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Dear Friends and Second District Residents,
While June may have 30 days within the month, it’s filled with all kinds of celebrations! In addition to Flag Day (June 14th), Father's Day (June 19th), and Juneteenth (June 19th) — there are many more celebratory events throughout the month that you may not even know about. Some of these events include National Donut Day (June 3rd), International Picnic Day or International Sushi Day (June 18th), National Ice Cream Cake Day (June 27th) and National Meteor Watch Day (June 30th).
Also in June is The National Cancer Survivors Day (June 5th) which is an annual event that honors the Celebration of Life for those who have survived, provides inspiration for those recently diagnosed, a place for gathering of support for families, and an outreach for the local community.
In addition, we also have the 78th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy (June 6th, 1944) which is a solemn day that remembers the brave men and women who fought valiantly and ultimately led to the end of the Second World War. There is not a more important time than D-Day for us to remember and honor these brave men and women as we reflect on D-Day.
June also brings graduations and the beginning of Summer. The June solstice occurs on Tuesday, June 21st, marking the astronomical first day of summer—and the longest day of the year.
June is also National PTSD Awareness month, National Safety Month, National Great Outdoors Month, and Pride Month.
Here’s hoping your June is full of warm weather, pool parties, and plenty of opportunities to gather with loved ones!
County Budget
Every year the County of Riverside Executive Office begins to prepare the annual budget, usually beginning in January for the approval by the Board of Supervisors After input from all the Departments, a recommended budget is prepared for review that focuses on transforming services across connected departments and serving the county’s ever-growing number of residents.
The recommended budget will be discussed by the Board of Supervisors, along with department presentations, during upcoming budget hearings on June 13th and 14th. Following any adjustments by the board, the final budget is scheduled to be adopted June 28. Next fiscal year runs from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. https://rivco.org/about-county/budget-and-financial-information
The county’s entire $7.4 billion budget provides for wide-ranging programs that impacts the daily lives of residents, including social services, public works projects, community services, healthcare, and public safety services. Approximately $1 billion of this budget is discretionary, where additional priorities are determined to further enhance the quality of life for Riverside County residents. This is the first balanced budget (without taking from reserves) in more than a decade. We are certainly open to comments and suggestions so please feel free to attend the Public Hearings or participate online.
Three Local Chambers Receive 2022 President's Circle Award
Photo Credit: Bryan Patrick
On June 2, 2022, the California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber) recognized three (3) of our local chambers with the 2022 President's Circle Award. This award honored the following chambers:
- Corona Chamber of Commerce
- Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce
These chamber's were recognized for its excellence in business advocacy and helping its members comply with California employment laws.
“Our top local chamber partners play leading roles as community problem solvers and the voice of business on public policy,” said Jennifer Johnson, CalChamber director of local chamber relations. “We commend them for all their hard work over the last year fighting on behalf of California business.”
 Photo Credit: Bryan Patrick
CalChamber also awarded Chad Miller of Sizewise Manufacturing with the "Advocate of the Year" Award. This award recognizes individuals that assist with activities which include, but not limited to, involvement in federal legislation, representing the chamber before local government(s), and/or held a leadership role, and/or worked on a local ballot measure. Congratulations Chad Miller!
The Riverside County Second District Supervisor’s office Staff are available Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to assist you. You can reach my office by calling (951) 955-1020 or by emailing District2@rivco.org and staff will assist you promptly.
I hope you enjoy this e-newsletter. Please reach out to my office if we may be of assistance.
Sincerely,
Karen Spiegel, Supervisor
Riverside County Board of Supervisors
RIVERSIDE COUNTY BUDGET NEWS RELEASE:
Recommended budget invests in improving services, supporting growing number of residents
The County of Riverside Executive Office released a recommended budget that focuses on transforming services across connected departments and serving the county’s ever-growing number of residents. The recommended budget includes more than $7.4 billion in funding for vital services, which is up more than 8 percent from last year’s $6.9 billion budget.
“The future of Riverside County is now,” said County Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen. “To continue to serve our ever-growing community, we need to be both deliberate and intentional in goals, decisions and actions. We must transform our service delivery to take advantage of the interrelated nature of public, private, nonprofit, community and faith-based organizations. We must evolve from a program-based model to a client-focused model.”
The county’s entire $7.4 billion budget provides for wide-ranging programs that impacts the daily lives of residents, including social services, public works projects, community services, healthcare, and public safety services. Approximately $1 billion of this budget is discretionary, where additional priorities are determined to further enhance the quality of life for Riverside County residents.
In addition to transforming service delivery, the recommended budget prioritizes ways to seek systemic equity, provide critical infrastructure in underserved communities and build up the county’s savings in reserve funds.
Recommended Budget At-a-Glance
Overall County revenue is approximately $7.4 billion, up by $607 million, or 9 percent compared to prior budget. The increase is attributed to taxes, state revenue, including Prop. 172, and federal revenue. One key contributor to the positive state of the budget is the region’s strong economy. Discretionary revenue is anticipated to be $1 billion, an increase of 10 percent from last year’s adopted budget.
The recommended general fund discretionary spending, or net county cost (NCC), is also $1 billion, to align with the discretionary revenue. For the first time in more than a decade, the general fund discretionary revenue and NCC are structurally balanced without the use of reserves.
The NCC includes $20 million in contingency funds reserved for emergency board action, and almost $20 million in augmentation funds to be used for one-time projects or services designated by the Board of Supervisors.
For the second year in a row, $5 million is specifically programmed for infrastructure in underserved, unincorporated areas. This fund is used for things like install sewer lines, adding sidewalks and increasing support to unincorporated areas.
Another important highlight in this budget, is the strategic effort to rebuild the county’s reserves. The projected balance for reserves starting next fiscal year is $368 million, which is $115 million above the 25 percent discretionary revenue requirement based on board policy.
Of considerable note, this budget does not depend on coronavirus relief funds to balance. The federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) resulted in $240 million coming to the county in this current fiscal year, and another $240 million slated for fiscal year 2022-23. The Board of Supervisors determined this once-in-a-lifetime revenue must be invested into the community to ensure recovery from the pandemic and increase our collective resilience to future challenges. To date, the county has funded roughly $200 million of ARPA funding to infrastructure improvements, housing and homeless efforts, economic recovery, nonprofit assistance, as well as childcare and early childhood education.
The recommended budget will be discussed by the Board of Supervisors, along with department presentations, during upcoming budget hearings on June 13 and 14. Following any adjustments by the board, the final budget is scheduled to be adopted June 28. Next fiscal year runs from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.
To read the recommended budget, click here.
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If you are interested in getting involved with local Boards, Committees & Commissions within the Second District, please do not hesitate to click the link below or contact our Office at 951-955-1020 or District2@rivco.org
TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
VETERAN SERVICES
Dear Veteran,
You may be eligible for newly enacted service-connected benefits.
Over the course of the last six months, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has begun processing service-connected disability claims for six new presumptive conditions related to environmental exposures during military service. We request your help in making more Veterans aware of these newly added presumptive conditions to help them file a claim and obtain any earned benefits. In May 2021, VA started implementing provisions of the William M. Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA), adding bladder cancer, hypothyroidism and Parkinsonism to the list of medical conditions presumptively associated with exposure to Agent Orange. A few months later VA added asthma, rhinitis and sinusitis (to include rhinosinusitis) on a presumptive basis based on particulate matter exposures during military service in Southwest Asia and certain other areas.
Any Veteran who was previously denied service-connection for any of these six conditions but had symptoms manifest within 10 years of military service would need to file a supplemental claim. Be sure to use VA Form 20-0995, Decision Review Request: Supplemental Claim when filing. The claim form should include the name of the condition and specify that the condition is being claimed due to in-service exposure to environmental hazards.
VA is committed to assisting Veterans who may have been exposed to hazardous materials during their military service. Be sure to stay plugged in to www.va.gov for the most recent developments around environmental exposures during military service, as VA is constantly conducting research and surveillance as well as reviewing scientific literature for conditions that may be related to exposure during military service. For more information about VA benefits and eligibility, or how to file a claim, Veterans and survivors can visit VA’s website at www.va.gov or call toll-free at 1-800-827-1000.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
SKYLINE TRAIL CLEANUP
Join the City of Corona for the first trail cleanup of the year! This is a volunteer opportunity for all ages in which we will be cleaning the Skyline Trail and removing graffiti. Volunteers must wear closed toed, comfortable shoes (we’ll be walking about a mile!) clothing they do not mind getting dirty, jeans are highly recommended. Work gloves and safety vests will be provided.
Volunteers will check-in at the City of Corona booth at the beginning of the trail.
All ages are welcome, teens must be at least 14 years old to volunteer without a parent present. Any participants under the age of 18 will need a parent to sign their waiver of liability. Water will be provided. An email confirmation will be sent out on Wednesday, June 1st, 2022
The City of Corona cannot validate any court or school mandated hours for disciplinary purposes.
Register to join us at www.CoronaCA.gov/Registration
Questions?
Contact us at 951-736-2241
Contact the Volunteer Program Coordinator by email, Madelyne Black
Attention Eastvale Artists
Are you a local artist interested in show casing your art in the city?
Our Public Works team has been working hard to secure grants that allow us to fund local art projects created by local artists. These projects can be murals, sculptures, literary art, musical theater, or other art mediums you specialize in! We want to beautify our city and we want your help to do it, so, if you’re interested in designing and creating an art piece for the city of Eastvale, send your portfolio and a description of your project to publicworks@eastvaleca.gov by Monday, June 13, 2022!
All art forms are welcome! We can’t wait to see your creative talents on display!
Sign Up's Are Still Open
The City of Eastvale is excited to announce its first-ever Restaurant Week! July 11 to July 17, 2022 residents from Eastvale will be able to visit participating businesses, show this graphic, and receive special discounts and prizes!
If you’re a restaurant in Eastvale interested in participating in our first-ever Restaurant Week, we’d love to have you! In order to participate, you must:
-Own a business in Eastvale
-Have a business license
-Be willing to offer an incentive to residents from July 11 – 17, 2022
-Submit your application by Monday, June 6, 2022
In return, you’ll receive free promotion from the City of Eastvale and the Chamber of Commerce and a special promotional item signifying your business as a participant. If you are interested in participating, fill out an application here.
Please email restaurantweek@eastvaleca.gov with any questions!
There is an urgent need for blood throughout Riverside County. Our local hospitals and blood banks are in critical need of donations. LifeStream Blood Bank has ZERO units of Group O blood on hand, and several patients in the community need blood now. Without blood on our shelves, these patients' lives are at risk.
Make an appointment to donate blood today: call 800-879-4484, visit https://www.lstream.org/, or download the LifeStream app TODAY.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a program that educates individuals about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT volunteers can assist others in their community following a disaster when professional responders are not immediately available to help.
Course Information:
The City of Eastvale collaborates with Riverside County Emergency Management Department to provide 2 CERT Classes in the Spring and Fall of each year. CERT training is a commitment of 20 hours of training. There is no cost for the training. Only those who successfully complete the full course will receive a certificate of completion. Classes are typically over a 2 1/2 day span but are subject to change.
Class times are as follows: Friday from 5:30pm to 9:30pm, Saturday 8:00am to 5:00pm, and Sunday 8:00am to 5:00pm.
Upcoming Courses:
Course Materials:
Course materials are provided on the first day of the course, but can also be found here or below for free download.
FARMERS MARKETS IN THE AREA
As the summer season heats up, so does the popularity of Farmers Markets. We are pleased to share the following information on Farmers Markets located throughout the Corona, Norco, Eastvale, Jurupa Valley and Riverside areas. Enjoy!
 Looking for some Friday night fun? Come and hang out at the Eastvale Farmers Market, every Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the New Day Christian Church: 7155 Hamner Ave., Eastvale CA 92880.
Fresh produce, farm fresh eggs, freshly baked bread, microgreens, farm fresh honey and MUCH MORE!! For more information or on how to become a vendor, please email: eastvalefarmersmarket@gmail.com
HIGHGROVE MUNICIPAL ADVISORY COUNCIL (MAC) BOARD MEMBER POSITIONS - APPLY NOW!
Are you interested in what’s going on in the community of Highgrove? If you live within the unincorporated community of Highgrove, be sure to apply for one (1) Alternate Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) positions . Get to know your Sheriff Deputies, Code Enforcements Officers, School Board Members, Animal Control Specialists and more! Interested parties may apply online at www.rivcodistrict2.org under Boards-Committees & Commissions.
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