2623 Toumey Lane, Corona, CA 92881, US
Welcome to Wes Speake for Corona City Council 2026!
46 Year Resident
Public Safety Focused
Fiscally Conservative
And
Community Driven!
Campaign Issues
Public Safety Focus
I am Fighting for Traffic Improvements Now!
I am Fighting for Traffic Improvements Now!
Our first responders are consistently rated some of the best in the state. However, in 2018 due to budget cuts, our overall numbers shrunk to pre-2000 levels all while our population expanded.
I am honored to say in the last 3 years we have added 15 new sworn Police Officers and added 9 new Community Services Officers to help keep our officers out on the front protecting and serving our community. As I did in 2018, I have earn the respect and endorsement of the Corona Police Officer's Association for this election as well as an endorsement from Riverside County Sheriff's Association as well.
In the Fire Department, the council approved the establishment of 2 low-acuity paramedic units that can roll out to medical calls with an ambulance cutting down wear and tear on vehicles and leaving our Engines and Trucks in place to fight fires and be deployed in 5min or less. We have taken delivery of 3 new fire engines and 2 new fire trucks since 2019 and we are slated to refurbish 3 fire stations from the 1960's in the next 3 years!
In 2022, the council successfully negotiated the elimination of all budgeted Fire Department overtime positions to cut overtime costs and improve readiness.
I am proud to have received the endorsement of Corona Fire Association in 2018 and again 2022.
In 2024, With the help of Measure X and the outstanding reputation of Corona PD we are fully staffed with more officers than anytime i Corona History.
I am Fighting for Traffic Improvements Now!
I am Fighting for Traffic Improvements Now!
I am Fighting for Traffic Improvements Now!
In 2018, I fought along side the Greater Corona Traffic Alliance for operational improvements on the 91 and including the auxiliary lane on the WB 91 between Green River Road and SR-241. This project was done in record time opening in January 2022. It is showing great success as average WB speeds have doubled in the AM.
I extremely proud to have pushed for a hugely needed interim auxiliary lane project from Cajalco to Weirick to partially relieve the nightmare the Cajalco Crush has brought upon Corona's South Side. This important project was a partnership between the City of Corona, Caltrans and RCTC. This project started in May and opened in July 2022. a permanent solution eliminating the lane dop will be started in 2027.
I will continue to advocate both locally, regionally and at the state level for a project to address the SB lane drops at Ontario, El Cerrito and Cajalco. I am proud to have voted to fund more than $6M new camera and systems that will use in artificial intelligence to help move traffic through the city. I will continue to work with county and state elected officials for much needed funding to widen Ontario Avenue under the 15 and finally widen Temescal Canyon Road from Tom Barnes to State Street. Its been a two lane street since 1926.. I think 90+ years is enough time!
Additional Projects
Interim Corridor Operations Project, use of shoulder lane for auxiliary lane, total project cost of $5 million, construction completed in 2022
I-15/SR 91 Express Lane Connector $270 million – Opened late 2023
Corridor Operations Project – between Cajalco to Weirick total project cost of $21 million, construction complete in 2027
I-15 Express Lane Southern Extension – between Cajalco to SR-74, total project cost of $650 million, construction to begin in 2026
Feasibility study of smart freeway pilot project
Included a I-15 rail project in RCTC’s Traffic Relief Plan
Re-stripe southbound I-15 at Cajalco to eliminate lane drop (EA 1N690) Cost estimate of $1.1 million with construction to begin fall 2024
Southbound deceleration lane from Old Temescal to Ontario (EA 1N610) Cost estimate of $7.6 million, with construction to begin fall 2026
Northbound auxiliary lane from Magnolia to SR-91 (EA 1P790) Cost estimate of $10.2 million with construction to begin spring 2027
Business Focus
I am Fighting for Traffic Improvements Now!
Homeless Crisis and Corona
The Good News: Our Economic Development Department has been undersized for years. Between 2019 and 2022 the council has quadrupled the size of the department and initiated both Economic Development Strategic Plan and a Downtown Revitalization Plan . These plans will focus this staff on not only retaining our amazing businesses but starting attracting new ones using our new Work, Live, Shop Corona Program to bring jobs to match Corona commuters to new businesses.
I've spoken to dozens of businesses over the past 6+ years that expanded or wanted to expand in Corona. Two issues come up time and time again. 1st, traffic, the ability to get and make deliveries has been drastically impacted by traffic. Traffic was only seconded to the delays in pulling permits. City staff was been cut to bone and long-time staff has retired/departed further adding to lack of institutional knowledge.
Still to be Done
In 2021, I spearheaded a building and permitting ad-hoc committee with a stated goal of streamlining our permit processes, make inspections easier and getting businesses open faster. We are building a culture of "Getting to Yes" we aren't there yet, but we have seen significant progress.
Staff created video tutorials and flowcharts so residents can understand the process. and established metrics and dashboards so everyone can see progress https://corstat.coronaca.gov/stories/s/Building-Division-Dashboard/k78n-it9q
In 2022, we re-started a program where the Mayor welcomes each and every new business to Corona, Since January I have signed more than 300 letters welcoming new businesses.
Since 2019, The council approved the Skyline Village project in 2021 that brings entertaining and shopping our natural areas. We hope that addition zone changes will result in even more entertainment focused developments along our border with these areas.
Homeless Crisis and Corona
Conservation + Parks and Trails= Quality of Life
Homeless Crisis and Corona
The Homeless crisis continues to rage statewide and Corona has felt this as well. Which is why I voted with my colleagues to establish a Homeless Solution Office in 2020.
The city adopted its Homeless Strategic Plan in 2020. The Plan was developed through a community-wide effort. The key components of the plan include: Robust Community Engagement Process Comprehensive Needs Assessment Homeless Cost Impact Analysis Analysis of Best Practices and Models. This approach lead to a 34% decrease in Homelessness in Corona.
In 2018, I pledged to commit to long-term funding of Corona PD's H.O.P.E. Team (Homeless Outreach and Psychological Evaluation Team) in 2022, we doubled this team and expanded the used of social workers from CityNet and the County Behavioral Health to accelerate getting Corona' s Homeless housed.
The Homeless Strategic Plan is robust with all three housing types needed to get the homeless off the streets, either in process of opening or functioning as one. From our Harrison Street shelter, to Project RoomKey, to transitional housing and permanent supportive housing. This allows our amazing Corona PD to enforce our anticamping laws.
We have leveraged advocate groups to make progress. Still a long way to go, but I will continue to fight to keep people off the street and effecting our residents and businesses quality of life.
To learn more about our programs go here: https://www.theroadhome.coronaca.gov/
Conservation + Parks and Trails= Quality of Life
Conservation + Parks and Trails= Quality of Life
Conservation + Parks and Trails= Quality of Life
In the past 3 years, we have focused on quality life issues for our community. In 2020, the council approved the purchase of 292-acres of private property a long Skyline Trail, including a parcel that already had approved housing project along Skyline Trail preventing housing being ever placed in these wild areas.
In 2021, we launched our Parks Master Plan and Trails Master Planning efforts. These plans are key to knowing what we have and where we are going. In Parks, we have made substantial investments in new playgrounds at Lincoln, Santana, Mt. Gate, Tehachapi and Cresta Verde Parks. We reopened Promenade Park, a Park that had been closed for over 10 years. We have pledged to invested $5M/yr for the next 5 years in fully realizing the potential in our almost 40 parks.
Our Trails Master Plan will note and formalize our extensive walking, biking and hiking trails and it will place tangible action items to additional forge connections to our wild areas and expand and connect our trails whole preventing development from blocking access.
Lastly, we finalized our urban tree plan in 2021, I voted to place an 15,000 trees in empty tree wells and parks all over the city. Trees are community capital a key to a healthy city is a city that invests in it urban forest!
Infrastructure Before Development
Conservation + Parks and Trails= Quality of Life
Conservation + Parks and Trails= Quality of Life
Development isn't a bad thing, Development without necessary infrastructure is BAD.
We set up future and current residents to fail by approving housing that is too dense for proper traffic flow or doesn't feature enough parking. Unfortunately the State is mandating that the city plan for another 6-8,000 housing units. I promise to use every option available to me to prevent bad projects from being built in Corona.
Any new residential development should fit the neighborhood, benefit nearby commercial and be a benefit to the city.
I will continue to hold developers to a community standard that ensures proper traffic flow and vow to always put residents first.
I AM for Commercial, Office and Industrial Development that helps retain jobs in Corona and gets our residents off the freeways and Build our Tax Base! Which is why I supported retail shops like Bedford Marketplace, New Dos Lagos Ownership and Corona Mall Revitalization. We have new Class A Office Space at Dos Lagos and over 1MSQFT of new Industrial developments that is bringing great jobs to the City of Corona.
In 2018, the city had 2 fulltime Economic Development Staff We have increased our economic development staff by over 300% to bring great businesses and jobs home to Corona so you can have the opportunity to work where you live! LIVE WORK CORONA, coming full circle in the Circle City!