Greetings and welcome to Perris! 

Perris continues to be right in the center of it all and is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation. Perris is a place to live, work and play and located 71 miles east-southeast of Los Angeles and 81 miles north of San Diego. 

We are flourishing in the year 2023 because of the overwhelming support of our community partners, our business community and the 80,000 incredible residents who call Perris home. 

Our sensational Community Services Department maintains 29 amazing parks and provides leadership, management, and coordination of different programs aimed at enhancing the "Quality of Life" for all our residents. The Community Service department achieves this by providing year-round centers for recreation, sports, leisure, cultural and educational activities, working tirelessly to bring recreational programming to our community. 

Our Public Works Department focuses on city beautification, infrastructure, facilities, emergency management, and services that are of vital importance to sustainable and resilient communities and the public health, high quality of life, and well-being of the people of Perris. 

Our economic and business development industries are thriving, with more than 9,000 new homes and units under construction and more than 1,200 new business licensed issued since January 2021. We welcome entrepreneurship, encourage industry and talent diversity, expand living wage jobs, and support our unique quality of place. 

Finally, we are proud to report a strong fiscal position and have paid off our Unfunded Liability with more than $54 million in our Reserve Funds. 

We hope you enjoy your time here in Perris and visit one of our amazing parks, shop at our local businesses, or eat at one of our fabulous restaurants, and we are confident you’ll see why Perris is right in the center of it all. 

Very truly yours,

Mayor Michael M. Vargas

Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger
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Watch The 2024 Mayor's State Of The City Address


Original Livestream link

Fast Facts

  • Elected: Elected Mayor 2016 to present
  • Term Expires: November 2024
  • Employment: Retired Los Angeles School Police Department sergeant
  • Family: Wife/four daughters/six grandchildren
  • Hobbies: Photography, computer graphics

Committee Appointments

  • March Joint Powers Authority Commission
  • Metrolink Contacts, Operations, Maintenance and Safety Committee
  • Riverside County Habitat Conservation Authority
  • Riverside County Transportation Commission
  • SCAG - Transportation Committee
  • Riverside County Local Area Formation Commission

City Committee Appointments

  • Public Safety Ad Hoc
  • Economic Development Ad Hoc
  • Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Committee
  • Human Resources Ad Hoc
  • Water Utility Ad Hoc

Professional Organizations

  • National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
  • League of Latin American Citizens, Riverside Council 3190
  • Perris Valley Chamber of Commerce
  • Perris Valley Democratic Club
  • Riverside County Democratic Party Immigration Reform Committee
  • Greater Riverside Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • Sons of American Legion Post 595
  • Rotary Club of Perris
  • Perris Valley Filipino American Association
  • Exceed - Board of Directors
  • Perris Valley Family Resource Center - Advisory Board
  • CAL CITIES - Public Safety Policy Committee Member
  • SoCal Railway Museum - Board of Directors
  • Consortium for Early Learning Services - Board of Directors

Political Experience

  • Governing School Board Member, Val Verde Unified School District, 2010 - 2016
  • Public Safety Commissioner, City of Perris, 2007 - 2011