> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.raincrossgazette.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Catching Up on City Hall as Riverside Names Its First Inspector General - URL: https://www.raincrossgazette.com/catching-up-on-city-hall-as-riverside-names-its-first-inspector-general/ - Published: 2026-10-09T00:15:58.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-09T00:15:57.000Z - Description: A look back at the council's votes on housing and traffic safety, the Transportation Board's park and street recommendations, and what to watch next. - Author: Micaela Ricaforte - Tags: City Hall The council appointed a new City Hall watchdog, backed a statewide housing bond and approved seeking traffic safety grants, while the Transportation Board weighed changes to park and neighborhood access. A quick check-in on what's happened so far this week at City Hall and what's still ahead. ### Riverside’s First Inspector General The City Council unanimously appointed Lori K.M. Cox on Tuesday as Riverside’s first inspector general, nearly two years after voters approved creating the position through Measure L. Cox, most recently chief internal auditor for Dallas College, will audit city spending and operations, investigate fraud, waste and abuse, and oversee whistleblower programs. She starts Oct. 19. - **Salary and budget:** Cox’s three-year contract provides a $219,000 annual salary. The office will begin with a $712,000 budget. - **Public accountability:** The inspector general must present findings and recommendations at a public council meeting at least once a year. - **Independence:** The position reports directly to the mayor and council, an arrangement critics have questioned as officials built the office. [Read the full story...](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/riverside-appoints-first-inspector-general-to-oversee-city-operations/) ### Also at Tuesday’s Meeting **State Housing Bond:** The council unanimously endorsed Proposition 1, an $11.25 billion statewide housing bond on the Nov. 3 ballot. The resolution passed on the consent calendar, formalizing the council’s earlier support. If voters approve it, the measure would fund affordable housing construction and preservation, homebuyer assistance and programs addressing homelessness. Among its allocations: - $1.1 billion for homeownership and down-payment assistance. - $1.25 billion for veterans’ housing and homeownership. - $350 million for affordable student housing. - $500 million for water, sewer, parks and other infrastructure. Riverside could access the programs, but city documents do not specify how much funding would reach the community. The endorsement commits no city funds. [Read the full story...](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/riverside-backs-state-housing-bond-aimed-at-homelessness-homeownership/) **Traffic Safety Improvements:** The council also approved applying for up to $5.4 million in state-administered highway safety grants on the consent calendar. The funding would support an estimated $6 million in improvements aimed at reducing serious crashes, including: - New streetlights along Jurupa and Tyler. - Pedestrian crossing upgrades, including high-visibility crosswalks, flashing beacons and audible push buttons. - Fiber communications and traffic signal timing improvements along the Central Avenue-Alessandro Boulevard corridor. - Signs addressing wrong-way bicycle travel. Applications are due Nov. 2\. If awarded, staff would return to the council to accept the grants and identify funding for the city’s required match of up to $600,000. ### Also This Week At Wednesday’s Transportation Board meeting, members considered changes to park access, neighborhood traffic and school bus loading. **Fairmount Park:** With one dissenting vote, the board recommended keeping two-way vehicle access on Redwood Drive between Banks and Dexter Drives, rather than converting the northbound lane into a pedestrian and bicycle zone. Members favored pursuing a permanent sidewalk system and bridge reconstruction. Bubbling Wells residents raised concerns about neighborhood access during flooding and emergencies, while supporters of the lane conversion emphasized safer space for people walking and biking. **Redwood Drive and University Avenue:** The board sent two proposed traffic changes back to staff for more analysis. Members considered making University Avenue’s southern segment one-way eastbound or closing its northern segment at Redwood Drive to address drivers bypassing an existing traffic restriction. They requested broader maps showing how each option would affect surrounding streets and neighborhood access. The existing configuration remains in place. **Myers Street Bus Loading:** The board unanimously recommended revising the weekday no-parking hours for a school bus loading zone south of Magnolia Avenue to match a student’s new high school schedule. Members supported restrictions from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and 2 to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays. The afternoon start was moved earlier than the staff proposal at the parent’s request. The loading zone’s size would stay the same. ### What to Watch Our City Council and RUSD school board election questionnaire series is underway, with more installments coming soon. Start with [Ward 2 and 4 candidates’ responses on housing and homelessness](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/ward-2-and-4-candidates-outline-plans-for-housing-and-homelessness/).