Mayor Makes Impression on Students

They had questions and he had answers.

Murrieta Mayor Randon Lane has been making the rounds this week to some of his soon-to-be constituents by visiting students at three of Murrieta's high schools. 

Beside helping them put a face to a name, he is encouraging students to educate themselves on the candidates and issues they will soon be voting on.

"Your job should be to get involved in the system and educate yourself so that when you go out and vote, you know who you are voting for and why," Lane told a group of about 60 government and U.S. History students Thursday.

Students learned about the balance of power at City Hall, and were truthful when asked whether they knew the function of City Council; most of them admitted they did not.

"You are not really part of the public anymore and you are not the government; you are kind of in between," he told students when describing the duties of an elected official.

Questions posed from students ranged from whether there was poverty in Murrieta to if the city had considered going more green. They also asked financial questions, such as where city revenue comes from, and how much he earns.

Lane explained that he holds down a full-time job, as city council members earn about $600 a month.

Balancing that with family time can be a challenge, he said, explaining that he has a wife and three children, one of whom is around their age and away at college.

When asked why he initially became involved in city government, he said it had to do with noticing a lack of road infrastructure when he first moved to the city in 2001. That's when he started attending Planning Commission and City Council meetings, he said.

Lane was appointed to the Planning Commission in 2006, and elected to City Council in 2008. He is up for re-election in 2012.

The casual, one-and-a-half hour long meeting was not what some students had expected from a mayor.

"He seemed more down-to-earth, more like a person than a politician; he was relatable," said senior Keilah Katter, 17. "That was refreshing."

Another student said the question and answer session dispelled a lot of assumptions.

"I always thought that the mayor's income was more, and that he had more control," said Angela Edgecomb, also a 17-year-old senior.

Last spring, and is looking to do that again in November.

If he sparked anything in any of the students Thursday, he may very well see them there.