Murrieta council approves $91,010 annexation study tied to Fire Station No. 6, appoints Levell to District 1 seat

The Murrieta City Council voted 5-0 on Aug. 18 to spend up to $91,010 on a study of whether the city should annex land in the northeastern part of its sphere of influence.

Mayor Pro Tem Ron Holliday made the motion and Council Member Lisa DeForest seconded it, according to the meeting minutes. The vote drew the money out of general fund reserves and approved a professional services agreement with RSG Inc.

Why the city is studying annexation

A staff report prepared by Management Analyst Isaac Bravo ties the study to Fire Station No. 6, which the council named a Tier 1 priority in February. The station is planned for a city-owned parcel near the northeastern sphere of influence.

The report puts construction at an estimated $15 million to $20 million and yearly operating costs at about $5 million. It says the city cannot now absorb that ongoing expense.

The station would serve nearby unincorporated communities as well as city residents, the report says, but residents beyond city limits do not contribute some of the revenues that pay for city services. Annexation could bring in new revenue, and it would also add service responsibilities.

RSG is to evaluate three scenarios: the annexation area already proposed by the Riverside Local Agency Formation Commission, a modified area requested by the city, and annexation of the full sphere of influence.

The city received two proposals after issuing a request in May, the report says. The first phase costs $61,595 and is expected to be finished in February 2027. A further $29,415 would apply only if the city goes ahead with a formal application.

The report says the agreement does not commit the city to annex anything, and that any step beyond the study would come back to the council.

Two members of the public spoke on the item, the minutes show.

District 1 election canceled

The council also voted 5-0 to adopt Resolution No. 26-4968, which appoints the only qualified nominee for the District 1 council seat and cancels that portion of the Nov. 3 election. DeForest made the motion and Holliday seconded it.

A report from the city clerk's office says Jon Levell was the only person to file and qualify in District 1 during the nomination period, which closed Aug. 7. State election law lets a council appoint a sole nominee or hold the election anyway.

The report estimated that leaving District 1 off the ballot would cut the election's cost by about $50,000, to roughly $95,000. Elections in Districts 2 and 5 go forward.

The minutes list Levell, whom they identify as the mayor, among the five yes votes.

Other actions

The council approved budget amendments for fiscal 2026-27 on a 5-0 vote and reached consensus to proceed with a "Stuff the Bus" program with the Murrieta Valley Unified School District and the Salvation Army.

After a discussion of traffic congestion requested by Council Member Lori Stone, the minutes say direction was given to review the timing of signals on the Hancock overpass and restriping on Murrieta Hot Springs, among other steps.

Consent Item 10, funding for a higher education advocacy trip to Washington, D.C., was pulled indefinitely, the minutes say.