Background Info: Petition to Annex Unincorporated Hemet
This research all started for the Hemet Region Informed Organization with the City of Hemet’s city council meeting agenda for March 25, 2025. Click to View the Meeting.
On the agenda was a petition from Hemet United to annex unincorporated areas around Hemet. East Hemet, Valle Vista, Diamond Valley, and Tahquitz areas are called the Hemet Sphere of Influence (SOI).
The petition was submitted by a group called Hemet United, possibly Hemet Action Group, and seems to now be called Hemet Rising. The founder (Keith Garrison) of Hemet United has passed away. The group is Dr. Kali P. Chaudhuri (KPC Group), Andrew Kotyok, Bruce Wallis, Debbie Green(e) [has been spelled with and without an e], Lori Vanarsdale, and Sean Murphy. While Chaudhuri is not listed on the Hemet Rising website, he submitted a letter to the City of Hemet (see pages below) promoting the annexation of the unincorporated SOI areas. This document was obtained through a public records request.
The letter from Dr. Chaudhuri and the Hemet United Petition for Annexation repeatedly states that they have 1,500 signatures. They have 1089 certified registered voters. See the document below.
Where Are We Now:
- The Riverside County Executive Office submitted a letter to the City of Hemet Council before the March 25th meeting, requesting additional information.
- Mayor Jackie Peterson moved to table the annexation presentation from Andrew and Debbie until the LAFCO requests could be researched and answered. (See Meeting Recording)
- Linda Krupa disagreed and put forth a motion to allow public comments on the annexation and for the City of Hemet Council to vote on the annexation.
- Many people spoke, asking excellent questions that have not been answered yet.
- The city council voted to send the annexation request to the Hemet Planning Commission.
- The Hemet Planning Commission can respond to RivCo’s letter by answering the questions and deciding to move forward by petitioning LAFCO for the annexation of the unincorporated areas, or the Hemet Planning Commission can decide not to move forward with the annexation process.
Who Is Involved:
| Hemet Rising, aka Hemet United, aka “The Hemet Action Group” | Hemet City Council |
| Keith Garrison (deceased) Andrew Kotyok Bruce Wallis Debbie Green(e) Lori VanArsdale Sean Murphy Dr. Kali P. Chaudhuri – While he is part of all this, Andrew and Debbie have stated that they are against Chaudhuri’s development. |  Carole Kendrick resigned Joe Males: running for Congress |
| Hemet Planning Commission | LAFCO: |
 Click on “Hemet Planning Commission” to go to the website. This image was copied from the website. (Yes, “Vaccant” is their spelling.) Please sign up to receive notifications of agendas. | Michael M. Vargas-Chair Dr. Yxstian Gutierrez- Vice Chair (District 5 Supervisor- includes San Jacinto and City of Hemet) V. Manuel Perez Stephen J. Tomanelli Steve Sanchez Stephen Corona Dr. Bruce Underwood Harvey Ryan Jim Love Jose Medina Linda Molina |
| Riverside County Planning Commission | Other Groups |
| District 1: Mussa Khair District 2: Marisa Gruytch District 3: Shellie Clack ****includes the cities of Menifee, Murrieta, Temecula, and Wildomar, and the communities of Aguanga, Anza Valley, East Hemet, French Valley, Green Acres, Homeland, Lake Riverside, Sage, and Winchester, as well as parts of Valle Vista. District 4: Bill (Guillermo) Sanchez District 5: Romelio Ruiz **Includes the cities of Banning, Beaumont, Calimesa, Hemet, Moreno Valley and San Jacinto. The unincorporated communities include Cabazon, Cherry Valley, Lakeview, Nuevo, Reche Canyon, San Timoteo Canyon, as well as parts of Valle Vista and Whitewater. | District 1: Mussa Khair District 2: Marisa Gruytch District 3: Shellie Clack ****includes the cities of Menifee, Murrieta, Temecula, and Wildomar, and the communities of Aguanga, Anza Valley, East Hemet, French Valley, Green Acres, Homeland, Lake Riverside, Sage, and Winchester, as well as parts of Valle Vista. District 4: Bill (Guillermo) Sanchez District 5: Romelio Ruiz **Includes the cities of Banning, Beaumont, Calimesa, Hemet, Moreno Valley, and San Jacinto. The unincorporated communities include Cabazon, Cherry Valley, Lakeview, Nuevo, Reche Canyon, San Timoteo Canyon, as well as parts of Valle Vista and Whitewater. |
What do Hemet Region Residents do Now?
- You can sign the online petition.
- This will allow the Hemet Region Informed Organization to contact you, if or when the Hemet Planning Commission decides to move forward with petitioning LAFCO for annexation of the Hemet SOI areas AND LAFCO approves. We would need at least 25% of registered voters to sign the petition so a vote can be held. If we have more than 50% of registered voters sign the petition, then the annexation will be stopped completely.
- As of March 31, 2022, there were 20,456 registered voters in the proposed annex areas.
- To completely stop an annexation, we need 10,229 or more registered voters to sign an official form if LAFCO approves the annexation.
- To allow the community to vote for annexation, we need at least 5,115 signatures.
- The process is in the image below:
- Get a Yard Sign to let your neighbors know what is going on.
- You can go to Namerrs Signs & Printing, 227 Main Street, San Jacinto, California 92583, (951) 350-0270, [email protected]
- The cost would be $25 for single-sided and $30 for double-sided each.
- There is bulk pricing as well.
- You can go to Namerrs Signs & Printing, 227 Main Street, San Jacinto, California 92583, (951) 350-0270, [email protected]
- Email or message your representatives:
- Go to City Council Meetings to publicly record your questions about Annexation. This will impact all residents in the area, including those in the City of Hemet and the Hemet SOI.
- If you can’t make a meeting, they are all broadcast live and posted on the City of Hemet’s YouTube page.
- If you are a resident of Hemet and oppose the annexation, email your city council representative.
- Go to the LAFCO and City of Hemet & Planning Commission websites to review the agendas for upcoming meetings.
A Call for Transparency
Transparency has been missing in discussions about annexation. Transparency and participation are the pillars of informed community decisions. Together, we can ensure the future of our region is shaped by the voices of those who call Hemet home.
The Hemet Region Informed Organization is committed to uncovering the who, what, where, when, why, and how of decisions affecting our area. Together, we can ensure that our community makes informed choices.
Sincerely,
Seeking Information