March 28, 2024
Mayor calls for regional leadership
RIVERSIDE – (INT) – Mayor Rusty Bailey called for Riverside to “Show leadership on the regional stage” in his third State of the City speech Thursday.

On the business front, the mayor noted that 135 businesses open every month in the city. Bailey said that the Auto Center and the Galleria at Tyler generate half of the city’s sales tax.

And, he declared that “Innovation is alive and well and flourishing in the city”.

Mayor Bailey's State of the City

It doesn't get much better than being the Mayor of your home town. And one of the best parts of this job is seeing the city we love so much get the recognition it deserves, not just locally, but around Southern California and the nation. When I talk about Riverside, either at a local community meeting or at the Milken Institute in Los Angeles, people are impressed by the images you just saw -- the public and private investments, infrastructure improvements, historic preservation and beautification projects all across the city. The Riverside Renaissance has dramatically improved the quality of life and has inspired private investments in all of our neighborhoods. If you haven't been to Riverside in the last 5 years, then you haven’t been to Riverside. And that is why the title of this, my third state of the city address, is -- Riverside, Exceeding Expectations Since 1883.
The state of our city is, alive and well because of organizations rich in social capital like the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce and the passion of leaders like Cindy Roth. Thank you for your continued support and advocacy on behalf of our city and our region. As far as I am concerned, we have the best Chamber in the State of California! [pause for applause]
Exceeding expectations since 1883, because of visionary leaders who weren’t afraid to take a chance. Who would have imagined that the Riverside colony, built a mile from the Santa Ana River, would have even survived? But John North had confidence in this place. Frank Miller took a chance investing in the Glenwood Tavern, thank God he did. Eliza Tibbets exceeded expectations when she took a couple of navel orange trees, and planted them in her back yard. As a result, California enjoyed its second gold rush, and the birth of the citrus industry. Eight million descendant trees later, this innovative spirit continues to drive our city.
The record of over achievement is especially worth noting in 2015. Just 50 years ago, The Riverside Art Alliance was born, the first step toward the creation of the historic Riverside Art Museum. The same year, Riversiders had a vision of attracting car buyers from around the region by clustering dealerships together for easy shopping. They created the first auto center in the nation. The Riverside Auto Center is now the largest sales tax generator in the city. In 1965, the Riverside Unified School District became the first large district, in the nation, to voluntarily implement busing (pause) to desegregate our schools. Now, that’s leadership! [pause for applause]
These traditions of excellence continue today. Riverside is now a place where local leaders gather to hear from inspiring speakers at a TED talk. Just a few years ago, who would have imagined that the #1 entertainment company in the world, Live Nation, would operate not just one, but two venues in the City of Riverside? What do Willie Nelson, Jason Mraz, Social Distortion and Jerry Seinfeld have in common? They all performed sold-out shows in Riverside this past year.
Who would have imagined that the Festival of Lights would be voted the #1 public holiday light display in the country, by USA Today? [I see Kelly and Duane Roberts are in the audience today. They deserve our gratitude for their commitment to continuing the Festival of Lights and for being such outstanding Keepers of the Mission Inn.] (pause for applause)
Who would have imagined that Forbes would name Riverside the 8th coolest city in the country, or that we would win the title of Coolest California City from the state Air Resources Board? Who would have imagined that the convention and visitors bureau would attract close to 90,000 visitors, with a yearly economic impact of nearly 8 million dollars for the city?
Riverside is a place where Gene Sherman, a visionary leader in the maker space movement, can develop an idea for his own Vocademy – a concept so innovative that he was invited to the White House to meet with the President. It’s a place where our colleges and universities will meet up with high-tech companies to stage the Long Night of Arts and Innovation this October. Innovation is alive and well, and it’s flourishing right here in Riverside. (pause for applause)
A century ago, who would have imagined UCR would be named as the best college value in the U.S. by TIME Magazine, and close to 22,000 students strong; that CBU would be approaching 9,000 students, and competing in Division 2 athletics; that La Sierra University would educate over 2,500 diverse students from around the world, and engage in almost 15,000 hours of academic service-learning? (pause) And who would have imagined that RCC would continue to expand its reach, as a district, with over 50,000 students in three cities?
We are very fortunate to have these institutions of higher learning in our city because education is the best way to prepare for the job market, which increasingly demands technical (pause) and technologically savvy workers. If you don't know how to operate a smart phone and you haven't heard of Klout, Instagram or hackathons, you are behind the power curve.
Education and workforce development are critical to our city’s long-term success. I am proud of the Education Roundtable and its passionate efforts to ensure our students are prepared for tomorrow's opportunities. One of the indicators for success that we continue to measure, through an effort called Completion Counts, is the high school graduation rate. The community’s goal is to achieve a 90% graduation rate by 2020 and we are well on our way – with a two-district average of 84% last year. Mindful that Riverside is a leader in the region, the Ed Roundtable opened a seat last year for Cal State University, San Bernardino’s, President Tomas Morales to join that conversation. I have enjoyed working with him on the college-going and college-completion rates.
I see a record number of military installation commanders and veterans here today – perhaps they feel sorry for me since the Army hasn’t won the commander-in-chief’s trophy in football since I attended West Point. I want to thank you all on behalf of a grateful city, for your courageous service to our country, and to our community. Let me ask all veterans and active duty personnel, including their families, to stand up and be recognized for their service. [During applause]
We are a military town, which is why another point of pride for our city is a project in Ward 6, near and dear to Councilman Jim Perry’s heart. Camp Anza housed more than 600,000 soldiers deploying to and from the Pacific theater during World War II. By the end of the year, weather permitting, 30 families with their wounded warriors will call Riverside, and Camp Anza, home again. The Leadership Riverside Class of 2011 deserves special recognition and gratitude for identifying this community asset and for casting such a vision. (pause for applause)
An Atta boy, as we say in the military, goes to Councilman Paul Davis for spearheading the improvements to the Ysmael Villegas Park and Community Center this last year. It was a perfect day in Casa Blanca for the ribbon-cutting and dedication. The family and the neighborhood beamed with pride as we honored our first Medal of Honor recipient.
Exceeding expectations is more than a look back – it’s a way of life, which is why our region often looks to Riverside for leadership on core economic, policy and legislative issues. Along with Riverside County’s Office of Military and Defense Services, we advocate for March Air Reserve Base and the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona Division, through our federal representatives -- advocacy that will ensure the viability of these important military bases and regional economic engines. Councilman Mike Gardner, past Chair of the March Joint Powers Authority, has done excellent work in advocating for both of these incredible assets that employ thousands of our residents. (pause for applause)
Riverside must continue to show leadership on the regional stage. That includes ensuring that Ontario International Airport’s economic engine receives the fuel it deserves to accelerate its return to pre-recession numbers and market share.
The County of Riverside is an important friend and partner in regional economic development, with its global trade college and the ExCITE Incubator; (pause) which already houses four start-ups connected to STEM fields and high-tech research and development. I thank the Board of Supervisors for its investments in economic development, its collaborative spirit and its leadership. (pause for applause)
These are exciting times for Riverside and the region. Most economists agree that the economic recovery in inland SoCal will continue this next year, but we need to ensure that everyone reaps the rewards of this growth. The Southern California Association of Governments held a summit last year entitled, “50 years after the War on Poverty.” I would like to offer Riverside as a host for a Prosperity summit, with the support of the Western Riverside Council of Governments and its member agencies. Just as it took a region to correct the air quality problem in Southern California, so too will it take collaboration to reverse the trends in poverty. This is the right time and place to come together as a region and lift up our residents who are struggling the most.
If we want to attract new types of employers to the city, we must continue to invest in our city’s infrastructure. Public transportation choices like streetcars, buses and bike lanes help residents steer themselves out of poverty with a low-cost alternative to our expensive, car-dominated, commuting culture.
We must also continue to invest in IT infrastructure. SmartRiverside has bridged the digital divide for over 7,000 low-income families in this city. We must make the same type of commitment to the business community with fiber optic cable. City leadership must drive our local economy by becoming a giga-city in the next 5 years.
A Gigabyte fiber network will provide the speed and accessibility required by healthcare companies, data centers and other high-tech businesses. Entrepreneurial ecosystems also demand this connectivity, and we must build on the momentum we are seeing in the co-working space, run by Riverside io, and our partnership in the ExCITE Incubator to grow entrepreneurship. (pause) Thank you to Riverside Public Utilities for spearheading this effort.
Earlier I spoke about Riverside’s college student population. Who would have imagined that close to 10,000 foreign students would attend our universities, creating a 120 million dollar economic impact? I am encouraged by a new report from our International Student Friendly Task Force that spells out how we can create a culture that welcomes and accommodates internationals. Remember, with a student comes a family -- for visits, vacations, and for investing. If we are mindful of this when a student visits our kitchen table (pause) or our business counter, the more jobs we can create through foreign direct investment in companies such as SOLARMAX.
Its headquarters in Riverside continues to welcome delegations from around the world. In fact, SOLARMAX led a delegation to China to visit our sister city in Jiangmen (pause) and connected Riverside to strategic business partnerships in the energy, transportation and sustainability industries. The China trip garnered over half a million dollars in foreign direct investment for the educational institutions and the businesses that made the trip. Thank you to the delegation that supported this trade mission and its objectives. (pause for applause)
It has been a busy year for foreign relations with the addition of our 9th sister city - Can Tho, Vietnam. I applaud the International Relations Council for continuing to look for ways to connect with people around the world. And I do believe we are making history by including a delegation from Can Tho here at this state of the city address. Thank you, Chairman Le HungYung for leading your delegation to Riverside and for your city’s commitment to mutually beneficial business relations, educational exchanges and cultural experiences. Please stand to be recognized. (pause for applause)
Our international neighbors to the south are an essential thread in our community’s fabric. Next month, we will hold a Binational Conference between Mexico and the United States, here at this convention center. Delegations will come from our two sister cities in Mexico -- Cuautla and Ensenada. During visits to each city last year, I was overwhelmed by their interest in international trade and the warm welcome the delegation received. I encourage each of you to get involved in this event and participate in our international business efforts through the sister cities program.
The economic engine of tourism continues to rev up in Riverside. Bolstered by the remodeled and rejuvenated convention center at one end of Main Street, (pause) to the Olympic-sized pool and diving platforms at the Riverside Aquatics Center on the other end of Main (pause), the Riverside Convention & Visitors Bureau keeps the visitors coming. Riverside welcomed AYSO's National Games, elite international water polo competitions, and the CIF Swimming and Diving Championships. We must continue this momentum by supporting the Riverside Sports Commission and its creative approach to successfully selling Riverside as SPORTSTOWN USA.
On the home front, we should support important sales tax generators by Shopping Riverside. The Riverside Auto Center and the Galleria at Tyler generate approximately 50% of the sales tax that makes its way into the city’s general fund for essential municipal services. If you’ve ever had any doubt about whether shopping Riverside makes a difference, visit your local library, senior center or park. You will see those sales tax dollars at work in city facilities all across our neighborhoods.
City staff must continue to look at ways to support and grow our major sales tax generators. A great example of this support is the Auto Center Digital Sign, which has helped increase sales at the Auto Center by an estimated 8 %.
Speaking of growing, our first ever Grow Riverside Conference exceeded all expectations. Those of you who attended last year witnessed the Fit, Fresh and Fun nature of this economic initiative. You also walked away with some valuable strategies to support locally-grown, sustainable food sources for Riverside residents and beyond. In June, farmers, entrepreneurs, and city planners will take this catalyst for innovation to the next level at the second annual conference. Because of the leadership of Councilman Chris MacArthur and the spade work of the Community Development Department, we are re-greening the Greenbelt! (pause for applause)
I have learned, as an elected official, never to discount the effectiveness of face to face meetings, or the old-school phone call. Take Riverside’s Manheim Corporation, for example. One phone call and a business visit to their auto auction led them to investing millions, into their existing property, and buying the adjacent Wall Street Journal building for expansion. When we bring a business executive to visit Riverside, it is incumbent upon all of us (pause) to roll out the red carpet. As Councilman Mike Soubirous has pointed out, we all have a responsibility to make them feel welcomed and wanted. I look forward to working with the city council to make Riverside more business friendly this next year.
The main cultural change that the city council has identified as a priority through its strategic planning workshop (pause) is a renewed focus on customer service and care. We want every one of the 135 businesses opening in Riverside each month, on average, to know that they are valued and valuable to our diverse and growing economy.
Congratulations to the city council for embarking on that strategic plan this last year -- the first time we have gone through this process since 2002. The timing is perfect as we search for the next city attorney and city manager. The ability to hand these new city leaders a strategic plan, developed through consensus building, and community input (pause), will ensure clear priorities, and keep the City of Riverside at the front of the pack in the region.
Our interim city manager, Lee MacDougall, is holding down the fort (pause) and providing us with the time we need to focus on finding the right fit for these critical positions. For that, we are grateful. (be at center podium, pause for applause)
Another decision that is imminent, and based on years of input, is the funding stream for the renovation of the Main Library. As budget revenues increase, so does the opportunity to take the next step here. I believe that this is the year we find the funding source for the Main Library in Riverside! (pause for applause)
Many thanks to all the Riversiders who joined me to walk, bike, read or visit a school or business in your neighborhood this past year. I value relationships and conversations (pause) and I have enjoyed those that were started, and continued as a result of these efforts. These events allow us to get together (pause) not in an office or a conference room, but on a bike or walking path, in a library or a business. I learned from these discussions, and your input has shaped our priorities.
I look forward to connecting more deeply with the college leadership groups this year. I would like to see this group more engaged in the planning of the Amazing College Race, which has been a great success in bringing our university students together, downtown, for a day of exploration, education, and scholarships.
Another way we all can build connections with our students is by offering internships in our organizations and businesses. Over the last two years, my office has supported 14 interns in their efforts to have a rich college experience. Each one, in their own way, has added value to the city.
The Seizing Our Destiny Champions are focusing their efforts this year on developing such a mentorship program across the entire city. My expectation is that next year, at least 200 of you will bring those students you are mentoring to the 39th state of the city address. Let me hear the 200 young people in the audience who want a mentor! (pause for applause)
The more we show the next generation that we value them -- through internships, mentorships and jobs -- the greater chance we have for them to plant their roots in Riverside (pause) and add to the diverse economic portfolio that is so vital to our future.
It remains important to me that our city serves as a role model for the community. If you haven’t heard about the city’s workplace wellness successes, I invite you to City Hall to climb the building’s stairwell with me - a simple and inexpensive way to encourage health and fitness during the workday.
Turning City Hall’s stairwell into a workout space has inspired 174 employees to take a health break instead of a smoke break. Over the last several years, the Human Resources Department has led a Get Fit Challenge that has resulted in the loss of 5,000 lbs., by 622 employees. One year, the city’s health insurance carrier gave the city a check for $150,000 because of the response by our employees to getting healthy and fit, and the city’s commitment to facilitating those efforts. You too can encourage your employees and friends to become more Fit, Fresh and Fun in Riverside.
Another important value in Riverside is inclusiveness. On the seventh floor of City Hall hangs the Statement of Inclusivity – emphasizing Riverside’s belief that we must be ever vigilant in welcoming everyone, and including them in our decision-making process.
At the end of last year we took the statement off the wall and convened a meeting of the minds to inspire each other toward bringing the words to life at an even deeper level. The Human Relations Commission and the Mayor’s Multicultural Forum will continue this momentum by facilitating ways for you to get involved.
Let me also bring to your attention our latest and greatest in government transparency – Engage Riverside. The city is committed to providing the public with as much information as possible to promote accountability and trust. Engage Riverside makes this information accessible in a central location and provides a launching pad for future transparency efforts.
From the city budget to the City Manager’s employment agreement, all manner of documents that track how government operates are found on this site. I am proud to lead a city that is committed to inclusivity, ethics and transparency.
Each of Riverside’s councilmembers works tirelessly on behalf of the residents and businesses in their wards. Councilman Andy Melendrez has taken the Riverside School of the Arts to new heights this year. With funding from the Parks and Recreation Department, the school continues to gain momentum, serving more than 500 youth in the Eastside.
Because of Councilman Melendrez and the Friends of the School of the Arts, young people are able to learn something new, develop a passion and connect to lifelong skills. (pause for applause)
Councilman Steve Adams has represented the Gateway to Riverside for almost 12 years now, ensuring that constituents in the 7th ward have had a representative at City Hall who was focused on their quality of life. Councilman Adams, I know you are proud of Doty/Trust Park for personal and professional reasons, and you should be proud that the council recognized your partners in the Riverside Police Department (pause) at such a beautiful site looking out over our city. (pause for applause)
In conclusion, I offer some final challenges, some opportunities to serve, and some ways to engage this year for the betterment of our city. If you didn’t see or hear what Sandals Church accomplished last year, check out their YouTube Channel. They exceeded expectations through an extreme makeover of a home in Casa Blanca; provided 5,000 hours of service to Riverside neighborhoods; and raised $150,000 for local non-profit organizations.
Another church, The Church of Jesus Christ, Latter-Day Saints, created a web site that makes it easy for us to help others – please visit JustServe.org. I encourage you all to take a look and find something or somewhere, for your organization, family or team to serve in Riverside. Whether planting trees or painting out graffiti with Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful, which chalked up 10,000 hours of volunteer time last year (pause) or trimming ragged robin roses with Victoria Avenue Forever (pause) Riverside needs your gifts of the hand, head and heart.
I didn't have to go far to find inspiration for this speech. In fact, walking out into the Grier Pavilion, on top of city hall, and thinking of the priceless contributions of Eleanor Jean and Barnett Grier, gave me plenty to think about. Riverside lost Dr. Grier this last year, just months shy of his 100th birthday. But their legacy lives on (pause) through their children and their leadership. (pause for applause)
Looking beyond City Hall, you can see many other contributions made through leadership. You can see the impact in the latest edition to the downtown skyline at RCCD's Centennial Plaza. You can see the Coil School of the Arts, so generously supported by major philanthropist Henry Coil Jr; (pause) you can see the Joe Tavaglione Metrolink Station, a transportation link to all of Southern California.
If you look out a bit further, you can see the highways and interchanges built by Jack Yeager and his brothers, critical pieces of the regional economy that help transport vehicles, families and commerce across our Golden State; and you can feel the supreme effort of Art Littleworth, who courageously led the charge to integrate our schools, as captured in his new book, “No Easy Way.”
These are some of the icons of leadership who have made meaningful and lasting impacts on the lives of all those who are blessed to call Riverside home. What an incredible foundation these individuals and their families have laid for us in the fields of education, transportation, business and philanthropy. (pause for applause)
These leaders share the characteristics of integrity, vision, courage and passion. By their civic engagement and innovative spirit, they have charted the course for leaders of today and tomorrow. They have exceeded the expectations of their generation. That is their legacy to our city.
We must now add our own contributions to this extraordinary place called Riverside. How will future generations remember us in 50 years?
Now that you know the goals and priorities of our city: How will you, personally and professionally, add value to the health and prosperity of this colony? How will we help our children get the education they need to compete in the world? How will we ensure that transportation systems allow us to get around without gridlock? How will we prove that Riverside is business friendly? What legacy will we leave?
My hope is that a future Mayor looks across the city from the top of City Hall someday and thinks to herself, it doesn't get much better than being the Mayor of your home town. May God Bless you all here today, and May God continue to bless this city of Riverside.
Story Date: January 26, 2015
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