Sanchez, Deines to run for District 4 City Council seat

From left: Dean Deines and Gloria Sanchez will run for the District 4 seat; Matt Liesemeyer is running unopposed in District 2.

It will be a two-candidate race for the Menifee City Council District 4 seat being vacated by John Denver.

Longtime Menifee residents Gloria Sanchez and Dean Deines qualified for the Nov. 6 ballot in that district. It covers the northeast portion of the city, including the Heritage Lake community and Romoland. Denver, who has served on the City Council since the city’s incorporation in 2008, is leaving office because of term limits.

Sanchez ran against Denver in 2014. She is a 17-year resident of Menifee and has served in many capacities. A resident of The Oasis senior community, Sanchez serves as chair of the Menifee Senior Advisory Committee and the Menifee Citizens Advisory Committee. She also serves the public through the Menifee Interfaith Council, Menifee Better Together, the annual Thanksgiving Dinner event, the city’s Homeless Task Force and the City Senior Health Fair.

Deines is a 12-year Menifee resident who lives in the Heritage Lake community. An Army veteran, he retired from a 28-year career with the County of Riverside, where he helped manage the County’s short-term and long-term debt, financing of county facilities including the county hospital, Southwest Justice Center and the Southwest Communities Animal Center. He was a candidate for the original Menifee City Council in 2008.

In District 2, incumbent Matt Liesemeyer is running unopposed. No other candidates declared in that district, which covers the southwest portion of Menifee, including Audie Murphy Ranch.

Liesemeyer will return for a second four-year term on council. A former Menifee Planning Commissioner, he cites as his priorities increased public safety, expanded infrastructure and quality job growth.

In District 4, Sanchez expresses in her campaign statement the desire to bring together the diverse elements of those living in her district, which includes young families in Heritage Lake, the senior community and longtime families living in the Romoland corridor along Highway 74.

“My passion for making Menifee a wonderful place to live began when I moved here 17 years ago,” Sanchez said. “Since then, Menifee became a city and the Fourth District is emerging with a wonderful mix of families, seniors, ranchers, farmers, restaurants, businesses, medical services, recreation, and so much more. Most of this did not exist back then, and I am proud to say that I played a part in making much of this growth happen.

“As the Fourth District Council member, I will always put citizens first by considering what is best for each of our diverse groups of residents. I will work to ensure safety and security, promote economic development, improve transportation, and expand opportunities for all age groups.”

Deines says his primary goal as council member would be fiscal responsibility.

“I am running for city council to bring an experienced public finance voice to the city council, to ensure your tax dollars are spent wisely,” Deines said. “As Menifee continues to grow, we need to elect an experienced council member to guide our city’s future.

“We need a voice on the city council that knows city finances and budgets. With 28 years of
public finance experience in cutting budgets and financing roads and sheriff stations, I am the only candidate who can start on Day One making a difference.

“I firmly believe in giving back to my community. I served nearly seven years in the U.S. Army, coached youth baseball, served as a volunteer youth pastor and volunteered in all four of my sons’ school classrooms. I was elected, by the residents of Menifee, to the Valley Health System Board of Directors, where I currently serve as vice chairman.”

Liesemeyer promised more positive changes in his role representing District 2.

“Among the favorable accomplishments since my election in 2014 is starting the process of achieving local control, establishing our own Community Services Department (Parks & Rec) so that we can provide programs and resources to the residents of the city,” Liesemeyer said.

“As a result of implementing desirable goals, such as strong economic development accompanied by smart planning, several new quality commercial developments have successfully come to the city, ultimately keeping your tax dollars here, where they can be used for public safety and infrastructure and traffic improvements.”

Editor's note: Menifee 24/7 will have more information on each candidate in the near future.