Hass Ratnayake for Riverside council

In Riverside’s Ward 1, voters have their pick of candidates to succeed Councilmember Erin Edwards, who declined to seek another term. This editorial board recommends Hasaranga “Hass” Ratnayake for the spot.

Ratnayake, today a local businessman, came to Riverside when he was five months old after his parents decided to immigrate from Sri Lanka.

As someone who grew up in Riverside, he has an obvious affection for the city and a desire to see it have a brighter, more prosperous future.

To do that, he believes the answer is less reliant on what city politicians and bureaucrats come up with and more on what one should be able to figure out directly engaging with the community.

He argues that while many members of the council have come to view the position of Riverside councilmember as a mere stepping stone for higher office, the solutions to Riverside’s problems aren’t that hard to figure out.

“City Hall does not have all the answers: there’s a wealth of knowledge in the community to tap into,” he told us.

On homelessness, he vows to take an approach that emphasizes swiftly responding to the needs of those who genuinely need and want help, while taking a firm stand against lawlessness.

“It is inhumane to allow people to suffer on the streets like we have witnessed for too many years now,” he argues. “For those that have made a living through criminal actions while being homeless, we need to enforce the laws on the books and make it known Riverside does not welcome them.”

As someone in the private sector, he wants to make sure that business can be done in the city of Riverside and that things can be built much faster than is currently possible.

Doing so will be especially necessary in light of an uncertain fiscal outlook for the city.

Philip Falcone is another significant candidate in this race, touting endorsements from the city’s major public employee unions.

While we appreciate Philip Falcone’s public service to date, which includes time as an advisor to the mayor, we think the city of Riverside could benefit from having someone from outside of the political machine.

Ratnayake deserves your vote in Riverside’s Ward 1.