• Group Effort Puts a Dent In It

Thirty-eight volunteers getting psyched up to do ten years of yard work in two hours. 😁

Donuts (donated by the VFW) and a pep talk before beginning.

Not the best "before" picture as a lot of work had already been done... but still a long way from the final look.

It started when Code Enforcement was called out to check on a property that was in need of some TLC (to put it mildly).

There were volunteers of all ages. 

Code Enforcement approached us (Dan Gonse and Joseph Morabito) after a Coffee with the Mayor event wondering if the Wildomar Beautification Volunteers might be able to lend a hand in a distressed situation.

A bird's eye view from the top of the roll-off dumpster.

From there Councilwoman Bridgette Moore jumped in and got the groundwork laid that saw 30 volunteers meet bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 7:30am to tackle this daunting task.

It took a few moments to get into the groove, but soon enough the volunteers were working in unison like a determined colony of ants with the same objective: let's get this done before the Sun really heats up. 😁

Mayor Ben Benoit atop the dumpster. Not the easiest job to volunteer for, but there he is... while I'm on this side of the camera and keyboard. 😅

Among the thirty volunteers were four members of the Wildomar city council, and three members of Wildomar's Code Enforcement Team.

I asked Bridgette for a recap of the morning: "Today we have over 30 volunteers helping an elderly veteran in the city of Wildomar. We have our mayor, Ben Benoit here, mayor pro-tem Joseph Morabito and council members Ashlee DePhillippo and Bridgette Moore." 

Look at the difference on that fence line.

"We also have our code enforcement team here. We have Prestige Nutrition. We want to thank our sponsor CR&R for donating the bin. And also Agustin Montesinos for trimming the palm tree."

Imagine all the palm fronds that had to be cut off of that tree.

It was said to be an $1800 job that they donated.

Michelle, of *Prestige Nutrition, and her daughter Ava, along with the other members of her family, were out in force.

*Prestige Nutrition is a new business in town. It's near Go-Nutz Donuts and Altura Credit union. It's veteran owned and they're already looking to be active members of the Wildomar community. 

I'm guessing that people who regularly use that road will be doing double-takes for the next week or two as they pass by it. Out of privacy concerns for the resident, I'm not going to post the address here. 

A candid picture of Bridgette Moore in action. In addition to organizing this, she worked it too. If you look close enough, you'll see a special shoe on her left foot. She had hurt it just a little over a week ago, but didn't let that slow her down where it would have easily sidelined me. 

After tons of debris surrounding this piece of equipment had been removed, it was evident that it wasn't going anywhere. I made a note to myself after seeing this. Clean out the garage and side yard while it can be accommodated with regular trash cans.

In the end, there was still a lot more work to do, but talk about having one heckuva head start. 

Wildomar is taking a more serious approach to code enforcement these days and though you may have been neglecting things for years (or decades) that's not going to be a valid excuse if you get that knock on your door.

• Are You The Next Member of the Wildomar City Council?

This year three of the five seats are up and will be on the ballot. 

One seat for sure will be getting a new face, district 1, the seat that 2022 Mayor Ben Benoit has held since 2010. 

Which district are you in?

He is running for a county wide seat, Controller/Auditor, and cannot be on the ballot for two races at the same time. 

That leaves his seat wide open 

I've heard that one person from district 1 has made an appointment with the city clerk to "pull papers" as it's now. That's when you get a chance to stick your toe a little deeper into the exciting waters of local politics.

Here is a link to the districts map; see which one you're in.

The other two seats that are up are district 3 and 5. That's Joseph Morabito (me) and recently appointed Ashlee DePhillippo. 

I have it on good authority that both Joseph Morabito (me) and Ashlee DePhillippo are planning on running for another term.

In my case, a second term. In Ashlee's case this will be her first election run.

► My thoughts on seeking reelection

I've enjoyed my four years on council and would be honored to be elected for another four years, but as I've said since day one of my campaign back in 2018, "It's not about me, it's about the voters."

I know that sounds a bit corny or contrived, but it's not, it's true. I don't have an agenda, other than to provide clear and timely communication from the city to the residents. 

I only want your vote if you believe that I've done a good job representing you. If you are ready for new representation I fully respect that. It's your choice, and you will owe no one (especially not me) an explanation as to why or how you voted.

If you would like to support my bid for reelection, please comment. To be fair, if you're sick of me and ready for new representation, it's fair to let me know that too. 

I've heard that someone in District 3 has made an appointment to get their nomination papers. That's how it should be. Those on council want to be elected in, we really don't want to just walk into it, even if that's an easier path. 

The idea is for Wildomar, and in my case District 3, to have solid representation. 

That'll be up to the voters to determine in November. In the meantime, I'm still willing to do "Better Know a Candidate" blogs on all the candidates, and that goes for any challengers against me... even if that's a bit awkward. 😅  

I'm also happy to meet with all the candidates or just the ones from District 3 for a meet and greet, or a debate that's opened to the voters. 

If you're interested in running for any of the seats, even mine, you need to make an appointment with the city clerk. Those appointments start on July 18th and run through (I believe) the second week of August (the 12th). But double check on that, I may be mistaken. 

Please check below to see if you meet the qualifications to run.

From the city's website

Election Information

The City of Wildomar consolidates its election with the Riverside County Registrar of Voters who provides the voter registration, ballot materials, polling places and other activities. The City Clerk serves as the local Election's Officer and is responsible for issuing and receiving Nomination Papers, accepting City Measures and for the publication of all legal notices.  

City’s General Municipal Election Schedule

The City of Wildomar is a General Law City governed by a five-member City Council. Members of the City Council are elected by district for a four-year term. Pursuant to California Elections Code Sections 1301(b), 1000 and 10403.5, beginning in November of 2010 and every even-numbered year thereafter, the City’s general municipal election shall be consolidated with the statewide general election held on the second Tuesday following the first Monday in November. (Ord. 08-15 § 2)

District Election Schedule

Councilmembers shall be elected in Council Districts 2 and 4 beginning at the General Municipal Election in November, 2016, and every four years thereafter. 

Council Members shall be elected from Council Districts 1, 3, and 5 beginning at the General Municipal Election in November, 2018, and every four years thereafter. (Ord. 118 § 2, 2016)

Candidate Qualification

- Must be 18 years of age.
- Must be a Citizen of the United States.
- Must live in, and be a registered voter in, the district in which he or she seeks election at the time nomination papers are issued, pursuant to California Government Code Section 34882 and Elections Code Section 10227. Termination of residency in a district by a Councilmember shall create an immediate vacancy for that Council district unless a substitute residence within the district is established within 30 days after the termination of residency.

For specific questions, contact:
City Clerk - Janet Morales
Phone: 951-677-7751 x 210
Email: jmorales@cityofwildomar.org