Photo by Canyon Lake Insider.By Mayor Jeremy Smith, City of Canyon Lake
Happy New Year Canyon Lakers! We have so much to be grateful for in our little city we call home. I want to first start off by thanking each and every one of you for continuing to make Canyon Lake the best place to live, period. I look forward to serving as your mayor in 2023 and want to thank my colleagues on the city council for the opportunity.
As most of you know, one of the big challenges of 2022 was getting our new Canyon Lake Fire Department through its first full year of operations. We are excited that our fire department has now officially completed that first year with flying colors, and we are grateful that the community has been so incredibly supportive.
A huge shout out to our fire chief, battalion chief, captains, engineers, and firefighters on all their success and hard work over this past year. It truly has been an amazing sight to see.
As we begin 2023, your city council and staff are developing new goals to continue steering Canyon Lake in the right direction. Making sure that we are fiscally responsible and sound is, and always will be, a top priority.
We understand the importance of public safety and will work to ensure Canyon Lake remains one of the safest communities in Riverside County. Transparency has been the council’s objective from day one, and we will continue to make ourselves available to the community.
We are excited about the appointment of Councilmember Mark Terry, who joined the council in November to fill the vacancy that was created when former Councilman Larry Greene resigned his seat in order to move to Montana.
Councilman Terry has hit the ground running and is already working hard for the residents of Canyon Lake. In December, the council appointed Councilman Dale Welty to serve as mayor pro tem, and we know that he will shine in his new leadership role.
Newly re-elected Councilmembers Kasey Castillo and Jennifer Dain will be leading our Finance and Planning Committee, and I know the two of them will work diligently as the city council’s financial gatekeepers.
At the January 11 city council meeting, the council will consider and adopt an official list of goals for 2023. Just a few of the goals that will be presented are: 1) implementing the Local Road Safety Plan to increase safety on Railroad Canyon Road, 2) begin marketing the Towne Center Specific Plan for developing/upgrading our city’s main commercial area, and 3) find new ways to support local business and our Canyon Lake Chamber of Commerce.
I’m looking forward to the city achieving great things for our community in 2023! As your mayor this year, I will continue to make myself available to residents and our local businesses, and I will keep looking for ways to streamline services provided at City Hall.
While we are constantly under pressure from Sacramento to implement detrimental public policies, your city council is continually working to protect our community from these bad policies and to ensure that Canyon Lake remains “a little bit of paradise.”
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s, and here’s to a safe, prosperous, and blessed 2023 for us all!
