City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: DECEMBER 17, 2024 FROM: CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE WARDS: ALL WARDS
SUBJECT: 2025 – 2026 LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM
ISSUE:
Approve the City of Riverside’s Biennial Legislative Platform.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Approve the City of Riverside’s Biennial Legislative Platform; and Direct staff to coordinate with the City’s legislative advocacy teams to advance the City’s legislative and funding priorities.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Riverside (City) utilizes advocacy services at both the State and Congressional level to advance the City’s legislative agenda. Every two years, the City Council considers an update to the City’s Legislative Platform (Platform) to coincide with a new legislative session.
From August 2024 through October 2024, City departments and staff, City executive leadership, City elected officials, and regional partners were given an opportunity to review the existing Platform and provide feedback and recommended changes to be incorporated into the 2025 - 2026 Platform. This Platform has been developed with input from all of the above.
The Platform highlights Riverside’s legislative priorities and codifies the City’s positions on legislation, regulatory proposals, and funding opportunities.
Following Council discussion during the December 3, 2024 Council meeting, the Platform has been revised to include additional language related to preserving and protecting local control.
The City Council adopted the City of Riverside’s 2023 - 2024 Legislative Platform on March 7, 2023.
DISCUSSION:
The Platform is the foundation of a focused advocacy strategy. The Platform provides policy direction on State and Federal issues and provides for a streamlined process that enables City officials, staff and legislative advocates to act in a timely manner to take positions on policy issues that affect City operations. The Platform outlines policy statements regarding legislative and regulatory issues that are of interest to the City and are likely to come forward during the California Legislature’s 2025 - 2026 Session or the 119th Congress. The Platform also informs organizations with an advocacy presence, such as the League of California Cities, of the City’s legislative interests.
Priority issues highlighted in the Platform include:
Address California's Marketplace for Property Insurance – The City will work with lawmakers, statewide associations, and other stakeholders to advocate for legislation, budget actions, or administrative policies that strengthen and stabilize California’s marketplace for homeowners and commercial property insurance, expand coverage choices for all consumers, and maintain the solvency of the FAIR Plan to protect its policyholders.
Address Homelessness and Housing – The City will work with lawmakers, statewide associations, and other stakeholders to advocate for legislation, budget actions, or administrative policies that increase housing production and affordability, identify funding opportunities to address homelessness, and increase shelter beds and services.
Connect Riverside to the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympic Games (LA28) - The City will work with lawmakers, statewide associations, and other stakeholders to advocate for legislation, budget actions, or administrative policies that elevate the City of Riverside’s participation in and connection to LA28, promote Riverside venues as convenient locations for auxiliary Olympic events, and allow for an Olympic ambassador program with our Sister Cities pairing Riverside residents with LA28 visitors to further international relations.
Expand Recreational Opportunities – The City will work with lawmakers, statewide associations, and other stakeholders to advocate for legislation, budget actions, or administrative policies that increase park lands, expand adaptative and therapeutic recreation, and prioritize additional investments and improvements in the City’s parks.
Increase Behavioral Health Infrastructure – The City will work with lawmakers, statewide associations, and other stakeholders to advocate for legislation, budget actions, or administrative policies that advance CARE Court, provide funding to build/retrofit acute psychiatric care facilities, increase the number of inpatient beds, expand access to community-based treatment, and reduce homelessness, incarceration, unnecessary hospitalizations, and barriers to care.
Revitalize the Santa Ana River – The City will work with lawmakers, statewide associations, and other stakeholders to advocate for legislation, budget actions, or administrative policies that identify opportunities for development along the Santa Ana River and create more recreational activities while preserving natural areas.
The Platform further describes additional legislative issues and funding priorities. The City may support legislation that is consistent with the Platform and may oppose legislation that is inconsistent with the Platform. Legislative matters will be reviewed and considered by the City Manager’s Office and position letters will be coordinated with the Mayor’s Office for signature as appropriate.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
The City’s Legislative Platform supports all six Strategic Priorities outlined in the Envision Riverside 2025 Strategic Plan and aligns with each of the five Cross Cutting Threads.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated this action.
Prepared by: Chekesha Gilliam, Intergovernmental Relations Officer Approved by: Mike Futrell, City Manager Approved as to form: Jack Liu, Interim City Attorney
Attachments: Report
2025 - 2026 Legislative Platform
2025-26 Legislative Platform ● Page 2