Menifee City Council candidates Ben Diederich, Laz Peterson and Frank Sandoval participate in a candidate forum hosted by the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Menifee City Council candidates discussed a wide range of issues Wednesday evening during a forum hosted by the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce, including economic development, public safety, infrastructure and the city’s future growth.
The forum was held at Mt. San Jacinto College and featured District 2 candidates Councilman Ben Diederich and Laz Peterson, along with District 4 candidate Frank Sandoval. Former Councilman Tom Fuhrman, who is running in District 2, and District 4 candidates Randy Madrid and Daniel Stephens did not participate.
When asked about their top priorities, Peterson emphasized infrastructure and youth activities, Sandoval pointed to traffic improvements, local control and economic development, and Diederich identified infrastructure, local jobs and community gathering places.
“We need people to not have to drive to Temecula to go have a date night,” Diederich said.
Traffic and infrastructure remained recurring concerns, with candidates discussing McCall Boulevard, the proposed Garbani Road interchange and improving public transportation for seniors, students and commuters.
A question about District 2’s dirt roads also highlighted challenges with infrastructure.
Diederich said some roads were never formally accepted into the city’s road system, making improvements complicated and expensive.
Peterson, who owns property along a dirt road in Romoland, argued that the city should do more to maintain roads that become difficult to drive after rainfall.
“If it comes out of my pocket to handle my road where I have property in Romoland, the city can definitely afford that, but they don’t,” Peterson said.
Business development was another topic, with candidates discussing ways to attract employers and make it easier for small businesses to open in Menifee.
Sandoval suggested using artificial intelligence to identify mistakes in permit applications, while Peterson proposed working with the Chamber to explore small business microgrants.
Diederich emphasized simplifying the permitting process and addressed the limited availability of commercial space.
One discussion focused on whether Menifee should consider establishing its own fire department rather than continuing to contract with Riverside County.
“I personally feel like we made a mistake by deferring the feasibility study for our own fire department,” Peterson said.
Diederich questioned whether operating a city department would provide better service at a lower cost, while Sandoval raised concerns about potential impacts on public safety.
“Maybe we save a few million bucks, but is that going to cost people’s lives and their safety?” Sandoval said.
Public safety discussions also included police staffing and Flock license plate recognition cameras.
Sandoval suggested evaluating police response times and workload rather than focusing solely on officer-to-population ratios.
On Flock cameras, the candidates generally supported their use with privacy protections and oversight.
“I think that we should stay to identifying cars, not people,” Sandoval said.
The election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3.
For additional coverage of the City Council candidates, read about Menifee 24/7’s Sept. 23 candidate forum.
