On Sept. 25, the Riverside County Registrar of Voters began mailing about 876,000 sample ballots and information pamphlets. Voters will have these in advance of the general election on Nov. 4. If voters do not receive an informational guide in the mail, it is available at www.voteinfo.net. Voters also may call the registrar’s office at…

While the state Assembly could not bring itself to repeal the controversial State Responsibility Area Fire Prevention Fee, on Monday the Assembly’s Natural Resource Committee held a hearing on Assembly Bill 468. This bill, drafted by Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro (D – Humboldt and Mendocino), replaces the $150 fee on SRA properties with a 4.8 percent…

Future financial possibilities were the chief topic at last week’s Hemet Unified School District (HUSD) meeting. Financial Services Director Pam Buckhout outlined the prospective changes from the current state budget condition and how they might affect HUSD finances over the next three years. “The multiyear projections show the district may need to make additional cuts…

The budget problems hanging over Riverside County are not disconcerting the board. County Executive Officer Jay Orr told the supervisors in his presentation last week, “This is not the time to panic.”