Riverside’s council reboot good for city

Three new members of the Riverside City Council were sworn in last week, giving the council a much more sensible set of leaders on the council.

While some commentators used the occasion to fixate on the gender, ethnic labels and sexual preferences of the council, at the end of the day what matters are the ideas and principles of those on the council.

Former Councilmember Erin Edwards chose not to seek reelection. And that’s a good thing for Riverside taxpayers. When presented with a proposal for the city’s trash pickup services to be done by a private company at significantly lower costs to the city, Edwards fought against that consideration. For Edwards, what mattered most was appeasing the city’s public sector unions.

In her place is Philip Falcone, a self-described John F. Kennedy Democrat who describes his view of political leadership as, “I just want someone who will fix the roads!” That’s a great starting point for any local councilmember.

Former Councilmember Gaby Plascencia was likewise a favorite of the public sector unions. But her signature political achievement was being censured by her own colleagues for ethical violations. These violations included using the power of her office to retaliate against her former and future political opponent, Sean Mill.

In her place is, incidentally, Sean Mill. Mill has promised to bring a back-to-basics approach to city government in Riverside. “As a business owner, former Planning Commissioner, and member of the Arlington Business Council, I have the necessary skill set and passion to bolster economic development in Riverside,” he told us late last year. That sounds good to us.

And finally, former Councilman and businessman Ronaldo Fierro left the council to seek a seat in the Assembly. In his place is Steve Robillard. While we did not endorse Robillard, we noted in our endorsement of Warren Avery that the city was in a win-win situation either way. “We possess the necessary tools, resources, and talent to become an economic hub, but it requires council members with a business mindset to transform that potential into reality,” Robillard told us.

The city is in capable hands. Now they must deliver.