City of Riverside Encourages Voters to Apply to Charter Review Committee
Published: 09/24/2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 24, 2020
Contact:
Phil Pitchford
Public Information Officer
951-826-5975
City of Riverside Encourages Voters to Apply to Charter Review Committee
Committee will recommend whether to change the Charter, which governs how Riverside is run
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The City of Riverside encourages registered voters who live within the city limits to apply for a position on the Charter Review Committee, which examines the document that governs how the City is run and may recommend changes for consideration by the City Council. The deadline to apply is Oct. 12, 2020.
“Serving on the Charter Review Committee is one of the highest forms of community service a voter can perform in Riverside,” Mayor Rusty Bailey said. “We need Riversiders to step forward and provide meaningful input to a document that is so crucial to the operation of our city.”
The City Charter is effectively Riverside’s version of the U.S. Constitution. It prescribes the number of elected officials, how and when they are elected, and that the City shall be governed by a Council-Manager form of government. The Charter provides for appointment of City officers and several advisory boards and commissions, as well as the fiscal administration, management and control of the Department of Public Utilities.
An 11-member citizen advisory committee made up of registered voters of Riverside will review whether to grant the Mayor a vote and whether to publish an annual report on written complaints or whistle‑blower complaints alleging fraud, waste, abuse, or criminal conduct. The committee also will recommend whether such measures should be put on Nov. 2, 2021 ballot, and/or on Nov. 1, 2022. The City Council decides whether amendments appear on the ballot.
Each City Councilmember will directly appoint one member to the Charter Review Committee. The Mayor will directly appoint two at-large members. The two remaining at-large members and two alternates will be selected from applicants following interviews with the Mayor and City Council.
“Continuous comprehensive and thoughtful review of our City’s Charter will be extremely beneficial,” Mayor Pro Tem Steve Hemenway said. “It is imperative now that we find residents willing to serve their Riverside community and commit to this important process.”
Residents interested to serve on the Charter Review Committee are encouraged to apply online at www.riversideca.gov/cityclerk/ or by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at 951-826-5557 or emailing [email protected].
A copy of the current City Charter can be viewed online at www.riversideca.gov/cityclerk/ or you may obtain a copy by mail by calling the City Clerk’s Office.
