WILDOMAR/MENIFEE: It’s been the tale of four cities for Wildomar, Menifee, Eastvale and Jurupa Valley. At the best of times, the communities had the funds to incorporate, and then the worst of times when Gov. Jerry Brown  passed a bill in 2011 redirecting the funds.

Today residents of Wildomar and Menifee can celebrate again after Brown signed Senate Bill 130 to return millions of dollars promised when incorporating.

SB 130 changes the California Revenue and Taxation Code for cities that incorporated between 2004 and 2012.  

The cities had everything they needed to thrive and grow their communities six years ago, and then with a single swipe of the pen SB 89 eliminated $130 million in Vehicle License Fees (VLF), two-thirds of which were marked for public safety services. The bill affected every city in California but hardest hit were those incorporated after 2006. 

The four Riverside County communities were hit the hardest. City leaders and lobbyists fought to reverse SB 89 with AB 1098 because they all incorporated with an agreement in which they were eligible for a much higher percentage of the fees to help establish themselves in the early years.

Wildomar, which incorporated in 2008, lost  25 percent of their general fund revenue or close to $1.8 million, Menifee, $3.9 million, Jurupa $1.7 and Eastvale $3 million.

Today Brown’s signing of legislation will restore those millions of dollars that were supposed to be used to fund public safety realignment programs.

At a ceremony on May 12, 2017, in Jurupa Valley City Hall, Brown said, "With this bill, millions of tax dollars will flow to benefit the people of Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, Menifee and Wildomar.”

“I know I am in Republican territory, but you are independent kind of politicians and because you are independent your votes are hard to get,” said Brown.

Brown has been criticized he was playing politics at the cities' expense because he vetoed multiple bills over the last six years despite state representatives supporting the return of the funds.

Wildomar City Councilwoman Bridgette Moore said, "Today is an important day in Wildomar's history as Mayor Pro Tem Ben Benoit and I were able to witness Governor Jerry Brown sign Senate Bill 130 which will annually restore the equivalent revenues lost in June, 2011 when the Governor signed the bill which took away our Motor Vehicle License Fee Revenue of $1.8 million a year! This will restore the funding going forward not in arrears."

Brown told the audience that whatever these cities want done to make sure they send Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes (D) from Corona and Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside Roth to Sacramento.