About Bob Magee

A Native Californian, Bob moved to Lake Elsinore in 1986 after graduating from San Diego State University. While raising his son Richard, Bob worked in both the public and private sectors in the areas of Land Development, Mining, Resource Recycling and Legislative Affairs. In 2003 Bob ran a successful campaign for Lake Elsinore City Council and has been re-elected six times.  

During his tenure on the Council – and 7 terms as Mayor -- Bob has made Public Safety his number one priority doubling the Police Force and building additional Fire Stations. Response times for both organizations are now lower than at any point in the City’s history.  

Transportation and Recreation have also been staples of Bob’s public service platform. As a member and Two-Time Chairman of the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC), Bob has brought Millions of dollars’ worth of improvements to the valley. Last year marked the completion of the new Railroad Canyon Road I-15 Interchange project. A $40M fully funded effort that has been managed by RCTC and was designed to bring congestion relief to the most frustrating choke point in Southwest Riverside County.  

As a Multi-Term Chairman of the Lake Elsinore San Jacinto Watershed Authority, (LESJWA) Bob has been instrumental in keeping Lake Elsinore full and healthy.  He has also stressed the need to focus on a robust Game-fish population, by stocking the lake several times each year with five different species. This has led to an increase in recreational Anglers and annual fishing derbies, one of which is televised nationally on Fox Sports.

The City’s Park and Recreation inventory continues to grow boasting more than 120 acres with 20 parks throughout more than 40 square miles of City territory. In 2015, after years of planning, the new Serenity skate park opened and in 2017 that park expanded to include a BMX track and dog park. Two years ago the Christiansen Sports Park opened in Canyon Hills paying tribute to a pioneering farming family and last year a Special Needs park was added to this site.

Bob was also the deciding vote that forced a Developer to build the Summerly Golf Course & Club House before any homes could be sold, returning golf to our valley after an 85-year hiatus. Last year the Links at Summerly celebrated their 15th year in business. The Summerly Community Park, originally opening in 2018, completed it’s final phase just last year adding another dog park, amphitheater and two additional lighted ballfields along with a third community skate park.

An avid Motorsports Enthusiast, Bob is also widely credited with the preservation of the Lake Elsinore Grand Prix motorcycle race, made famous by the movie “On Any Sunday.” A multi-event participant, both Bob & his son have continued this Extreme family tradition. While Sponsorship has limited the event in recent years, it should return to the city streets along with the National Sand Drag events under a new motorsports park lease agreement. Bob also worked with the Lake Elsinore Storm to bring both the San Diego & Los Angeles Chapters of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) to Lake Elsinore. Their bi-monthly Autocross events in the Stadium parking lot feature both amateur and professional racers from throughout Southern California. Bob has been an active member and participate since 2019. Other clubs and racing organizations have followed and have preserved the California car culture in the valley. 

The Chamber of Commerce has recognized Bob’s efforts, naming him as their Citizen of the Year in 2005 and presenting him with the John Packman Award for Community Service in 2013. In 2010 the Boy Scouts of America named Bob as their Distinguished Citizen of the Year. And in 2024 the Lake Elsinore Historical Society honored Bob with their Distinguished Service Award.

Bob’s wife Gina has recently retired after more than a decade of full-time service with Trauma Intervention Programs (TIP) of Southwest Riverside County as a Volunteer, Dispatcher, National Trainer and ultimately the Executive Director of the organization. After receiving the County’s Woman of the Year Award in 2010 she was appointed to serve on the Riverside County Commission for Women where she was elected to the position of Vice Chair. For the past decade she has served on the Board of Directors for Animal Friends of the Valleys.

Bob’s son Richard graduated from Elsinore High. He learned to weld at a local business and then applied that trade as a member of the U. S. Army where he completed two combat tours of duty in Afghanistan at multiple Forward Operating Bases both as a Welder and Marksman. He has returned to civilian life and is currently in the Pacific Northwest pursuing his passion for fishing and photography while working at the Veterans Ranch of Central Oregon, helping fellow Veterans cope with the trauma of PTSD.

After serving as the District Director for County Supervisor Kevin Jeffries, Bob returned to the private sector working in the waste and recycling industry. In his spare time, he enjoys off-roading, autocross racing and fishing with his dogs at Lake Elsinore.