Bringing Jobs Is 'No. 1 Goal,' Murrieta Mayor Says

Murrieta has a history of commerce dating back to the turn of the 20th century when a grain industry was born and a railway ran through town carrying goods to and from.

That culture of commerce is what will continue to sustain the city, said Murrieta Mayor Doug McAllister Thursday as he gave his State of the City Address to an audience of more than 400.

"It is going to take exceptional leadership to get that done...this council is a team. Every decision we make should consider the impact on jobs first and foremost," McAllister said.

"We are declaring an all out war," he said, to a crowd that included Supervisor Jeff Stone, Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries, Temecula City Councilman Jeff Comerchero, Wildomar City Councilman Timothy Walker, Lake Elsinore City Councilman Bob Magee and others.

McAllister, , referred several times to the book "The Coming Jobs War," written by Jim Clifton, CEO and chairman of Gallup.

Studies show the world gross domestic product (GDP) will increase from $60 trillion in 2010 to $200 trillion over the next 30 years, he said. In 2010, the U.S. GDP was $15 trillion—25 percent of the world's.

The battle over who will get a piece of that $140 trillion projected increase is akin to World War II, McAllister said.

According to Gallup studies, he said the place to increase the American gross domestic product is at the local level. But in order for a city to be successful, it must possess a certain mix of ingredients.

"Ultimately, all solutions are local," McAllister said. "I'm here to tell you Murrieta is that city. Not only do we have the right address, we have the right people."

Because of the effective leadership, Murrieta has maintained low unemployment and a historically balanced budget with monumental reserves, he said.

He gave kudos to the city's top-ranking police and fire departments as well as the school district for contributing to the quality of the culture of the city.

"Folks aren't afraid to shop, to work or to play. We are forever in their debt," McAllister said.

"Our residents deserve an exceptional quality of life and that's our goal."

The city marketed the State of the City Address throughout Southern California and saw several new faces at the event.

"Much of what is being done in Orange County can be done here," McAllister said. "How much more productive could our citizens be if they were not sitting in traffic?"

McAllister said the message will also go worldwide, as the city plans to upload a video recording of the speech to its website and send it out to international contacts.

"In Murrieta, we work locally but we think globally."

Accolades were also given to the city's Economic Development Director, Bruce Coleman, who continually markets the city to prospective companies and works closely with existing ones.

Kimberly Davidson, who works alongside Coleman as the city's business development manager, organized Thursday's State of the City Address. It included a reception and a VIP room for sponsors. Those who donated included Verizon, Western Municipal Water District, Costco, Dixieline, Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta, the Murrieta Firefighters Association and several others.

"We hope everyone got out of it what we hoped they would get out it: that Murrieta is the future of Southern California," Davidson said.