning, & Zoning 12
2025
Legislative Platform
General Governance
Revenue and Fiscal Stability 13
Social and Environmental Programs 14
Federal Priorities 15
1 2
3 4 5
Jon Levell Ron Holliday Lisa DeForest
Lori Stone Cindy Warren
2025
Legislative Platform
City Council and
District Map
4 2025
Legislative Platform Introduction
Murrieta is a young and vibrant community, ideally located at the junction of Interstate 15 and 215 freeways. Since its incorporation in 1991, Murrieta has experienced a dramatic increase in population, making it one of the most populous cities in Riverside County. Located near San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange County markets, Murrieta has a rigorous economic development program that has successfully attracted a Costco, two Home Depots, a Trader Joe’s, and the recent reopening of the Murrieta Hot Springs Resort.
With a heavy focus on public safety, Murrieta is consistently recognized as one of the safest cities in the country, thanks to high-performing police and fire departments. Murrieta’s dual freeway exposure allows businesses to enjoy a healthy economic base while providing residents with plentiful services, leading to an exceptional quality of life. In addition, upscale yet affordable housing, paired with a nationally-recognized school district makes Murrieta a highly desirable community to raise families. With a population of almost 120,000, Murrieta boasts an educated, high-income population, comparable to communities in San Diego and Orange counties.
To compete on a local, national, and global stage, the City of Murrieta works diligently to strategically position itself politically through a variety of means. An important component to the future success of the City is working closely with our representatives for the State of California and the U.S. federal government. Each year, the City Council adopts a Legislative Platform to assist in these efforts. 5 6
2025
Legislative Platform Legislative Platform
The 2025 Legislative Platform reflects the Murrieta City Council’s declared policy positions. The purpose of the platform is to further advance the adopted goals and objectives of the City Council by providing direction and guidance to City officials and staff, while considering legislation pending at the state and federal levels. The platform will enable City staff to efficiently advocate on legislative bills based on the overarching principles of prudent fiscal stability, protection of local control, and transparent government.
The City’s Platform is built on the following themes:
General Governance1.
Public Safety2.
Infrastructure and Transportation3.
Economic Development4.
Housing, Planning, & Zoning5.
Revenue and Financial Stability6.
Social and Environmental Programs7.
Federal Priorities8.
The City of Murrieta strongly promotes local control for cities and will support legislation based on whether it impacts local control over City revenues, land use, community development, and other municipal activities.
Provide a high level of innovative public safety
Aggressively pursue economic developmentPlan, program, and create infrastructure development
Council Goals
The Council’s six goals are
reflected throughout the
2025 Legislative Platform:
Maintain a high-performance organization that values
fiscal sustainability, transparency, accountability, and organizational efficiency.
Foster and promote an engaged, connected,
and caring community
Coordinate and deliver
responsive, effective community
services
2025
Legislative Platform Council Goals
7 The City acknowledges and supports Police and Fire services as pillars of the community and encourages responsiveness, innovation, transparency, and overall safety within the community.
The City’s overall vision for its economic base includes diverse businesses throughout the community of differing commercial and industrial uses which provide commerce to residents as well as locations for work. The City aims to support startup bio- technology to enhance growth of the medical industry locally.
The City continues to grow and expand
meaning that quality, planned, infrastructure
including water, sewer, streets, highways,
and other public infrastructure are key to a
vital community.
The City focuses on the most effective,
high-quality, customer oriented service at
all levels of government.
The City encourages transparency through engagement and promotes the participation and engagement of its residents.
The City focuses on providing the highest level of service within the organization’s means.
General Governance
1.1 Local Control - Oppose legislation
which preempts local control, and support
legislation which provides greater local
control.
1.6 City Revenue - Oppose efforts to
decrease, eliminate, supplant, or restrict
local autonomy of local revenues.
1.2 Accountability and Transparency -
Support legislation to hold the State of
California and State agencies to the same
transparency and accountability
standards as cities.
1.7 State & Federal Mandates - Support
full funding for State and federal
mandates on the City; pursue revisions to
streamline the process for local
governments to seek reimbursement; and
oppose unfunded mandates.
1.3 Government Efficiency - Support
measures which promote local
government operational efficiency and
effectiveness.
1.8 Mortgage Lenders - Support
legislation which would require mortgage
lenders to adopt a uniform tracking
method for mortgage instruments to
enable local government to reliably locate
owners of title.
1.4 Eminent Domain - Oppose
legislation which would further restrict use
of eminent domain.
1.9 Public Noticing - Support legislation
promoting alternative and electronic
posting of required notices.
1.5 Employees and Labor - Oppose
any measure that imposes mandated
employee benefits more properly decided
at the local level.
1.10 Tort Reform - Support tort reform
ending frivolous lawsuits aimed at local
agencies.
8 2025
Legislative Platform General Governance
Public Safety
2.1 Support Police Officers &
Operations - Support efforts to
strengthen local law enforcement.
Oppose efforts which limit or reduce law
enforcement capabilities.
2.5 Drug Use Conviction Diversion -
Support initiatives which allow drug
offenders of non-violent convictions to
enter into supervised treatment programs.
2.2 Reclassification of Crime - Oppose
efforts to reduce sentences and reclassify
crimes to lower levels and support
measures that increase sentencing terms
to enhance accountability and public
safety.
2.7 Mental Health Treatment - Support
legislation which recognizes mental
health and the inability for government
agencies to detain and assist those
refusing to take prescribed medications.
2.3 Judicial Support - Advocate for
initiatives to expand capacity of the
judicial branch, with particular focus on
Riverside County, to address shortages in
judges and court staff and to reduce
delays in the administration of justice.
2.8 Fire Operations and Fire Code -
Support efforts which strengthen local fire
operations including emergency medical
services, Fire & Life Safety Codes, and
directly fund local fire staff positions and
oppose efforts which reduce or limit local
control of fire and life safety operations.
2.4 Alcohol and Marijuana Use -
Advocate for the limit of alcoholic
beverage licenses in high-crime areas
and seek alignment between the federal
and State position prohibiting medical and
recreational marijuana use.
2.9 Open Space Fire Mitigation -
Support legislation which requires
maintenance of defensible space in
wildfire prone areas.
2.6 Public Safety Communication -
Oppose legislation which allows public
access to unencrypted or sensitive law
enforcement communications.
2.10 Regional Efforts - Support regional
efforts which help improve interoperability
between other jurisdictions, including the
county, State, and federal government.
9 2025
Legislative Platform Public Safety
10 Infrastructure and Transportation
3.1 Streets and Highways - Advocate for
the State and federal government to
improve aging, outdated, and inefficient
highways and address funding for local
roadways.
3.6 Small Cell - Oppose legislation or
regulations which limit or eliminate local
discretionary review of the installation of
small cell wireless equipment or any
wireless technology facilities in the public
right-of-way.
3.2 Funding Distribution - Support
measures which more equitably distribute
funding based on population and trending
population growth.
3.7 In-House Public Works Staffing -
Advocate for legislation which would
remove the barrier of using city staff for
public works construction contracts over
$5,000.
3.3 Design-Build - Support legislation
which provides General Law cities the
ability to utilize the design-build process
for public works projects.
3.8 Prevailing Wage - Support legislation
which addresses and updates prevailing
wage requirements.
3.4 Speed Limits - Support legislation
which establishes and grants greater City
Council control over the setting of speed
limits.
3.9 Public Contracting - Oppose
legislation which imposes limits on local
government indemnification, or limits local
government’s ability to contract out
provision of services.
3.5 Storm Water Fees - Support
legislation which would include storm
water fees among the types of fees
exempt from voting requirements under
Prop 218.
3.10 Vehicles on Public Streets -
Support legislation that allows local
jurisdictions increased authority to
regulate public roadways, including
regulating the sale of vehicles on public
streets and removal of abandoned
vehicles.
2025
Legislative Platform Infrastructure and Transportation
11 Economic Development
4.1 Small Business Support - Advocate for legislation that promotes small business programs, job creation, and international trade.
4.2 Local Support - Promote and support policies that bring back local agency tools, such as redevelopment funding, that provide local communities the ability to shape their growth.
4.3 Innovation and Startup Assistance - Support policies aimed at growing innovation, startup assistance, and resources for entrepreneurs.
4.4 Biotech and Medical Industry - Advocate, promote, and support biotech and medical industry development through policies, innovation, startup assistance and resources through the City, and policies through the County and State.
4.5 Military Installations - Support programs that create, enhance, and grow military and veteran resources, particularly in assisting veteran-owned businesses.
4.6 Higher Education - Support meaningful growth of higher education in the region. 2025
Legislative Platform Economic Development
12 Housing, Planning and Zoning
5.1 Organized Growth - Support efforts
to strengthen the ability of local agencies
to plan, implement, and certify their
General Plan and Housing Element.
5.5 Single Family Zoning - Oppose
legislation or regulations which would
allow for more than one residential unit in
single-family residential zones.
5.2 Rezoning Impacts - Oppose
legislation which would require
compensation for property owners for the
effects of zoning and ordinary local land
use control.
5.6 Prevailing Wage on Low Income
Housing - Support legislation which
would eliminate the prevailing wage
requirement on low-income housing.
5.3 Congregate and Community Care
Facilities - Support legislation which
would increase City control of congregate
and community care facilities.
5.7 Home Ownership Programs -
Support efforts to increase the maximum
home sale price allowed under all federal
and State home ownership funded
programs.
5.4 Regional Housing Needs
Assessment Allocations - Oppose
legislation which would penalize or
adversely impact the City if units
assigned under Regional Housing Needs
Assessments are not constructed.
5.8 Short-Term Rentals - Oppose any
legislation related to short-term residential
rentals which would create a cost burden
on local agencies.
2025
Legislative Platform Housing, Planning and Zoning
13 Revenue and Fiscal Stability
6.1 Tax Allocations - Oppose any
change in tax allocations negatively
impacting local governments, and support
measures for redistribution of property tax
revenues more equitably.
6.7 Federal and State Funding
Transparency - Support legislation which
would require federal pass-through
funding to be done in an equitable
manner by the State, and support
legislation that would increase
transparency to legislative appropriations.
6.2 Local Agency Control - Oppose
legislation or regulations which would
make local agencies more dependent on
the State for financial stability and policy
direction. Support measures which
expand local control and discretion.
6.8 Transportation Funding - Support
measures that provide for local and
regional transportation funding
opportunities and oppose measures
which increase taxes or fees or
implement vehicle-miles-traveled or
increases to current gas tax rates.
6.3 Unfunded Mandates - Oppose
legislation which would impose State and
federal mandated costs for which there is
no guarantee of local reimbursement.
6.9 Additional Resources - Support and
advocate for legislation or programs
which would provide additional funding to
address air and water quality, public
safety, planning, homelessness,
affordable housing, parks, libraries, public
art, historical sites, and open space.
6.4 Public Financing - Oppose any
measure which would restrict or limit a
public agency’s ability to use tax-exempt
debt or tax increment financing for the
purchase or construction of public
purpose improvements.
6.10 CDBG Funding - Oppose legislation
to decrease Federal Community
Development Block Grant funding.
6.5 State Diversion of Funding -
Oppose any legislation or measure which
would divert local funding to the State, or
other entity, to balance its budget.
6.11 Revenue Generation and
Protection - Oppose legislation which
restricts or eliminates traditional
government funding practices, including
the weakening or reversal of Prop 13,
187, and other provisions. Support
measures which strengthen tax payer
protections.
2025
Legislative Platform Revenue and Fiscal Stability
14 Social and Environmental Programs
7.1 Homelessness - Support legislation,
programs, and regional efforts to address
the complex issue of homelessness, and
the expansive programs which can help
reduce homelessness, including,
providing emergency shelters, expanding
affordable housing, counseling, and job
training.
7.6 Water and Energy Conservation -
Support efforts to encourage
conservation of energy and water usage,
as long as measures do not contain
unnecessarily punitive measures to
residents, business owners, or local
agencies.
7.2 Social Issues - Support regional
support service programs for issues of
bullying, autism, and other matters where
greater attention has not been achieved,
especially those which impact children.
7.7 Solid Waste and HHW Facilities -
Support legislation which promotes local
control when siting waste treatment and
household hazardous waste (HHW)
facilities.
7.3 Parks and Open Spaces - Support
legislation that promotes, protects, and
increases funding for parks and open
spaces and programs which increase
physical activities for all residents.
7.8 Recycling - Support measures which
provide local control in meeting the
environmental needs of the community,
(i.e. recycling/reclaiming of natural
resources and energy efficiency
measures).
7.4 Park Preservation and
Development - Identify and pursue
funding opportunities for local and
regional park projects, including trails.
7.9 State Environmental Mandates -
Oppose legislation which imposes undue
hardship on local agencies to implement
environmental regulations.
7.5 Water Quality and Costs - Support
measures and efforts of water districts to
improve cost effective water delivery and
water quality within the City and region,
and support legislation which protects
consumers from excessive charges.
2025
Legislative Platform Social and Environmental Programs
15 Federal Priorities
8.1 Immigration - Call upon the federal government to move beyond partisan rhetoric and demonstrate leadership definitively solving the immigration crisis that has adversely impacted local jurisdictions by implementing a comprehensive, cohesive policy. A comprehensive immigration policy should recognize the historical pursuit of opportunity in the United States, while upholding the Rule of Law and established processes. It should avoid automatic amnesty, instead promoting education and human advancement as obligations of a civilized society. The policy must provide a consistent, humanitarian path for those seeking to integrate and pledge allegiance to the country. It should be grounded in the principles of equality, prosperity, and responsible citizenship as the foundation of the Republic.
8.2 Worker Eligibility - Advocate to develop, implement, and improve a federal worker eligibility verification process to ensure eligible employees are hired by businesses in the most efficient manner possible.
8.3 Terrorism - Support legislation which provides added security measures to protect residents against terrorist activities and prepares local governments to address terrorism.
8.4 Federal Aid - Advocate and apply for federal funding opportunities, especially those which help improve public safety.
2025
Legislative Platform Federal Priorities