Murrieta council adopts updated WRCOG TUMF fee schedule after lengthy debate over housing costs

Murrieta — The Murrieta City Council voted 4-1 on Feb. 18 to adopt an updated ordinance and resolution joining WRCOG’s revised Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF) schedule, a regional impact fee program used to fund arterial and intersection improvements.

The council approved the change after a multi‑hour public hearing and staff presentation that described a shift required by recent state rules, new fee tiers for single‑family homes and a proposed reallocation of the TUMF administrative charge. Council member Stone cast the lone dissenting vote.

The update implements WRCOG’s new fee schedule and a tiered approach to single‑family fees prompted by state law AB 602, which requires some residential impact charges to reflect unit size rather than a single flat fee. Under the proposed schedule presented at the meeting, single‑family fees are tiered by dwelling size (the staff presentation used approximate examples of about $12,000 for smaller units and about $19,000 for the largest tier). Staff said the schedule was based on WRCOG’s regional Nexus study and additional regional travel surveys.

Chris Gray, a WRCOG representative who answered council questions during the hearing, said the revised fees are the product of a lengthy regional process and legal review. “That's actually not correct. The admin fee is 4% and that's set forth in the Nexus study,” Gray said when explaining the administrative charge and how funds are allocated for salaries and outside consultants.

Supporters of the update and WRCOG staff said the TUMF program funds regionally significant roads in western Riverside County but does not pay for freeway construction. Gray noted the program distributes funds for projects such as the Keller Road interchange and for major arterials including Clinton Keith, Jefferson and Murrieta Hot Springs Road. He told the council that Murrieta has received more than $31 million through TUMF to date and has about $13 million allocated for projects in its pipeline.

Several council members raised concerns about housing affordability and the distribution of fees across land‑use types. Council member DeForest and others asked for clarity about who ultimately pays these fees; Gray and staff said the charge is primarily borne by buyers of new construction and by large homebuilders rather than existing homeowners. Developer Jonathan Ingram, who testified during public comment, warned the fees would make entry‑level housing harder to produce in the region.

Council discussion also highlighted that WRCOG’s administrative fee is collected as a percentage of total fees and that the proposed ordinance reallocates the internal split (staff said the proposal shifts how the 4% is used — for salaries and outside consultants — rather than changing the overall program percentage). Gray told the council the reallocation is intended to cover additional workload tied to significantly increased application volume.

Mayor Cindy Warren called for the vote after public comment and questions. The motion to introduce the ordinance and adopt the related resolution passed 4-1, with Council member Stone dissenting.

Why it matters: TUMF revenue is a major source of funding for regional road and intersection improvements in western Riverside County. Changes to the fee schedule will affect the development cost of new housing and commercial projects in Murrieta and within the WRCOG region; city staff and WRCOG say the funds are intended to reduce traffic impacts from regional growth.

What's next: The ordinance was introduced and the council approved the resolution to adopt the fee schedule; the council also determined the activity is exempt from CEQA as part of the action. The updated fee structure will become effective as provided in the adopted documents and will be administered by WRCOG.