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Administration

Welcome to the City of Rancho Mirage!

Rancho Mirage is a Charter City operating under the Council-Manager form of government; the City is governed by five council members with each council person serving as mayor on an annually rotating basis.

The City Council appoints the City Manager who is responsible for carrying out the Council’s visions and policies, and for overseeing the City’s day-to-day administrative operations.

The City of Rancho Mirage is a low-density, low-rise, high-quality resort community located in the beautiful Coachella Valley. Incorporated in 1973, the high quality image of the residential neighborhoods was evident from the beginning. The first two country clubs in Rancho Mirage were Thunderbird and Tamarisk. Today, we are home to nine country clubs.

Our year-round population is 17,000 and our land area encompasses 25 square miles while eight of those square miles are the Santa Rosa Mountains which form the perfect backdrop to this low desert oasis.

At the heart of the City  is  the most popular lifestyle center in the Coachella Valley, The River at Rancho Mirage.

Our city is the proud home to quasi-public institutions Sunnylands Center & Gardens, The Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert, The Tolerance Education Center, The Weil Institute of Critical Care Medicine and the renowned Eisenhower Medical Center (honored as one of the 100 best hospitals in the country).

Rancho Mirage is a special community. Once you visit, you won’t want to leave.

Click here for the latest City Manager quarterly report.

Meet Randal Bynder, City Manager Randal Bynder was appointed to the position of Rancho Mirage City Manager in February 2012 by the City Council. The promotion to the top management spot is the latest advancement  of Bynder’s 26-year career with Rancho Mirage, which began in 1986 when he was hired  as an assistant planner. Bynder was born in Los Angeles and raised in Granada Hills in the San Fernando Valley. In due course, he earned a Bachelor of Art in Geography, followed by studies at the UCLA School of Architecture and Urban Planning. He graduated in 1986 with a Masters of Art in urban planning. Opportunity with Rancho Mirage appeared on the eve of his college career -- Bynder graduated from UCLA on a Sunday afternoon and began his career with Rancho Mirage the next  Monday morning. “I came out to my car at 5:00 p.m. after my first day on the job, packed with my stuff, nowhere to live and thousands of dollars in student loan debt.”  The City has been very good to me. It’s been an honor to be part of the successful growth and strong financial position of this community. Included in that history is Bynder’s steady progression through the ranks of city government and management while along the way becoming a steward  in the continuing development of Rancho Mirage. “I pride myself on having been part of the tremendous growth and maturity of this City over the past 26 years,” Bynder said. Bynder said several City employees are long-time managers and staffers. “Longevity is the benchmark of stability in any organization,” Bynder said. Bynder lives in the area with his wife Lynne. Their daughter, Candace is a student at University of California at Riverside.

A five-member Council governs the City. Council members are elected to four-year terms. The five elected officials are from five separate areas of the City, but voting is Citywide with elections occurring every two years. They are the legislative and policy-forming branch of the City. The City Council also acts as the Board of Directors for the Housing Authority, Library, Joint Powers Financing Authority, and Community Services District.

The City Council employs and directs the City Manager, City Clerk and City Attorney.

City Manager

The City Manager oversees all activities of the staff which have been divided into several departments:

• Administration
• Admnistrative Services
• Development Services
• Housing Authority
• Library
• Public Works

Within the separate departments, duties include administration of the City budget, processing of annexations, coordination of assessment districts, analysis of housing and population characteristics, coordination of commissions, contract management, redevelopment and housing activities, personnel management, financial operations, computer operations, purchasing, risk management, emergency preparedness, business licensing, and investment of City funds.  The City Manager also administers the City's Tickets & Passes Distribution Policy in accordance with Section 18944.1 of the California Code of Regulations.

General Government

General Government services include: evaluating and completing grant applications; assisting in contract administration and performance reporting; providing support to the City Manager and Department Directors on projects spanning departments; legislative analysis and monitoring; animal control and shelter services; and risk management and insurance benefits coordination.

Special Programs

Includes a number of special activities and programs for the City that include:

1. The City's participation in the Joslyn Center, a joint effort with the Cities of Indian Wells and Palm Desert; 
2. The Community Parks and Recreation Commission which plans, organizes and hosts special events such as fine art exhibits and festivals or family events throughout the year.

Mandated Programs

Mandated Programs that are legislatively required by Federal or State government or other agencies having jurisdiction over the City. Such programs are related to the Americans with Disability Act (Federal), air quality (Federal and State), integrated solid waste management (State), water conservation (State), wetlands (Federal), and the Local Agency Formation Commission (State).

Regional Planning & Implementation Programs

Regional Planning and Implementation Programs related to regional activities in which some or all Coachella Valley cities and the County participate or which relate to the Southern California Association of Governments. As local jurisdictions struggle to implement various programs, the "joint effort" approach has become important as a way of achieving cost savings and increasing productivity. Examples include the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, Retired Senior Volunteer Program and the Coachella Valley Animal Campus.

Air Pollution Reduction

Includes regulating programs for the City and supporting all regional efforts. AB 2766, dealing with Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction (MSAPR), became effective in 1990. This legislation authorized the imposition of an additional motor vehicle registration fee to fund provisions of the Clean Air Act and other air quality management plans. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) imposed the fee in 1991; this fee is collected by the Department of Motor Vehicles, and then allocated to the SCAQMD. Of this total, SCAQMD must distribute 40% to cities and counties that have enacted ordinances requiring these funds to be expended on Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction. Because the Coachella Valley does not meet Federal standards for PM10, including PM10 which is emitted by mobile sources (motor vehicles driving over sand particles on paved streets and grinding these particles into PM10), 45% of the City's AB 2766 revenues are utilized to support the regional clean streets sweeping program.

Storm Water Quality

Includes The Clean Water Act of 1972 enacted by Congress to control and reduce sources of water pollution. At that time the focus centered on point sources or specific geographic locations. In 1987, revisions to the Clean Water Act required that storm water runoff be cleaned up as well. The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and the nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCB) are responsible for the implementation of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) required by the Clean Water Act revisions. Under guidelines promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Whitewater River Region of Riverside County is required to be covered by an area-wide storm water discharge permit. Rancho Mirage is a part of this region. The permit requires certain activities and programs to be in place in order to ensure compliance with Clean Water Act regulations. Requirements include retrofitting of retention basins with filters and traps, cleanup of hazardous water spills, enforcement of ordinances that prohibit illegal discharge of pollutants, and a higher level of street sweeping. Public education and technical training are also required, as well as preparation of a Drainage Area Master Plan. In December 1993, the City annexed to County Service Area 152, which was established as a mechanism to fund NPDES Programs and more cost-efficiently coordinate certain tasks such as public education. A charge is assigned to a parcel based on the amount of runoff generated by that parcel.

AB 939 Recycling Program

Services funded in this special account include: supporting construction and demolition debris recycling; providing convenient collection of household hazardous waste and sharps from residents; continuing to expand the Restaurant Food Waste Recycling program; and participating in regional recycling efforts, such as those for used oil and telephone book recycling.

69-825 Highway 111
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
Phone: (760) 324-4511
Fax: (760) 324-8830
Randal Bynder, City Manager

Legal

City Attorney

The Rancho Mirage City Attorney manages the legal affairs of the City of Rancho Mirage and its related agencies, the Rancho Mirage Redevelopment Agency and the Rancho Mirage Housing Authority. The City Attorney provides legal advice to the City Council, the City Manager, city staff, and the city's various boards and commissions. The City Attorney represents the city in legal proceedings to enforce city ordinances, and provides, either directly or through special counsel, for the representation of the city in civil matters. The City Attorney drafts and reviews necessary legal documents such as ordinances, contracts, and resolutions. The City Attorney assists the City Council in formulating and implementing programs and policies maintaining and enhancing Rancho Mirage's reputation as a desirable place to live, work, and visit.