Blaze Brings Business Experience to City Council Bid

Stu Blaze hopes to use his experience as a local businessman to help shape productive business growth in the community as a member of the Menifee City Council.

Blaze, 58, is a 16-year Menifee resident who has seen first-hand both the challenges and potential of business development in the area. Previously the owner of The Breakfast Club restaurant in Countryside Marketplace, he is now a business partner in the New York Upper Crust Pizza restaurant in town. With his wife and three children, he has a love for the community and a commitment to the people and businesses here.

Blaze is a candidate for the District 3 seat on the Menifee City Council, representing the southeast portion of the city.

"I've seen just about everything concerning the growth of business in Menifee," Blaze said. "With all the experience I have, I believe I would be a good addition to the city council."

Blaze is very involved in the community as a board member of the Menifee Chamber of Commerce, president elect for the Menifee Rotary Club and board member of Mariposa Home Owners Association. He said he believes more should be done to attract a wider variety of business to the city. Realizing that businesses are soon coming to the many commercial projects already under way, he sees the need for businesses that will offer more of what residents want.

"I've always felt that moving forward, what is best for the city may not be what's best for the people in the city," Blaze said. "You can't say no to burger places, but somehow we must try to get more of a variety of businesses, make this a desirable place for them to come. Right now you have 5 Guys, In N Out, McDonalds and soon Sonic, all within a couple block radius. People need better choices."

Blaze said he questions the numbers sometimes quoted by city officials regarding how much money Menifee residents spend in other cities.

"They keep throwing out numbers like $40 million," he said. "I find that to be a very exaggerated number. I'd like to see the real numbers as we plan for the future."

Blaze said he also is committed to help bring about the unification of a school district in Menifee, bringing the two high schools from the Perris Union High School District into the Menifee Union School District.

"I'm a huge proponent of unification," he said. "If the school district had a proponent on the council to work with the city, it would help the process."

The winner of the District 3 council seat in the Nov. 3 special election will fill the last year of the seat previously held by Wallace Edgerton, who died May 26. Potential candidates have until Aug. 7 to return paperwork and be certified for the election.