What is the real truth about TUMF (Traffic Uniform Mitigation Fee)? It is not a plan enacted by the voters in 2002 as stated in the Press Enterprise. The voters never voted on it. They voted on an extension of the ½ cent sales tax that provided funding for the Riverside County Transportation Commission to help fund new roads, interchanges, expressways etc in Riverside County. The only change this time was if a city or county entity wanted to take advantage of their share of that portion set aside for local street maintenance they had to be members of a TUMF program administrated by one of local Council of Governments. An additional requirement was put on those cities in Western Riverside County that they had to participate in the Western Riverside County Multi Species Habitat Conservation Plan. This was done by the County of Riverside to force everyone to participate. TUMF is an administrative ordinance adopted by each of the member cities who voluntarily became members of this program. Its main purpose it to provide a mechanism to construct local collector roads, arterial roads and ramps to connect motorists in the different areas of the county through a zone system. Beaumont was part of the Pass Area Zone. Beaumont reluctantly decided to participate in the TUMF program since we already had our own financing program for new development and had a Master Plan for Arterial Streets and Roads. I should know as I was the City Representative for WRCOG when the plan was being formed that being the years 2000 to 2003. I had assurances from the WRCOG legal counsel, all four Western Riverside County Supervisors especially Supervisor Stone who stated agreed that the plan Beaumont has is just like the Bridge and Road Benefit districts that the county has in Temecula and other area of the county.
I have attached a TUMP information document that shows the TUMF administrative program for the years 2003 to 2006 which clearly show Beaumont’ s CFD program is a viable and allowable program to allow credits for TUMF eligible facilities. In fact while serving on WRCOG Rich Bishop would tell everyone about how Beaumont is building all these TUMF facilities and what great job they are doing. They even put us on the Spotlight as a city doing things right by building the roads before the development is completed so there would not be a delay. They attended the ground breaking and the dedication of 1st Street and other TUMF facilities that we the City of Beaumont constructed. In addition during this time the city of Beaumont deposited with WRCOG over 4.3 million dollars in TUMF fees collected from builders who were not part of the CFD program. This money was more than the amount deposited by the cities of Calimesa, Banning and Canyon Lake combined. Beaumont never received a dime of that money even though the administrative plans calls for a 50% return to source and the Pass plan called for it to be given to the jurisdiction that placed the money into the program.
What happened, why Beaumont fell out of grace with the folks who administer the TUMF program, namely WRCOG. First the economy tanked in 2007 their revenue steam dropped substantially. They had built up their staffs that were getting high 6 figure salaries plus benefits. Their house of cards was about to come down. They needed money to operate on, to support their big budget. The COG really serves no real purpose other than to collect the money and send it back to the cities and or the Riverside Transportation Commission who actually has the authority to spend the money. RCTC is an organization that was put into being by a special act of the legislature. RCTC have authority. WRCOG has no real authority. If all the member cities were to quit tomorrow, they would cease to exist
