Maintaining Perris City Services

Learn More About Perris' Services and Budget – and Share Your Feedback!

The City of Perris and its elected leaders are committed to maintaining our local quality of life, and supporting the core services and infrastructure that our residents, businesses and visitors rely on every day. The City is currently facing a number of challenges, including rising costs for public safety, aging infrastructure, and decreasing revenue.

As part of planning to meet these demands, and potentially present options for additional revenue to support local services, the City is asking residents to give feedback on their priorities and help guide decision making.

What Are Perris' Core City Services?

Public Safety and Emergency Response

The firefighters and paramedics serving Perris respond to approximately 9,000 calls for service per year, a 59% increase over the past decade. Like cities throughout California, Perris has faced increases in homelessness and certain types of crime. Total arrests made in the City are up over 75% in the last decade, and communities surrounding Perris have documented problems with gang members committing violent crimes and an increasing number of burglaries and thefts.

The costs of providing these services has also increased dramatically, with policing costs rising by 11% and fire protection costs more than doubling – from approximately $5 million per year to over $11 million. A new firehouse will also be needed to serve the growing community and to maintain emergency response times.

Streets, Roads and Infrastructure

Perris was incorporated in 1911, and like many California cities, much of its infrastructure is aging without sufficient funds to maintain or replace it.

80% of our local streets were rated by independent engineers as being below the City's standards – and that was before the rainstorms and flooding of the past few years. Funds from potential measures could be used to repair streets, fill potholes, and prevent sinkholes. It will be less expensive to repair the streets now than waiting until later.

The City is also taking steps to enhance quality of life for local residents. These include master plans to guide the development of parks, recreation facilities, and a comprehensive trail and bikeway network that connects various parts of the city.

What is Our City's Budget?

Economic pressures are hitting Perris hard. Sales Tax revenue, the single largest source of General Fund Revenue, has decreased slightly in recent years. The City received $26.4 million in sales tax revenues in fiscal year 2022-23, but this decreased to $25.9 million in fiscal year 2023-24, a 2% decline.

Recent proposals in Sacramento could also see Perris lose as much as 10% of its Sales Tax revenues through changes to how logistics centers are credited for sales. This would cost the City's General Fund as much as $3 million in the first year of such a change, impacting available funds to maintain public safety services, street and road maintenance, parks, and other core City services.

Additionally, the City has recently moved to ban future development of industrial warehouses in the City's Business Park. This will have various impacts on both revenue and costs to the City, but without ongoing development impact fees, new revenues will be required at minimum to maintain existing infrastructure.

What Has the City Done to Manage its Budget?

The City has taken significant steps to manage its budget responsibly. Among the measures taken include:

• Maintained balanced budgets and a strong fiscal position
• Paid off Unfunded Liabilities with more than $54 million in Reserve Funds
• Perris is tied for the lowest Sales Tax rate in Riverside County
• One of the only cities in the region without its own dedicated sales tax funding

In light of these pressures, and in order to continue to maintain a strong public safety presence and meet the quality of life expected by our residents, the City has chosen to explore the potential for additional new revenue to maintain and support critical public services.

What is an Example of a Revenue Measure to Maintain Service Levels?

The City is considering a potential sales tax to help support its General Fund. If approved by voters, it is estimated the tax would generate approximately $18 million annually to support the City's General Fund. Funding from this measure could help maintain the city's fiscal sustainability and be used for services including:

• Maintaining 911 Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Response Times
• Repairing and maintaining local streets and roads
• Building a new firehouse to serve the growing community
• Maintaining parks, recreation facilities, and trail networks
• Any other services and infrastructure maintained by the General Fund

Key Facts About the Potential Measure:

• City voters would have to approve the proposal via a June 2026 Ballot Measure
• It would result in Sales Tax rates equal to neighboring cities, like Palm Desert, La Quinta, and Desert Hot Springs
• This would be locally-controlled general revenue, with all funds deposited into the City's General Fund for unrestricted general revenue purposes
• All revenue would be kept local. By law it could not be taken by the State or transferred to another agency

The City is asking for feedback on this and other issues related to City Services. Please take a moment to complete the City's Priorities Survey and watch for upcoming community events.

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