🗞️ Riverside News- May 7, 2026

Thursday Gazette: May 7, 2026

Hello Riverside, and Happy Thursday! Our 2026 Voter Guide just got a comprehensive overhaul — and with the June 2 primary less than a month away, this is the version I want every Riversider to have.

The two biggest additions:

1. Recorded video of all three City Council Candidate Forums (Ward 2, Ward 4, and Ward 6)
2. A full overview of Measure Z

If you couldn't make a forum in person, you can now watch every candidate answer the same questions in their own words, on your own time. And if you've been hearing about Measure Z but haven't had time to dig in, we tried to make it the shortcut you actually need.

One ask. If any of this is useful, please pass it along. Friends and neighbors who don't already get the Gazette will be asked for their email to watch the videos, but there's no fee — they just become free subscribers, same deal most of you have. Forward this email, drop the Voter Guide link in your group chat, post the videos on social. Every Riversider who walks into the polls informed makes this city stronger, and every new neighbor we reach helps us keep this work going.

Thanks again to everyone who showed up at the forums — and to everyone now helping us get these videos in front of more Riversiders.

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GOVERNMENT

City Manager Speaks Out as Council Evaluates His Performance, Conduct

The council reviewed Futrell's performance in closed session Tuesday but took no action, as the city manager publicly defended himself and his wife against allegations that have roiled City Hall since December.

Riverside City Manager Mike Futrell addressed his short-lived departure for Pasadena — and allegations against his wife — while the City Council met in closed session Tuesday to decide his future.

Why it matters: Futrell's status as city manager remains unresolved, leaving a leadership question over one of Riverside's top administrative posts.

The backstory: Futrell announced April 15 he had accepted the Pasadena city manager position, then reversed course April 25. At the center of the dispute is a Dec. 11 letter from then-Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Conder alleging Futrell's wife, Susan Freeman, made "unwanted and harassing" contact with city employees and implied she was "part of the city's decision-making team."

What they're saying: Futrell called for patience at Tuesday's meeting.

• "Judgment should be reserved until the full factual record is available," he said, adding that accountability "must be grounded in facts, not assumptions."

Freeman's account: In a Facebook post, Freeman said she encouraged Futrell to pursue the Pasadena job after receiving Conder's letter, which she called full of "lies and serious false allegations." She denied the conduct described, saying her interactions with staff were limited to public civic engagement — and that at least one employee had sought her professional services voluntarily.

What's next: The council took no action in closed session Tuesday. Conder and Futrell both declined to comment after the meeting, and no timeline has been announced for a resolution.

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GOVERNMENT

Measure Z, Explained: The Sales Tax Increase on Riverside's June Ballot

Voters will decide June 2 whether to raise the existing Measure Z sales tax to 1.25 percent and remove its 2036 sunset. Here's what's on the ballot, why it's there, and what each side is arguing.

Riverside residents will vote June 2 on a permanent sales tax increase — from 1% to 1.25% — to fund fire staffing and other city services.

Why it matters: The city's fire department has the lowest firefighter-to-resident ratio among comparable cities, with average response times now exceeding the department's own 6-minute goal. The extra quarter-cent would cost you $1.25 on a $100 purchase.

Driving the news: Fire Chief Steve McKinster warned in January the department cannot keep pace with rising calls without new revenue, and a court has already ordered the city to rewrite what it calls a misleading ballot title.

• A Superior Court judge ruled the original wording misleading; the measure is now labeled a "sales tax renewal" rather than a "services renewal."

The backstory: Riverside has held at 225 firefighters for seven years while service calls rose 26%. The existing Measure Z tax — 1% since 2016 — expires in 2036; this measure would remove that sunset.

• The department averages 7 min., 18 sec. response times against a 6-minute goal; the staffing plan calls for 84 new firefighters.

Yes, but: Critics note Measure Z revenue flows into the general fund — not a dedicated fire account — meaning there's no legal guarantee the money reaches the fire department.

• Ward 1 resident Jason Hunter, who brought the successful lawsuit over ballot language, warns voters will get "bait-and-switched" as they were in 2016.

What's next: Ballots are in the mail now. Mail yours by May 27, drop it at a county box, or vote in person at any Riverside County vote center starting May 23. Election Day is June 2. A simple majority passes the measure.

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BUSINESS

After 54 Years, Sub Station Faces Demolition as UCR Redevelops Bannockburn

Richard Munio's Sub Station has fed generations of UCR students since 1972. Now, with Bannockburn Village slated for demolition, it's counting down its final weeks.

The Sub Station is being torn down on June 30th, closing after 54 years of operation near the heart of UC Riverside. The eatery, founded in 1972 by Richard Munio in UCR's Bannockburn Village, is being demolished as the aging wood-frame structure has become a safety hazard. For four of those years, I was privileged to be employed there. It has been the best job I've ever had as I have made lifelong friends and memories.

Originally from New Jersey, Munio came to California for college, finishing his bachelor's degree at Chico State. His academic achievement was short-lived because he was drafted for the Vietnam War. Munio ended up serving a year in Vietnam. He returned to California and set his sights on a business he could call his own. Soon, he bought a space in UCR's Bannockburn Village. Munio transformed the area by adding an outdoor patio, handmade tables, and seating. It makes The Sub Station feel like home and creates a calming atmosphere, ideal for a lunch break.

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Noteworthy

Arts Bar and Grill's comeback reopening was featured on CBS LA Tuesday after the beloved Downtown restaurant and bar bounced back from a devastating April 21 flood caused by copper pipe theft.

A UCR Foundation gift established the Esther and Daniel Hays Endowed Chair in Environmental Research, funding Distinguished Professor Matthew Barth's sustainable transportation work at CE-CERT, including a multi-university electric vehicle competition.

RCC hosted its 4th Annual Supporting Successful Reentry Conference on April 16, bringing together students, educators, policymakers, and community leaders to advance equitable pathways for justice-impacted individuals across Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

What's Happening in Riverside

Today

• Senior Conference at Janet Goeske Center
• Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
• Reading Assistance Program at My Learning Studio
• California Preservation Conference at Riverside Convention Center ($20- $505)
• Eastside Library at Lincoln Park | Mother's Day Craft at Eastside Library at Lincoln Park
• History on the Rocks - Round Two! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation ($71.21)
• Riverside Mission Belles at Victoria Presbyterian Church

Tomorrow

• Lincoln Park Community Group at Lincoln Park Community Center
• ARTSWALK First Thursday Concert Series at UCR ARTS at Culver Center of the Arts
• FREE ADMISSION - First Thursday of every month during Riverside ArtsWalk at Riverside Art Museum
• History on the Rocks! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation ($71.21)
• Meet & Greet: Ward 2 Candidate Mike Vahl at Jackson Home
• Pour Decisions a Comedy Wine Tasting at Canyon Crest Winery ($39.19)
• Riverdance 30 - The New Generation at Fox Performing Arts Center

Save the Date

• May 10: Mother's Day Tea at Backstreet at Backstreet ($200- $400)
• May 10: Mother’s Day Tea at Citrus Park at Sunkist Center at CA Citrus Park ($45- $65)
• May 13: Level Up Your Network: The Pick Group 2026 Membership Summit at Killer Queens Social House
• May 15: Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
• May 16: Vintage Home Tour “Age is a Work of Art” at Peter J Weber House ($30)
• May 17: Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social at Riverside's Heritage House
• May 31: Oscars, Tonys & Grammys at Calvary Presbyterian Church ($10- $20)
• Jun 1: REEF's 27th Annual Golf Tournament at Canyon Crest Country Club ($140- $175)

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