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Putting Public Safety First

Measure Z is a citizens’ backed initiative aimed to secure and allocate existing and new annual revenue to a new Public Safety Fund restricted to enhancing police, fire and paramedic services.


Yes on Z guarantees that every cent of new revenue will be placed in the Public Safety Fund and restricted for police, fire and paramedic services.

Maintain Local Control

Revenue has not kept pace with the growing costs of providing services and lawsuits seeking to cut off existing revenue are threatening the City's ability to provide public safety services. Without addressing these issues, Canyon Lake’s status as an independent city is at risk. 


The creation of the Public Safety Fund Ordinance will generate over $800,000 annually to help cover public safety costs, while securing Canyon Lakes financial future. 

Investing in Our Safety and the Future

At our current level of service, residents wait over half an hour on average for responses to 911 police calls*.  Meanwhile, our Fire Department cannot respond to more than one emergency call at a time without outside assistance. The city was unable to fund lake rescue training for firefighters in its 2025 budget.


We can do better.


This measure would add a three-quarters of a cent sales tax on each dollar spent in Canyon Lake. With this slight increase, Canyon Lake’s sales tax will still be lower than the surrounding cities of Menifee, Lake Elsinore and Murrieta - where local residents do most of their shopping, including buying groceries. 


Yes on Z will enable the city to reduce police response times by hiring an additional full-time patrol officer and increase the efficacy and service levels of the Fire Department with additional staffing and/or equipment.  



*Based on data provided by the Riverside Sheriffs' Department

Frequently Asked Questions

Z is a local Canyon Lake measure on November’s ballot, which would create the Public Safety Fund Ordinance.  The initiative would use new sales taxes and existing revenue to establish a Public Safety Fund exclusively to pay for Canyon Lake police and fire protection.

 The City of Canyon Lake is facing a financial crisis. Revenue has not kept pace with the growing costs of providing services, and multiple lawsuits seeking to cut off existing revenue are threatening the City's ability to provide needed public safety services. Canyon Lake’s status as an independent city is at risk.

Residents will lose local control over important land use, budget and policy decisions. We are currently represented by five City Councilmembers who live in Canyon Lake and make decisions about our land use, budget, policy, and police and fire protection. If Canyon Lake loses its status as a city,  County Supervisors who do not live here and do not know what is best for our community would make our decisions for us. We would only have one County Supervisor representing Canyon Lake residents. That Supervisor also represents several hundred thousand other people throughout a large geographic area of Riverside County. 

This initiative would place a new 6% sales tax on the purchase of retail cannabis products in Canyon Lake, while authorizing the City Council to increase this tax up to 8%.

The initiative would also add a three-quarters of a cent sales tax on every dollar spent in Canyon Lake. Canyon Lake’s sales tax will still be lower than the surrounding cities of Menifee, Lake Elsinore and Murrieta - where local residents do most of their shopping, including buying groceries.

Every penny collected from these additional revenues will stay locally and only be used to fund police and fire protection in Canyon Lake.

All money collected from the existing EMS Subscription Program and the Water and Sewer Utility User Taxes, totaling over $1.1 million annually, will also go directly into the new Public Safety Fund. This change will legally bind the City to only use those fees and taxes for police and fire protection. 

This is a citizens’ initiative by and for our Canyon Lake residents. Measure Z is endorsed by community and business leaders along with the Canyon Lake Firefighters Association. 

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