Estrada becomes Menifee Mayor; Temple, Karwin also sworn in

Ricky Estrada is sworn in a Mayor of Menifee by city clerk Stephanie Roseen. (Photo courtesy of City of Menifee)

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Ricky Estrada was sworn in as Mayor of Menifee on Tuesday, promising a “new era of leadership” as he moved into the center seat on the dais.

After serving as the District 2 City Council representative for two years, Estrada waged a successful campaign for Mayor, defeating council member Lesa Sobek by 368 votes. Backed by voters who demanded a change from the “status quo”, Estrada reiterated on Tuesday his goals in serving the people.

“My goals continue to be to provide the residents of Menifee with strong public safety, improved roads, and thriving economic development,” Estrada said after being sworn in by city clerk Stephanie Roseen. “I will continue to work hard to bring Menifee the unique identity we all want. We need more entertainment, businesses, roads and parks. We need to be set apart from the rest of the region.

“The present is bright and the future will be much brighter.”

On a night when residents and dignitaries paid tribute to outgoing council members Sobek and Mayor Bill Zimmerman, Estrada joined Dan Temple and returning council member Bob Karwin in being sworn in for four-year terms. The reorganized council voted to name Karwin Mayor Pro Tem for the coming year.

Temple was sworn in as the new District 3 representative, replacing Sobek. A retired CHP officer and former board member at Santa Rosa Academy, Temple is a newcomer to city government who won the election with 66 percent of the votes cast.

“I’m excited to start,” Temple said. “It’s a wonderful thing to have the support of so many encouraging and uplifting people. What I learned … and I mostly learned this from Mayor Zimmerman … is that we love those whom we serve. I look forward to working with the other council members to continue the growth and trajectory our city has been on.”

Estrada was sworn in during the second of two meetings on Tuesday – the first being a farewell to Sobek and Zimmerman after the election results were certified. One of the first acts of the reorganized council was to determine how a new District 2 representative would be chosen to fill the seat vacated by Estrada.

Roseen presented council members with the three options available in choosing someone to fill an unexpired term. This was the same situation faced by a previous council in 2018, when they ultimately chose to appoint Zimmerman to replace the late Neil Winter.

As dictated by Government Code 36512, the first option is to call for a special election. However, such an election couldn’t be held for almost a year – in November, 2025 – because of a lack of available state election dates prior to that. Roseen estimated that the election would cost about $68,000 – perhaps even more a year from now.

The second option is to appoint someone to fill the remaining two years of Estrada’s District 2 term. Council members could make a direct appointment or choose someone to appoint after an application and interview process.

The third option would be a hybrid of the two – appoint someone temporarily until November 2025, then hold a special election for someone to serve the final year until 2026.

Whichever option council members chose, a District 2 council member must be in place within 60 days – by Feb. 15, 2025.

Deines, Karwin and Temple expressed support for the appointment process. Estrada acknowledged the reasoning for avoiding a year delay, although he wanted it on record that he supported the idea of a special election.

“There is a need for a full team of five,” Estrada said. “That’s for the benefit of the residents. But there’s something to be said about an election. I would be interested to see how the public feels about this.

“It sounds like the council favors an appointment 3-1, but I would still like to see the people put someone in District 2 that reflects the values I originally ran on.”

After some discussion on how applicants would be interviewed, it was suggested by City Attorney Jeffrey Melching that applicants be asked to submit a statement of interest, that council members submit two or three possible interview questions, and that city staff work to come up with a balanced list of questions that would be asked of each candidate. Estrada joined the majority to make the vote on appointment unanimous.

The City Council will have two more meetings before the Feb. 15 deadline to make a decision – Jan. 15 and Feb. 5.

Another one of the first acts of the new council was to determine which council members would fill the required representative posts on local and regional committees and commissions. The decisions made were preliminary, with adjustments to be made after a new District 2 representative joins the council.

As the process ensued, Estrada made it clear that he could not accept positions on regional commissions because they meet during times he works as a teacher at Santa Rosa Academy. Karwin asked Estrada to take over his position on the Riverside County Transportation Commission, saying he believed it was best held by the mayor, but Estrada declined.

Estrada explained his position after Karwin suggested the Mayor should also represent the City on the Chamber of Commerce – something in which Zimmerman was very active as Mayor.

“My educational duties would hinder my participation there,” Estrada said. “We’ll hold off on that one and find a way to fill that spot. I look forward to contributing more to the local ad hoc committees that staff control [the meeting schedules]. Those regional committees are set and not under our control.”

Estrada agreed to serve on the Finance Committee with Deines, as well as on the City and School District Committee; Economic Development Ad Hoc Committee; Parks Ad Hoc Committee; Sphere of Influence Ad Hoc Committee; and Southern Gateway Specific Plan Ad Hoc Committee.

The full list of representatives will be finalized once a new District 2 representative joins the council.

Dan Temple is congratulated after being sworn in as a council member. (Photo courtesy of City of Menifee)

 Bob Karwin is sworn in for another term on the City Council. (Photo courtesy of City of Menifee)