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CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
3750 UNIVERSITY AVE., STE. 250
RIVERSIDE, CA 92501
(951) 826-5567
ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING CHAPTER 2.78 REGARDING CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT.
The City Council of the City of Riverside does ordain as follows:
Section 1: Section 2.78.050 of the Riverside Municipal Code is amended as follows:
“Section 2.78.050 Core values.
The people of the City of Riverside share a set of core values that constitute the guiding principles for the establishment of this chapter. These core values are expressed in the following aspirations:
A. To strive to create a government that is trusted by everyone. The public officials of the City of Riverside shall aspire to operate the City government and exercise their responsibilities in a manner which creates trust in their decisions and the manner of delivery of programs through the local government. The public officials shall aspire to create a transparent decision making process by providing easy access to all public information about actual or potential conflicts between their private interests and their public responsibilities. The public officials shall aspire to make themselves available to the people of the City to hear and understand their concerns. They shall aspire to make every effort to ensure that they have accurate information to guide their decisions and to share all public information with the community to ensure the community understands the basis of the officials' decisions.
. . .
H. To strive to ensure that appointed members of boards, commissions and committees attend regularly scheduled meetings. Appointed members of boards, commissions and committees of the City of Riverside shall make a diligent effort to attend all regularly scheduled meetings of their respective board, commission or committee.
I. Digital communication must reflect the City’s commitment to impartiality, fairness, and integrity.
Online activity, messages or actions should not create, or appear to create, bias, partisanship, or predisposition on City matters that fall within the subject matter jurisdiction of the public official are and quasi-judicial proceedings.”
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28 CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
3750 UNIVERSITY AVE., STE. 250
RIVERSIDE, CA 92501
(951) 826-5567
Section 2: Section 2.78.060 of the Riverside Municipal Code is amended as follows:
“Section 2.78.060 Prohibited conduct.
The following conduct is prohibited and shall be subject to the complaint procedures established in this chapter. It may be unethical for any public official to engage in one or more of the following prohibited actions:
A. Use of official title or position for personal gain prohibited. Public officials of the City of Riverside shall not use their official title or position for personal gain. Personal gain includes, but is not limited to, situations wherein a public official solicits or accepts items of value in consideration of their official title or position. This does not include obtaining benefits that are otherwise permitted or authorized by law. Therefore, acceptance of gifts shall otherwise be consistent with the requirements and limitations allowable by law. Public officials shall refrain from the following: (a) accepting gifts or favors that may compromise independent judgment or give the appearance of compromised judgment; (b) using official title for matters other than the official conduct of their office; and (c) engaging in decisions which would affect the level of compensation received for service except as otherwise required or allowed by law.
. . .
N. Convictions of federal or state law affecting their office prohibited. No public official of the City of Riverside shall be convicted, or enter a plea of no contest, of a violation of any state or federal law that affects the performance of their duties in the office that they hold.
O. Digital misconduct prohibited. Those subject to this code are prohibited from engaging in digital misconduct, while acting in an official capacity. Online activity or messages that create, or appear to create, bias, partisanship, or predisposition on City matters that fall within the subject matter jurisdiction of the public official and are quasi-judicial proceedings are strictly prohibited. Any violation of prohibited conduct under this code shall be limited to online activity while representing the public official’s appointed or elected position using official City accounts. Sanctions for this paragraph shall be limited to censure only.
Section 3: The City Council has reviewed the matter and, based upon the facts and information contained in the staff reports, administrative record, and written and oral testimony, hereby finds that this ordinance is not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
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28 CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
3750 UNIVERSITY AVE., STE. 250
RIVERSIDE, CA 92501
(951) 826-5567
pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15060, subdivision (c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15061, subdivision (b)(3) (there is no possibility the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment). In addition to the foregoing general exemptions, the City Council further finds that this ordinance is categorically exempt from review under CEQA under the Class 8 Categorical Exemption (regulatory activity to assure the protection of the environment), CEQA Guidelines section 15308.
Section 4: The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this ordinance and cause publication once in a newspaper of general circulation in accordance with Section 414 of the Charter of the City of Riverside. This ordinance shall become effective on the 30th day after the date of its adoption.
ADOPTED by the City Council this _________ day of _____________, 2026.
___________________________
PATRICIA LOCK DAWSON Mayor of the City of Riverside Attest: _____________________________ DONESIA GAUSE City Clerk of the City of Riverside I, Donesia Gause, City Clerk of the City of Riverside, California, hereby certify that the foregoing ordinance was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a meeting of the City Council on the _______ day of _______________, 2026, by the following vote, to wit:
Ayes: Noes: Absent: Abstain: IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Riverside, California, this ________ day of ______________, 2026. _________________________________
DONESIA GAUSE City Clerk of the City of Riverside
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28 CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
3750 UNIVERSITY AVE., STE. 250
RIVERSIDE, CA 92501
(951) 826-5567
313842 RMS 04/08/26