Murrieta Woman Picked for Planning Commission

Courtesy photo

By City News Service

A longtime transportation and land management official from Murrieta was selected Thursday to fill a vacancy on the Riverside County Planning Commission.

Supervisor Chuck Washington nominated Ruthanne Taylor Berger to serve as commissioner for the Third District.

The seat has been vacant since last month, when Commissioner John Petty abruptly resigned, citing unspecified differences of opinion with Washington, who was appointed by fellow Democrat Jerry Brown to fill the Third District supervisorial seat left vacant following the election of Republican Jeff Stone to the state Senate.

Berger’s appointment must be confirmed by the full Board of Supervisors, which will take up the matter later this month.

According to Washington’s office, Berger has three decades of experience in municipal planning. She currently serves as both deputy executive director of the Western Riverside Council of Governments and chair of the Murrieta Planning Commission. She has unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the Murrieta City Council.

Berger and her husband live in Murrieta.

The county Planning Commission is composed of one commissioner from each of the five county districts. The commission generally meets once a month, reviewing land use proposals that directly impact unincorporated communities.