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# Civic Engagement Guide: Who to Call at City Hall
- URL: https://www.raincrossgazette.com/civic-engagement-guide-who-to-call-at-city-hall/
- Published: 2026-09-10T12:00:51.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-10T12:00:50.000Z
- Description: A guide to which officials, boards and commissions handle which concerns — and how residents can reach them.
- Author: Micaela Ricaforte
- Tags: City Hall, How-To/Guide

Knowing something is wrong in your neighborhood is often easier than knowing who at City Hall can do something about it.

A pothole may call for a [report to 311](https://riversideca.gov/who-call-city-hall?ref=raincrossgazette.com), while a proposed development could begin before the Planning Commission. A concern about city spending may belong with the City Council, but a councilmember cannot personally direct the employee responsible for fixing a street or delivering a city service.

Riverside divides authority among elected leaders, appointed officials, city staff and public bodies — some made up of residents and others of councilmembers. This guide explains who controls what, where residents can take different concerns and how to reach the people with the power to respond.

### Form of government

Riverside operates under a council-manager form of government, established by the [city charter](https://aquarius.riversideca.gov/clerkdb/DocView.aspx?dbid=0&id=371540&repo=Clerk&ref=raincrossgazette.com).

The seven-member City Council sets policy, adopts ordinances, approves the budget and appoints a city manager to oversee day-to-day operations.

[Ward 1 Councilmember Philip Falcone](https://www.riversideca.gov/council/wards/ward-1?ref=raincrossgazette.com) compares the arrangement to a company governed by a board of directors.

"I always say the city manager is the city CEO," Falcone said. "So that's the person that, of course, is over all the staff and really keeps the organization running day in and day out."

The Council sets the city's direction and oversees the manager. The manager supervises the employees responsible for carrying it out.

That separation is required by the charter, which prohibits the mayor and councilmembers from directing employees under the city manager or interfering with the manager's administrative duties, except when making an inquiry.

"It's a weird spot because people look at us to fix these things, but we then direct the city manager, and he or she then has to do that work," Falcone said.

### Who's who

**City leadership roles:**

**Mayor** — Elected citywide to a four-year term. Presides over Council meetings, serves as the city's ceremonial head, communicates city policies and advises the Council. The mayor votes only to break a tie but may veto most formal Council actions, with exceptions that include the annual budget and emergency ordinances.

**City Council** — Seven members elected by ward. Beginning in 2026, councilmembers serve four-year terms and must remain qualified voters in their wards. The Council adopts ordinances and resolutions, approves and revises the budget, establishes city departments and appoints the city manager, city attorney and city clerk. Most ordinances and resolutions require four votes.

**City manager** — Appointed by and accountable to the Council. Heads the administrative branch, oversees operations, enforces applicable laws and ordinances, prepares the proposed budget and administers it after adoption. The manager generally appoints department heads, with some exceptions.

**City attorney** — Appointed by and accountable to the Council. Advises and represents the city, reviews city contracts and prepares proposed ordinances and resolutions.

**City clerk** — Appointed by and accountable to the Council. Maintains Council records, ordinances, resolutions and contracts; provides access to public records; and oversees city elections.

**Inspector general** — Appointed by a majority vote of the mayor and Council and serves at their pleasure. Conducts investigations, audits, inspections and performance evaluations to identify fraud, waste, abuse and illegal acts and improve city operations.

The Council oversees its appointed officers, but it does not directly hire or fire employees working under the city manager.

### The seven wards

Riverside is divided into seven wards with substantially equal populations. Each councilmember is elected only by voters in the ward that member represents and must remain a qualified voter there.

A ward councilmember serves as a neighborhood's designated advocate at City Hall and can raise concerns about projects, policies or city services.

"\[The council represents\] what people see out their front door," Falcone said. "For the most part, everything you see besides your own property is the responsibility of the city."

But a councilmember is not the executive of a ward. Councilmembers act collectively and each has one vote on matters before the full Council. There is no formal ward veto, even when a decision primarily affects one part of the city.

Councilmembers also cannot personally order employees to fill a pothole, trim weeds or approve a permit. They can ask questions, bring the issue to the city manager, advocate for a response and consider broader policy or funding changes.

To find your ward and representative, use [this map](https://cityofriverside.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=11ce33add2f9410d8d79b03bb8656722&ref=raincrossgazette.com) provided by the city to find your neighborhood.

### Boards, commissions and Council committees

Not every public body meeting at City Hall has the same membership or authority.

[City boards and commissions](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/your-neighbors-are-shaping-riversides-future-and-theres-room-for-you/) generally give appointed residents a formal role in government. Members must be qualified city voters, serve without compensation and generally hold four-year terms. Each body must include at least one member from every ward.

These bodies differ from [City Council committees](https://riversideca.gov/cityclerk/government-meetings/city-council-committees?ref=raincrossgazette.com), which consist of smaller groups of elected officials focused on subjects such as finance, land use or transportation. Residents may attend and comment at those meetings but do not occupy the elected-official seats.

Councilmembers and the mayor may also represent Riverside on regional or intergovernmental organizations.

### Types of public bodies:

**City board or commission** — Residents appointed by the mayor and Council. Provides specialized community input and, in some cases, makes decisions under authority granted by the charter or Council.

**Council committee** — A smaller group of elected officials. Reviews a policy area or issue as part of the Council's deliberative process.

**Regional or intergovernmental body** — Riverside elected officials serving with representatives of other jurisdictions. Addresses issues involving multiple cities, agencies or governments.

Many resident boards and commissions advise the Council and city manager.

"They're almost like a president's Cabinet, giving advice in their areas of expertise and also a community perspective because they are representing the community," Falcone said.

Others hold decision-making authority.

"Some of the boards, specifically like the Board of Public Utilities, Police Review Commission, Planning Commission and a few others, they have absolute, in many ways, decision-making authority," Falcone said. "Sometimes things will just go to the Planning Commission and never even come to us."

### Among them:

- The **Planning Commission** holds hearings, makes recommendations on the General Plan and exercises authority over assigned subdivision, zoning and land-use matters.
- The **Park and Recreation Commission** advises on parks, recreation, parkways and street trees.
- The **Board of Library Trustees** oversees city library administration and holds authority over certain library decisions.
- The **Community Police Review Commission** may investigate qualifying complaints against Riverside police officers and makes findings to the city manager and police chief.
- The **Board of Public Utilities** exercises authority over specified water and electric utility matters.
- The **Cultural Heritage Board** and transportation-related bodies provide forums for concerns involving historic resources, roads, traffic and infrastructure.

Some matters end with a board or commission; others reach the Council with a recommendation — meaning residents may get their best chance to weigh in at the earlier stage.

### Where should residents take a concern?

A pothole or overgrown city property is a service request. A proposed zoning change is a land-use and policy matter. A concern about street-repair funding belongs in the budget and policy process.

Other issues may fall outside the city's direct control. Falcone pointed to health and mental health services, which generally fall under county authority.

"They're in the city, they see the problems, and therefore they think it must be on the City Council to do something about it," Falcone said. "And we can do things. It's just we don't have the absolute authority."

### Concern-to-contact quick reference:

**Pothole, weeds, damaged public property or routine service problem:** Report it through 311\. Contact the ward councilmember if it remains unresolved or requires follow-up.

**Neighborhood road, traffic, park or infrastructure concern:** Contact the appropriate city service channel and ward councilmember. A relevant board, commission or Council committee may also provide a public forum.

**Citywide policy, ordinance or spending priority:** Contact councilmembers or comment at a Council or Council committee meeting or public hearing.

**Development, subdivision, zoning or General Plan issue:** Follow the Planning Commission process and, if the matter advances, the City Council process.

**Historic building or preservation concern:** Cultural Heritage Board.

**Park, recreation or street-tree policy:** Park and Recreation Commission.

**Water or electric utility matter:** Board of Public Utilities or the department responsible for utility service.

**Alleged Riverside police misconduct:** Community Police Review Commission. The charter says qualifying complaints must be submitted in writing within six months of the alleged misconduct.

**Agendas, ordinances, meeting records, elections or public records:** City Clerk's Office.

**Suspected fraud, waste, abuse or operational failure within city government:** [Office of Inspector General](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/council-approves-inspector-general-after-resolving-independence-concerns/).

**Mental health or health care services:** These generally fall under county authority, although the city may have a role in related local issues.

### How to get an issue on the city's radar

Residents do not always need to wait for a Council meeting.

Falcone said an email can be just as effective as public comment for bringing a neighborhood concern to his attention. It also gives residents more room to explain the problem and include an address, photographs or other details.

"If you've emailed it to me, we're already talking about it," Falcone said. "You coming down to a City Council meeting is not going to necessarily propel it any faster, from my perspective. ... Email is a form of communication that is just as valuable to get something on my radar ... and you can explain things more clearly than just three minutes."

For service problems, 311 is often the most direct route. A social media comment may draw attention, but it does not necessarily create a service request or reach the employee responsible for addressing it.

"Maybe it feels good to vent, and that's maybe necessary for people," Falcone said. "But if you really want it to be fixed, channel it to the right place, which is 311 or to the councilmember, and then it can get fixed that way."

### Residents can also:

- Email their ward councilmember.
- Attend a neighborhood meeting.
- Comment at a board or commission meeting.
- Speak at a Council or Council committee meeting.
- Participate in a public hearing.
- Review agendas, minutes and [ordinances](https://library.municode.com/ca/riverside/codes/code%5Fof%5Fordinances?nodeId=SUHITA&ref=raincrossgazette.com) maintained by the city clerk.

The charter guarantees residents the right to offer comments and suggestions about city affairs at regular Council meetings and meetings of Council standing or ad hoc committees. It also establishes a strong presumption in favor of access to public meetings and records.

The budget process offers another formal opportunity to participate. The city manager must submit a proposed budget at least 35 days before the fiscal year begins. It must be available through the city clerk and on the city's website at least 20 days before the budget hearing, where residents must be given an opportunity to speak.

"I guess you could really simplify it down as saying, typically, it's the city manager \[who\] brings forward the budget, and we say yes or no," Falcone said. "We can give some feedback, but usually he's looking for: Do you support this or do you reject it?"

The most effective route depends on the desired result: Report service problems through the service system, bring policy concerns to elected officials and participate before boards, commissions and Council committees while decisions are still taking shape.