Weekly Message from the Mayor

MORENO VALLEY>> I recently went on a tour with the March Joint Powers Authority with Mayor Pro Tem Victoria Baca to see first-hand the contributions it is making to our city. The March JPA was created in 1993 to convert approximately 4,400 acres of surplus land from March Air Force Base, which was downgraded in 1996 to a reserve facility, March Air Reserve Base. The March JPA is governed by the March Joint Powers Commission, which is made up of representatives of the four jurisdictions whose boundaries touch March Air Force Base, Moreno Valley, Perris, Riverside and the County of Riverside. Each jurisdiction selects two of its elected officials to serve on the March JPC. I sit on the commission along with Mayor Pro Tem Victoria Baca. Among its responsibilities is planning and implementing new uses for currently vacant land, reuse of existing facilities, and joint use of the airfield facilities for the development of an airfield cargo facility. The March JPA’s projects include March GlobalPort, a cargo hub, the 1,290 acre Meridian Business Park, and the March LifeCare campus will include a state-of-the-art post-acute medical and rehabilitation hospital that specializes in treating traumatic brain injuries of military veterans and others. It has also widened the 215/Van Buren interchange and is working on two flood control projects on Cactus Avenue and Heacock Street. In addition, the March JPA has provided increased tax revenue to our city, our public library, our fire department and our school districts. I am proud of the progress we have made working with the March JPA, and the work we will continue to do together to create more jobs, increase revenue and improve infrastructure.