Mayor: 'Moreno Valley is a City of Profound Possibilities'

Moreno Valley Mayor Jesse Molina said the city is growing with possibilities in his State of the City address held Aug. 27. To a room of more than 200 residents, business owners and community leaders, Molina spoke about the highlights of the last year, emphasizing development and job growth, financial stability and a priority for public safety. "Moreno Valley has become a city of opportunity and responsibility, setting the highest standards of excellence humanly possible," said Molina. "As mayor, my challenge and my commitment is to offer a government as good as its city." Molina's address followed a luncheon, during which a video was played discussing the city's movement toward fiscal stability, pointing out industrial development with the addition of several new facilities to the city, funding to provide infrastructure improvements and acknowledging community members who volunteer their time to provide community-based programs and services. The video presentation summarized positive highlights of the last year, including a balanced budget and projections to end the 2015-2016 fiscal year with $28 million in reserves, or 30 percent of the city's proposed budget; public safety programs that have aimed to create a safer city and improve relationships between law enforcement and the community; the city's credit upgrade to an A+ credit rating by Standard & Poor; project funding through several state, federal and Community Development Block grants for infrastructure improvement and maintenance; increase in retail sales by 8.5 percent in the last year; and the creation of the city's new 13 acre LaSalle Sports Park, to name a few. Molina emphasized the need for trust and partnership between the city government and residents. "We will grow safer, greener, smarter and more efficient than any other city in the region," said Molina. "The problems that we've had in Moreno Valley have been generational in the making. We have turned the corner on a new day." He went on, "I pledge to do my best in making our government more available to the public. Trust in our government has been an ongoing problem in the city of Moreno Valley. It's created a divide in our community, especially since the FBI raids in 2013... but we have learned from this experience and we will work toward diligence, transparency and trust." The video, and Molina, also highlighted the addition of industrial facilities to the area, including Fisker Automotive, two Amazon facilities, Procter & Gamble, Aldi Foods, Harbor Freight Tools, the expansion of Serta and Simmons and more. Near the end of his speech, Molina heralded the city council's recent approval of the World Logistics Center, a highly-controversial project that has drawn passionate arguments from both sides. The WLC gained approval 3-2 by the city council the week prior to the state of the city address. Having voted in favor of the project, Molina said the WLC was "a tough decision." The WLC will encompass 2,610-acres on 40.6 million square feet in the area south of the 60 freeway between Redlands Boulevard and Gilman Springs Road. City officials have said it will allow for the potential development of millions of square feet of industrial high-cube logistics facilities, high quality offices and other facilities. Opponents of the WLC say it will negatively impact the environment in the form of increased traffic and air pollution. Molina closed his speech by saying his vision for the city was its growth and to see teamwork between residents and local government. "From many, we need to become one," he said. "We need to get stronger, better and tougher. We've come a long way, but we still have a long way to go."