Perry Won't Seek Reelection After Three Terms on Council

Councilmember Jim Perry, a three-term representative of Riverside's Ward 6, has announced he will not seek reelection in 2026, giving potential candidates more than a year to prepare for the upcoming race.

"Retirement is real. That is going to happen," Perry says. "I did that for multiple purposes. One, to make sure everybody knows about it. Two, to give those that are interested in serving an opportunity to really give some thought."

Perry believes potential candidates need significant time to prepare for the rigors of campaigning and serving in public office.

"When I ran, I started planning a year and a half in advance," he explains. "I'm kind of gauging it on that because I think people really need to take... it's one thing to say, 'Yeah, I'm going to jump in and do this.' It's another where you really need to give some thought personally, professionally, with your family."

Perry's path to public service began when he was just 14 years old during the 1972 presidential campaign. "From that point on, I knew I wanted to do two things in my life. One, I wanted to be a police officer and I knew at some point in my lifetime that I'd run for public office," Perry recalls.

After serving nearly 30 years in law enforcement, including time with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department and the city of Fountain Valley, Perry retired and set his sights on elective office. He moved to Riverside County in 1988 and has lived in Ward 6 since 1990.

Ward 6, located in the southwestern portion of Riverside, includes the neighborhoods of Arlanza, La Sierra, La Sierra Hills, La Sierra South, and portions of Arlington. The area is known for its diversity, with Perry describing it as a "minority-majority ward."

Perry won his first election in 2013 with a strong majority in a six-candidate race. He secured reelection in 2017 against a well-financed opponent, and ran unopposed in 2021. His current term runs through 2026.

During his time on the council, Perry has prioritized constituent service and accessibility.

"I'm very accessible. Myself and my staff are very, very accessible. The constituent always comes first," Perry says. "We try to resolve every issue that comes before us. Have we been successful every single time? No. But we respond to people in a timely manner."

Perry takes pride in his ability to connect with all residents in his ward, which he describes as a "minority-majority ward." He has worked to build trust with Spanish-speaking constituents despite language barriers.

"Though we don't speak the same language, there's trust there and we're able to communicate with one another," Perry says. "For some populations where... this took a few years to build up the trust for that portion of the constituency, they know that they can come here and they know that they'll be listened to."

Among his accomplishments, Perry highlights his work with the Alvord Unified School District, including providing running shoes for students in a running program and partnering with Feeding America to deliver fresh produce at Arlanza Elementary School.

As he looks toward his final year in office, Perry is focused on addressing homelessness in his ward, particularly along the Magnolia Avenue corridor.

"I would like to have the issues with the homeless settled before I leave here. I'm not sure that's going to happen," Perry admits. "On some weeks, 50 to 75 percent of what we do has issues around the homeless on Magnolia Avenue."

Perry credits the city's Public Safety and Engagement Team (PSET) with making significant progress on homelessness issues citywide.

"If we didn't have them out there, I could only imagine what our city would look like," he says. "These are dedicated people who care very much about what they're doing, because it's not easy work."

When asked what qualities make a good city council member, Perry emphasizes commitment.

"Councilmember has to be willing to get involved, take a stand, and speak on behalf of the constituency," Perry says. "This isn't a job where you show up on a Tuesday night and push the yes or no button. This requires a great deal of time and effort."

Perry says he doesn't have a preferred successor in mind and won't consider endorsing anyone until after the filing period closes.

"If you want this position, you need to show initiative and convince those who live in Ward 6 that you're the best candidate," he says.

Under Riverside's election system, councilmembers serve four-year terms, with elections staggered across odd-numbered years.

Looking back on his political career, Perry expresses satisfaction with his service.

"It's been a very worthwhile experience," Perry says. "Wouldn't trade it for anything."

Our Full Conversation with Councilmember Perry

This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

RAINCROSS GAZETTE: You've announced that you're not going to be seeking reelection. How did you come to that decision, and what are you thinking about for your remaining time in office?

JIM PERRY: Retirement is real. That is going to happen. I announced that in January, and I did that for multiple purposes. One, to make sure everybody knows about it. Two, to give those that are interested in serving an opportunity to really give some thought, because you really have to consider what you're getting yourself into.

When I ran, I started planning a year and a half in advance. I think people really need to take time to think about this personally, professionally, with their family, and actually start laying out a game plan for planning and coordinating a campaign. There's not a formula that works in every single case. What works for me may not work for the next person.

I decided to do it early because I don't want people rushing into this. I want people who are truly interested in serving and fully understand the dynamics and all the issues that will come before them, both as a candidate and as a potential council member.

What was your initial motivation when you were originally running for city council?

My path to getting here probably started when I was 14 years old. That's when I was exposed to politics, specifically the 1972 presidential campaign. From that point on, I knew I wanted to do two things in my life: be a police officer and, at some point, run for public office.

I actually retired some years ago. Goal number one was met—I was a police officer and served almost 30 years. Then I set my sights on elective office and got myself thoroughly involved in the community, volunteer and nonprofit organizations. I was a regular at council meetings where some people thought I was a council assistant because I was here so often. I also attended committee meetings and got myself on the museum board.

I gave some thought to running in 2009 but decided not to because that would have forced running against an incumbent. After becoming friends with Nancy Hart, I realized she wasn't going to run in 2013, and that's when I set my sights on that seat. I was very fortunate—I was one of six candidates, not in the most ideal ballot position, but managed to win outright with close to 61% when many people were preparing for a runoff.

Can you share how you first got involved in politics?

It started in 1972. I was a freshman in high school, and my history teacher said presidential elections only come around every four years. He offered extra credit to students who wanted to volunteer for a campaign and write a paper about it. I was the only one who did that.

I became part of George McGovern's presidential campaign and got exposed to many different aspects of politics. There was no technology back then, so quite a difference from today. I wrote my paper, got extra credit, and my teacher suggested I send it to the senator. I did, and got a letter back that eventually led to a telephone conversation with Senator McGovern. So while I've never spoken to a president, I've had a chance to speak with somebody who ran for president. He got demolished in that election, but it was a learning experience that kicked off my involvement in politics.

And how did you end up in Riverside?

I'm originally from the Bay Area. I was hired by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department in 1982. They went through budget cuts, and instead of laying people off, they started demoting people. I realized my expected time in the jail was going to be extended, so I started looking around the state for places I'd like to live.

That's how I ended up in Southern California. I worked for the city of Fountain Valley, but couldn't afford housing in Orange County and ended up in Riverside. I initially moved to Riverside County in 1988, was in Moreno Valley for a little while, and then ended up in Riverside in 1990. I've been in Ward 6 the entire time I've been in Riverside.

When you think about your time in office, what accomplishments are you particularly proud of?

I'm very accessible. My staff and I are very accessible—the constituent always comes first. We try to resolve every issue that comes before us. Have we been successful every single time? No. But we respond to people in a timely manner.

When an issue comes to us, I actually go out and see it for myself about 95% of the time. I've built trust and relationships with my constituents. They know I'll be straight with them and that I'll do everything in my power to assist them.

I represent a minority-majority ward. My Spanish could be better, but especially with my Hispanic community, I've established good relationships. Though we don't speak the same language, there's trust there and we're able to communicate with one another. For some populations, it took a few years to build up trust, but now they know they can come here, they'll be listened to, and they'll be taken seriously. We will do everything we can to help them. And I take that approach with everyone, regardless of who they are.

How do you balance the long-term thinking and bigger projects with the urgent personal issues constituents bring to you?

There's a lot of flexibility involved. Staff reports for council meetings can range from 200-300 pages to maybe 3,000-5,000 pages, and sometimes you have to become an expert with them in just a matter of days.

I think it's about being able to prioritize, manage time, and multitask. That's where my experience in law enforcement helps. I also have very competent assistants who've been there along the way. We work very closely as a team, divide up the work, and always know what one another is doing. I can always depend on my assistants to speak as if I was standing there, even when they're speaking Spanish. I know the message is going to be delivered effectively.

What specific outcomes has your relationship with Alvord Unified School District brought about?

When I decided to run for office, I was attending Alvord School Board meetings for a couple years ahead of time. The school district is a very large part of my constituency, so I wanted to know what was going on there. I made a promise to include them and look out for their interests at the city level if elected.

In the first couple years, we worked with the Police Officers Association to provide running shoes for students in a running program. There were kids running in shoes they shouldn't even have been walking in. Through the assistance of the POA, we were able to put about 100 pairs of running shoes on kids for a couple of years, which made a huge difference.

We also reached out to Feeding America, and they worked specifically for about two to three years at Arlanza Elementary School, providing fresh produce on a monthly basis. That program grew quite large. We had parents who actually took over the program—they would organize, set up, and distribute the food when it was dropped off, which took pressure off school personnel.

Sometimes Alvord feels left out because they're a smaller school district. I think I've done a good job being a cheerleader for them and making sure they're a known quantity. We also do a Student Envisioning Day annually where we bring students together and listen to them on how they view their neighborhoods, how they see the future, and what they would like to see.

Homelessness has been a problem across the city. What approaches have you seen be most successful?

Number one would be our PSET team [Public Safety and Engagement Team]. They've made a huge difference. If we didn't have them out there, I can only imagine what our city would look like. These are dedicated people who care very much about what they're doing, and it's not easy work. That's probably the priority that needs to stay in place. We've funded that, and there's enough funding to expand teams as more personnel come on board.

The tough part, especially in Ward 6 on the west side, is there are too many county programs in one neighborhood. There are programs at Magnolia and La Sierra, and then more programs at Magnolia and Harrison, back on County Farm Road behind Lowe's. Are all those services needed? Absolutely. The problem is they're all in one neighborhood.

Another issue we have is there are a lot of hotels where homeless individuals find lodging. About a year ago, we started charging them for our police responses. All of them have received bills. We've also made it clear to them: clean up what's going on in and around your property, or we're going to do it for you—and if we do it for you, you're not going to like it. We've started a nuisance abatement with them, which could ultimately lead to receivership. There are a couple of them now who are considering selling their property.

We provide the necessary services for people who want them. The wraparound services are there. It's not always about enforcement because you also need the services component. I think because we're the county seat, people are getting dropped off here from other areas. What also makes it difficult is we have organizations that want to help by providing food and clothing directly to the homeless. We try to stress that if you want to help in that manner, there are organizations that can facilitate that. The "lone wolf" approach actually makes the problem more difficult to solve.

How would you assess the housing situation in Ward 6?

Housing has always been tough. It depends on what neighborhood you're talking about. When it comes to affordable housing, there are some neighborhoods in the city where there isn't an issue. In other portions of the city, including my ward, it becomes a wrestling match.

Things have gotten a little better, but there can still be challenges when it comes to affordable housing. We're lucky in the city that we have some developers who produce a really good product. What gets scary is when you scare away the good ones and are left with the bad ones. It's something we have to continuously monitor and evaluate.

People are starting to move even further east, and I can't believe some of the commute times individuals are dealing with. It's always a touchy subject, and sometimes despite our best efforts, we can't convince people that a development is a good product when in fact it is.

How do you approach being a representative for Ward 6 and a decision maker for the entire city at the same time?

It's a balancing act. You try to weigh what's best for your constituency and for the entire city. With issues like the housing element and RHNA [Regional Housing Needs Assessment] numbers, I think the responsibility should be spread out across the city equitably. I don't mind taking my piece of the pie, but sometimes with housing issues, I feel like I not only took my piece but perhaps the entire pie.

As you look at density housing across the city, there are probably three wards that have far more than the others. Wards 1 and 2 have the most, then there's some separation, then Ward 6, then more separation, then the others. I think Wards 4 and 7 have the least. That's why I had issues with the housing element—I felt like my ward and a couple others were taking on much more than the others. But that's settled now; the state has accepted our housing element, while some other cities are still battling over theirs.

Are there specific projects you're prioritizing to complete before you leave office?

I would like to have the issues with the homeless settled before I leave, but I'm not sure that's going to happen. I don't feel like a lame duck, and I don't think I'm being treated like one by any means. We're going to continue providing quality service to everyone until the moment we walk out the door.

The Magnolia corridor requires an awful lot of attention. On some weeks, 50 to 75 percent of what we do involves issues around homelessness on the Magnolia corridor. I hope when I pass that responsibility to my successor, we can reduce that number significantly.

If you had a magic wand that could address anything from funding to policy changes, where would you point it to make the biggest impact?

The biggest impact would be more local control for cities and local governmental entities. I think school districts and perhaps even the county need more local control. We have a lot of decisions made above our pay grade that affect us, from homeless issues to environmental regulations. Laws get passed at the state level, and then we have to raise rates at the local level to meet the state's mandates. Local control is such an issue on almost everything we do.

Do you have any particular vision for Ward 6 that you would hope your successor would continue to champion?

It would be the overall health, well-being, and quality of life. A vast majority of our constituency is concerned about issues that affect them in their individual neighborhoods and on their blocks.

It's sad that we're in a time where there are so many safety concerns around school campuses. Parents shouldn't have to worry about their students from the moment they walk out the door until they come home. During school drop-off and pickup periods, parents are lined up because of safety concerns. Despite our best efforts, I hope we can get to the point where students can walk to school safely and parents don't have to worry about them.

Sometimes it's not the big conversation we're having in council, but the pothole that hasn't been repaired, the streetlight that's out, or the neighbor who doesn't get along with anyone. Those are issues we tend to deal with on a regular basis. The everyday quality of life issues are something we've had a huge impact on.

Will you be playing an active role in the election for the next council member?

I don't have somebody in mind who I want to replace me. I think that needs to be an individual decision. I won't consider endorsing anybody until the filing period is closed. If you want this position, you need to show initiative and then convince the people who live in Ward 6 that you're the best candidate.

Looking back on your political career, how do you feel about your service?

It's been a very worthwhile experience. I actually like campaigning—I don't like the fundraising end of it, but considering I've made it through three campaigns without ever having a runoff, I'm satisfied. My first campaign had six candidates, and I won with a majority. My second campaign was against a well-financed, politically connected individual, and I won that election with 66% of the vote. The last time, I didn't have an opponent.

I didn't envision all of this when I was 14—I was just thinking I'd get myself elected. But it's been a very worthwhile experience, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Correction, May 27 5:42 p.m.— In the previous version of the story about Perry’s decision not to seek reelection, the Feeding America partnership location was misstated; the correct location is Arlanza Elementary School, not Orrenmaa.