Detachment: City of Menifee/Valley-Wide Recreation & Park District

Valley-Wide Recreation & Park District (Valley-Wide) oversees 22 parks within Menifee city limits and had been providing parks and landscape maintenance services east of Interstate 215 within Menifee prior to the City of Menifee’s incorporation. Both the City and Valley-Wide are public agencies who received special tax district revenues from residents’ property tax assessments to maintain and operate their respective facilities.

Since its incorporation, the City of Menifee has placed a high value on local control, including overseeing the operation of Menifee public parks. As such, the City has sought to make all public parks in Menifee City-run. The City embarked on this process to provide improved services at lower costs, with local oversight. Detailed below is an abbreviated timeline of City efforts to maintain and operate all parks and facilities within city limits.

Although the decision of the Riverside County Superior Court against the City is a significant setback, the City will continue to work towards obtaining control over the 22 parks currently under Valley-Wide’s jurisdiction. The City will continue to maintain quality parks and offer innovative programs to all residents while persistently pursuing the annexation of Valley-Wide parks within city limits.

An example of these efforts is the letter written by the City’s attorney on behalf of the City urging postponement of the proposed action to increase levies and taxes as outlined in Valley-Wide’s Engineer’s Report.

Letter to Valley-Wide, July 19, 2021