Jared Roman is a 2025 Ronald O. Loveridge Summer Fellow for the League of California Cities. He can be reached via LinkedIn.

Nestled in Riverside County with a population of over 120,000, Menifee is among the fastest growing and youngest cities in California. But these early stages of growth have presented both opportunities and challenges, especially when it comes to communication.

In its early years, Menifee faced complaints about growth, and residents had few ways to reach the city outside normal business hours. The city soon began expanding its social media presence so residents could connect with staff after hours, and later, invested in a communications division. Today, community engagement has become crucial to how the city defines itself.

“Communication is critically important for any city, but especially one that is seeing the level of activity we have here in Menifee,” said City Manager Armando Villa. “It is our goal to ensure our community is aware of the projects, programs, infrastructure, and amenities that are being implemented to further strengthen their quality of life.”   

City officials also focused on telling the story of Menifee. Before, when people looked Menifee up online, nothing identifiable would come up. The city has since made a conscious effort to produce content that captures what it’s like to live in Menifee, focusing on public safety, parks, and schools. These efforts laid the groundwork for building the trust needed to move forward on larger community priorities.

For Villa, the passage of the one-cent sales tax initiative best demonstrates that connection between communication and growth. The measure helped Menifee start its own police department and expand emergency services, making the community one of the safest cities in California.

“It was important to illustrate to the community that these funds would be dedicated to support public safety and help address infrastructure and traffic congestion, ” Villa said. “So, we embarked on an education process to let them know that this is your city. This is your investment in the community.”

Over time, Menifee has built a communications strategy that goes beyond just sharing updates online and public comments. Its quarterly magazine, Menifee Matters, showcases what’s happening in the community, from city projects to upcoming community events. Menifee TV is a diverse mix of programming, including an award-winning documentary. The platform spotlights community programs and offers behind-the-scenes looks at city projects while also broadcasting public meetings.

But one of the city’s biggest engagement initiatives is the Citizens Academy. Held twice a year, the eight-week program invites residents to meet city staff, learn about departments, and better understand how their city functions.

“As a dynamic city that’s growing really fast, you want to make sure that your community is connected and understands the meaning of all this growth, and we have an opportunity through this program to educate them on all these things that deal with development,” Villa said.

Council Member Dan Temple, a graduate of the program, had already planned his run for city council when he joined the academy.

“I saw the Citizens Academy as a chance to really get a very quick yet thorough overview of city operations, what each organization did,” Temple said. “And what I thought really was most appealing to me was to understand exactly what a city could and could not do.”

He emphasized that the program empowers residents. “It’s a wonderful aspect of a community to know that people can come learn about their city and feel as though they’re participating with full knowledge of what they’re looking at and what they can do and how they can influence the city to work in their favor,” said Temple.

Part of Menifee’s rapid growth relies on the city council’s close connection with residents. Surveys, community meetings, and other engagement opportunities provide valuable feedback for projects, like the city’s nascent innovation district. Officials hope this district will diversify the city and region’s economy by attracting a range of high-tech, high-paying businesses, including incubator spaces, light manufacturing, and corporate headquarters.  

Menifee’s story offers valuable lessons for other growing cities: Invest early in communication, give residents chances to learn and participate, and make sure the community can see how their feedback shapes the city’s future. Though still a relatively new city, Menifee’s robust level of community involvement reflects that of a city looking to be a leading hub for innovation and quality of life in Southern California.