Despite Public Concerns, Council Subcommittee Urges Trust in Forming Inspector General Role

Riverside voters approved Measure L last November, creating an independent Office of Inspector General to investigate fraud, waste, abuse, and inefficiency across city government. With the City Council subcommittee moving forward on staffing, budget, and recruitment, some residents have raised concerns about transparency and independence. But Councilmembers are urging trust in the process.

A three-member council subcommittee voted earlier this month to recommend a $765,000 annual budget and a $210,000 salary for the Inspector General. The office would also include a deputy and a performance analyst transferred from the city’s Internal Audit Division, which the Inspector General will replace.

Councilmember Steven Robillard said the subcommittee’s task is limited to the operational details necessary to implement the office and that the council will continue to focus on those details in October.

Robillard, who chairs the committee, emphasized that the office’s powers are not being redefined.

“The discussion item … explicitly stated that we would only be considering salary, staffing, and recruitment,” Robillard said. “The powers and scope of the office were already established by ordinance after more than two years of public comment, workshops, and review … The role of the Inspector General is not something that is being reopened or reconsidered.”

Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes said she joined the subcommittee to address resident concerns about neutrality and independence.

“I think folks want to make sure this is someone that is independent of the council and a voice of the Riverside community,” Cervantes said. She added that she has requested the October council discussion be held in an evening session to allow for broader public input.

Cervantes noted that Riverside is unique among California charter cities in creating this kind of independent oversight office.

“Most of those cities … their Inspector Generals fall under police departments or other specific departments, and their work focuses on those areas,” she said. “We’re establishing something broader, so we need to make sure residents feel heard and the office is independent.”

Human Resources staff say the recommended salary is based on oversight positions in other California agencies, which average about $200,000. Recruitment is expected to take three to four months once the council approves the framework. Minimum qualifications would likely include a bachelor’s degree in business administration or legal studies and at least eight years of experience.

Under the city charter, the Inspector General will report directly to the mayor and council while maintaining operational independence. The office will have full access to city records and the ability to place items on the council’s agenda.

Riverside resident and environmental attorney Malissa McKeith raised concerns about whether the city is being fully transparent in setting up the Inspector General’s office. In a letter to the council committee, she warned against simply rebranding existing positions as an Inspector General, stressing that it would undercut the independence voters called for under Measure L.

McKeith also urged the council to ensure the office has an independent complaint process shielded from public records requests, to consider outside legal counsel, and to use a screening committee to help recruit candidates. To avoid conflicts of interest, she said the city should not hire someone from Riverside.

“For the Inspector General to be effective, confidentiality is key,” she wrote, adding that how the council structures the office will determine whether it truly delivers independent oversight.

The City Council is expected to take up staffing, budget and recruitment for the office at its October 21 meeting.