A recent post on a social media site shows the condition of a local dirt road after the rains.
Recent rains have exposed a long-standing problem in Menifee – the poor condition of some of the city’s dirt roads. It’s a complicated subject and one that has prompted comments on both sides of the issue.
About 76 miles of the city’s 600 miles of roads are dirt roads. Some of those roads were maintained by Riverside County before Menifee’s incorporation. Now, many of those roads are considered private roads and not subject to maintenance by the city.
Some residents are upset about that, while others say they want the roads left alone because paving them would increase traffic and speeding.
Acting Mayor Bob Karwin was one of a majority of City Council members who voted in a March 2025 council meeting to decide on the maintenance of dirt roads on a case-by-case basis as complaints are brought to the city. In response to a presentation by Public Works Director Nick Fidler on the issue, Karwin said he was against any plan to pave dirt roadse on an arbitrary basis.
“The dirt road issue was a difficult one, partially because many of them are private roads,” Karwin said. “That’s because they were never accepted into our maintenance program when we incorporated. The people who live on those roads have always maintained them, but they seem to have deteriorated over time.
“The other thing is that there is a split among people who live along those roads, whether or not they want them paved. Some like them unpaved because it keeps speed down and discourages people from cutting through their neighborhoods. But, in times of extreme weather, it is difficult for waste management, fire, and other services to access them.
“That’s why the City Council voted to handle these on a case-by-case basis. If a majority of the residents of a particular road come to us and ask us to take it over and pave it, we can consider it. We are not just going to go into people‘s neighborhoods and take over their roads. Adding all of the dirt roads and then paving them would cost hundreds of millions of dollars.”
In the March 2025 meeting, Fidler said the cost of paving a “perfect mile” – a mile that is level, is publicly dedicated, is on the General Plan, and has the proper width – is estimated at $2.5 million for “rural collector” roads and $1.9 million for “rural local” roads.
The presentation at the March meeting was requested by Mayor Ricky Estrada, saying he had received many complaints about dirt roads in the city. Estrada, who is on military deployment overseas, responded this week to critics on social media who are blaming him for what they say is a failure to deliver on a promise made during his campaign to fix dirt roads.
“I requested a plan be put together for all miles of dirt roads, but did not receive support on that,” Estrada wrote in a post on a community Facebook page. “The cost to fix 76 miles of dirt roads is estimated at around $156 million. The majority of the City Council has decided to review each road on a case-by-case basis.
“There are several options and solutions I provide you:
— Email me your road to restrada@cityofmenifee.us, and the public works team and I will determine if your dirt road is public or private to begin with.
— If it is public, we can have the public works team come out and make repairs.
— Come to our City Council meetings, preferably with more neighbors, to advocate this road be prioritized first, among the other 76 miles of dirt roads. The City Council can allocate money if it’s a public road.”
Estrada is not scheduled to be back at City Hall for another three months, however. Whether it’s fair for residents to criticize him on social media during his absence is a matter of opinion, along with the issue of whether it’s appropriate for Estrada to comment on city matters during his absence. It’s relatively uncharted territory, considering Estrada is one of the few mayors in the nation who have been called to active military duty while serving as mayor.
During the March 2025 council meeting, Estrada said he hoped for a city plan to help community members form a Local Improvement District (LID). Those are similar to a Community Facilities District (CFD), in which residents of a specific area contribute to the cost through taxes.
Fidler said a process is already in place for residents to apply for an LID. He said a link is available on the City website here.
The intersection of Briggs Road and Matthews Road was often a mess after rains. Then the City paved it. (File photo)
