Municipal elections in Riverside, California (2017)
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| 2017 Riverside elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: March 10, 2017 |
| General election: June 6, 2017 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: City Council |
| Total seats up: 3 |
| Election type: Nonpartisan |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2017 |
Elections
Ward 2
- ☑ Andy Melendrez (i)
- ☐ Kevin Dawson
- ☐ Jon Scott Harris
Campaign finance
The following table details campaign finance information submitted by Ward 2 candidates prior to the general election. These reports include contributions, expenditures, and cash on hand for each candidate through May 20, 2017.
Read more about previous campaign filings by clicking [show] on the box below.
| April 22 campaign finance filing, Ward 2 | |
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Ward 4
- ☐ Paul Davis (i)
- ☑ Charles Conder Jr.
Campaign finance
The following table details campaign finance information submitted by Ward 4 candidates prior to the general election. These reports include contributions, expenditures, and cash on hand for each candidate through May 20, 2017.
Read more about previous campaign filings by clicking [show] on the box below.
| April 22 campaign finance filing, Ward 4 | |
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Ward 6
- ☑ Jim Perry (i)
- ☐ Rafael Elizalde
Campaign finance
The following table details campaign finance information submitted by Ward 6 candidates prior to the general election. These reports include contributions, expenditures, and cash on hand for each candidate through May 20, 2017.
Read more about previous campaign filings by clicking [show] on the box below.
| April 22 campaign finance filing, Ward 6 | |
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Candidate statements
The following document features official candidate statements made by council candidates for the 2017 election:
Additional elections
- See also: California elections, 2017
Riverside's municipal elections did not share the ballot with other local, state, or federal elections.
Council map
The Riverside City Council consists of seven members elected by district to four-year terms. The following map details council districts as of May 3, 2017[3]:
Past elections
2016
The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Riverside.
| Mayor of Riverside, General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Rusty Bailey Incumbent |
65.51% | 14,091 |
| Paul Davis | 17.46% | 3,756 |
| Nancy Melendez | 8.27% | 1,780 |
| Vivian Moreno | 4.19% | 901 |
| Patrick Small | 3.55% | 763 |
| Sally Martinez | 1.02% | 220 |
| Total Votes | 21,511 | |
| Source: Riverside, California, "City Clerk: June 7, 2016 - Election Results," accessed June 8, 2016 | ||
2015
Incumbents Mike Soubirous and Chris Mac Arthur were re-elected without opposition to the Ward 3 and Ward 5 seats, respectively.
| Riverside City Council, Ward 1, 2015 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Mike Gardner Incumbent |
70.2% | 2,490 | |
| Thomas A. Podgorski | 29.8% | 1,058 | |
| Total Votes | 3,548 | ||
| Source: Riverside County, "Official election results," accessed June 11, 2015 | |||
| Riverside City Council, Ward 7, 2015 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| John Burnard |
81.4% | 2,100 | |
| Alysia Webb | 18.6% | 479 | |
| Total Votes | 2,579 | ||
| Source: Riverside County, "Official election results," accessed June 11, 2015 | |||
Issues
Candidate forum continues discussion of sanctuary status, job creation
A candidate forum on April 26, 2017, continued months-long discussions in Riverside about sanctuary jurisdiction status and the council's approach to economic development. Ward 6 candidate Rafael Elizalde was not in attendance but supported making Riverside a sanctuary jurisdiction during a February 7 council meeting. The remaining council candidates expressed support for the city's immigrant population but did not support or oppose sanctuary policies.[4][5] Riverside was not defined as a sanctuary jurisdiction in Ballotpedia's February 2017 analysis of sanctuary jurisdictions among the nation's 100 largest cities by population.
On February 14, 2017, the Riverside City Council voted 4-2 to approve a distribution center in the Sycamore Highlands neighborhood. Ward 2 Councilman Andy Melendrez and Ward 4 Councilman Paul Davis voted against the project, while Ward 6 Councilman Jim Perry voted for the project.[6] Melendrez and Davis cast their votes in response to opposition from Sycamore Highlands residents who were concerned with the project's proximity to homes. During the forum, Melendrez also noted that he was concerned with investing in warehouse jobs instead of office jobs that are more difficult to automate. Perry defended his vote by saying that the project's developers promised high-paying jobs.[5]
Challengers leveled criticisms at city council incumbents for job creation efforts during the forum. Ward 2 candidate Jon Scott Harris criticized the council for failure to promote small business development in Riverside. Ward 4 candidate Charles Conder Jr. opposed Davis' efforts to establish a business and education exchange with a Vietnamese city, saying that the Vietnamese government was unlikely to invest in American jobs.[5]
Governing majority on the city council
| Riverside City Council | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ward | Member | First elected |
| 1 | Mike Gardner | 2015 |
| 2 | Andy Melendrez | 2006 |
| 3 | Mike Soubirous | 2015 |
| 4 | Paul Davis | 2009 |
| 5 | Chris Mac Arthur | 2015 |
| 6 | Jim Perry | 2013 |
| 7 | John Burnard | 2015 |
A Ballotpedia review of city council minutes between November 2016 and April 2017 found no discernible governing majority on the Riverside City Council. This review found that 61 of the 63 resolutions voted on during this period were approved with 55 unanimous approvals.[7] Details of the two defeated resolutions are listed below:
- February 14, 2017: A resolution to uphold an appeal by the Golden State Environmental Justice Alliance and block the Sycamore Highlands project was defeated in a 3-3 vote. This resolution preceded the 4-2 vote approving the Sycamore Highlands project. Davis and Perry voted against the appeal, while Melendrez voted for the appeal.
- January 24, 2017: A 4-3 vote to increase the salaries of the mayor and city council members by five percent did not pass. Gardner, Melendrez, Soubirous, and Davis voted for the increase, while Mac Arthur, Perry, and Burnard voted against the measure. The resolution did not pass because Article IV of the Riverside City Charter requires five affirmative votes for any salary increase.[8]
About the city
- See also: Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California. As of 2010, its population was 303,871.
City government
- See also: Council-manager government
The city of Riverside uses a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council—which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body—appoints a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.[9]
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
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| Demographic Data for Riverside, California | ||
|---|---|---|
| Riverside | California | |
| Population | 303,871 | 37,253,956 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 81 | 155,857 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 58.3% | 59.7% |
| Black/African American | 6.2% | 5.8% |
| Asian | 7.6% | 14.5% |
| Native American | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Two or more | 4.9% | 4.9% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 53.7% | 39% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 80.6% | 83.3% |
| College graduation rate | 23% | 33.9% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $69,045 | $75,235 |
| Persons below poverty level | 13.9% | 13.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Riverside California election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Riverside, California | California | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ City of Riverside, "June 6, 2017 Regular Election - Wards 2, 4, and 6
- ↑ City of Riverside, "English Ward 2," May 8, 2017
- ↑ City of Riverside, "City Council," accessed May 3, 2017
- ↑ The Press-Enterprise, "Crowd rallies over Riverside sanctuary city proposal," February 8, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 The Press-Enterprise, "Riverside council candidates talk sanctuary city, warehouses at forums," April 27, 2017
- ↑ The Press-Enterprise, "Riverside leaders approve warehouse proposal," February 15, 2017
- ↑ City of Riverside, "Calendar," accessed May 9, 2017
- ↑ Riverside, California, "Riverside City Charter," accessed May 9, 2017
- ↑ Riverside City Charter, Art. II, accessed October 23, 2014
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