Hemet City Council introduced Ordinance 2081 on Sept. 8, 2026, after a public hearing, 4-1. Proposed fees: single-family $250; agricultural $500 per acre; all other $900 per acre. Second reading is set for Sept. 22, 6 p.m., at 450 E. Latham Ave.
Hemet’s Measure Q, a one-cent local sales tax on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot, has two remaining city open houses at Hemet Public Library after a Sept. 16 session. The city’s FAQ says the tax would generate approximately $16 million a year.
The Hemet Police Department cited 28 drivers Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, in a distracted-driving operation from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Twelve citations were for hands-free cell phone violations and 16 for dangerous driving behaviors.
Reese Whitney, 21, of Hemet died Friday on McCall Park Road in Mountain Center, the Riverside County coroner said. CHP is investigating under Log No. 9655. Next of kin have been notified.
A Hemet man, Alex Mancia-Caceres, 54, died early Friday in a single-vehicle crash at Ramona Expressway and E Seventh Street in San Jacinto. Deputies responded at 2:24 a.m.; the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause remains under investigation.