Over the years, the goals have addressed key issues: transparency in city government, building sustainable communities, public safety, infrastructure investment, and business and economic development among others. They believe in conducting the business of government with openness, transparency, respect, and civility and that local governance is the cornerstone of democracy.
I agree. And while there are several cities doing it wrong in the Inland region, there are definitely others who are doing it right. This week I’d like to focus your attention on the city of Riverside and some of the great news we are highlighting this week.
The city of Riverside recently ranked third among the top 20 cities of its size in making government more transparent and accessible through the improved use of technology by the Center for Digital Government in its 2013 Digital Cities Survey. The annual awards showcase the best practices in public sector information and communication technology and acknowledge Riverside’s use of technology in building bridges between government and citizens.
In our iepeople section, Riverside’s newest councilmember Mike Soubirous has given us a 15-minute commentary on his vision for the city. Among his goals are to bring openness and transparency to his position in city hall and to champion effective and timely communication between city hall and the community. He promises to be accessible and available to all the residents of the city.
Friday, the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County will be hosting a town hall meeting at the Janet Goeske Center in Riverside for homeowners on identifying predatory lending practices, avoiding foreclosure, and the importance of homeowner education. Rose Mayes and her staff at the FHCRC do excellent work on behalf of the community’s homeowners and renters. Their advice and counsel personally saved me hundreds of thousands of dollars, so I suggest if you have a problem or just want to educate yourself on your options, you should attend.
Finally, please see the announcement on the openings for Riverside city Commissions and Boards. These Boards and Commissions help shape the policies and practices at city hall that affect not just each neighborhood but the entire city.
Our cities can only be as good as our citizens. The League of California Cities believes that our strength lies in the unity of our diverse communities of interest. And I believe that strength begins with all of us – the engaged and active citizens of our cities.