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Residents at Hemet meeting urge council to reconsider annexation and protect seniors; rent-control proposals and service-cost questions raised
Summary
Residents urged Hemet council Sept. 23 to delay or reconsider annexation and to protect seniors and renters; speakers asked about taxes, trash and water services and proposed a rent-control framework tied to Riverside County protections.
Several Hemet residents raised concerns on Sept. 23 about a proposed annexation of unincorporated areas into the city and urged protections for seniors and renters.
Randy Butler asked how much the annexation will cost the city and how taxes and service charges for newly annexed residents would change, specifically citing water and trash and asking whether Eastern Municipal Water District would take over services for Lake Hemet. John Vance, a recent arrival to the area, said seniors on fixed incomes would suffer if annexation produced higher assessments or fees and urged the council to use “common sense” before approving annexation.
Julie Parker and Mark Baskett urged the council to adopt stronger tenant protections as part of any change in jurisdiction. Mark Baskett outlined a proposed framework for a rent-control ordinance he said should be modeled on Riverside County Ordinance "7 60" (as he referenced it) and noted that protections that apply in unincorporated county areas can lapse on annexation into an incorporated city. Baskett listed a dozen elements he said should be included in any city ordinance, including modeling protections on Riverside County’s ordinance, requiring ballot approval for significant amendments, including tenant-rights and lease-notice provisions, limiting annual increases to a local cost-of-living index, excluding capital improvements from rent increases, a right to individual actions and arbitration/hearing officer provisions.
Other public commenters raised local concerns about downtown food trucks near the Hemet Theater (diesel fumes, parking), unfinished roadwork near Fire Station 5, underused senior facilities such as the Simpson Center, and the city’s concert series management. Connie Coronado and several speakers emphasized that opposition to annexation does not mean opposition to the Hemet community and urged council transparency, fiscal responsibility and better communication.
Why this matters: Annexation changes which government provides services and collects taxes; residents questioned costs, timing, service providers and the preservation of county-level tenant protections. Council did not take action on annexation at this meeting.
Ending: Council received the comments; no formal vote on annexation occurred and items about rent control and annexation may reappear on future agendas for formal study or hearings.
