State of the County event celebrates investments in infrastructure, education, housing

Riverside County Board of Supervisors Chair V. Manuel Pérez’s district played host to Thursday’s State of the County event at Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms where he highlighted the county’s “wins,” a nod to the venue’s status as the home of the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

The event struck a celebratory tone, recognizing the county’s achievements during the past year including enhancing access to public services through the county’s RivCo One program and renewed investments in infrastructure, education and housing.

Riverside County Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen kicked off the evening’s presentations talking about the county’s efforts to address the challenges of a rapidly growing population. Echoing points he made at last year’s State of the County event, Van Wagenen emphasized Riverside County’s status as a popular destination for newcomers. 

“They’re coming here because it’s [a] safe and great environment,” Van Wagenen said. “These people are our customers, family members and friends.”

During two of the last five years, more people moved to Riverside County than any other county in the United States, with the single exception of Maricopa County, Az., where the city of Phoenix is located, he said. 

“We had a growth spurt,” Van Wagenen said. “We have to be intentional about how we meet the expanding needs.” 

He explained that part of the preparation  for the 2025-26 budget included a needs survey that received more than 25,000 responses. The county also held five community outreach and engagement events, which together reached another 1,000 residents.

Van Wagenen also provided an overview of how the county makes use of its nearly $10 billion budget for the current fiscal year. Among other things, he emphasized the implementation of RivCo One, a program intended to improve access to public services by providing a hub where residents can seek and get connected to assistance. 

Other wins, highlighted by Pérez, included major strides forward in addressing homelessness, expanding affordable housing and completing new infrastructure projects, especially in the county’s unincorporated areas. 

The county saw a 19% decrease in unsheltered homelessness during 2025, as well as the construction of 1,043 new affordable homes, Pérez said. He thanked the non-profit organization Lift to Rise, based in the Coachella Valley, for its contributions to the effort, calling it “a home grown success story.” 

Pérez also celebrated the construction of sidewalks in Carver Tract, an unincorporated area between Indio and Coachella, suggesting that further improvements like streetlights were on the way. 

“Unincorporated communities deserve wins too,” he said, emphasizing the important role of Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts in directing funds to underserved areas. 

Pérez also mentioned the construction of new or renovated fire stations in unincorporated communities, including Lake Tamarisk and French Valley, as well as 10 new or renovated libraries. 

“Our firefighters deserve world class facilities,” he said. “Literacy and education fuel winning.”

Sticking with the sports theme of this year’s event, the other four supervisors highlighted the wins in their districts in highly-produced video messagesfocusing on education and outreach in particular. 

“We had a growth spurt. We have to be intentional about how we meet the expanding needs.” 

— County Executive Officer Jeff Wan Wagenen

District 1 Supervisor Jose Medina praised Riverside City College and the UCR medical school; District 2 Supervisor Karen Speigel, who sparred with Thunder, the mischievous green-furred mascot of the Lake Elsinore Storm, reported on a recent effort to connect more than 200 unhoused residents of the Santa Ana river bottom with stable housing; District 3 Supervisor Chuck Washington, who worked out with the Mt. San Jacinto College football team, described the ongoing construction of the French Valley Library and Skyview Pedestrian Bridge; and District 5 Supervisor Yxtian Gutierrez, who played in a charity softball tournament, celebrated a partnership that provided nearly a million dollars worth of fresh produce to needy residents last year. 

Around 1,000 people gathered for the event. The crowd included local business leaders from agricultural, industrial and other sectors, as well members of public agencies such as Cal Fire and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. Also in attendance were representatives from nonprofit and other community organizations, tribal leaders from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and the Torres Martinez Desert Indians and elected officials from numerous municipalities, including Beaumont and Coachella.

Republican U.S. Rep. Young Kim, who represents California’s 40th Congressional District, was also in attendance. Her district, which previously included parts of Corona, was expanded further into the county as a result of Prop 50.

Pérez, whose district includes Thousand Palms, described Acrisure Arena as “a shining star” of the county, calling it a symbol of what is possible when government, business, and community groups come together.  

“If we can build this stadium, we can build another Cal State campus, we can mitigate the Salton Sea, we can solve the dust issues we face here every day,” he said. “Let’s work together to get it done.”

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