Candidates for City Council seats in Wards 2 and 4 debated political polarization, homelessness, affordability, warehouses and data centers Wednesday at a forum hosted by Temple Beth El.
The races are down to two candidates for each seat: Aram Ayra and Gracie Torres in Ward 2, and Rich Vandenberg and incumbent Chuck Conder in Ward 4. Ward 2 includes the Eastside, Canyon Crest, Mission Grove, Sycamore Canyon and University District neighborhoods. Ward 4 includes Alessandro Heights, Mission Grove, Orangecrest and the Greenbelt.
All four candidates sat together as Rabbi Suzanne Singer posed prepared questions and read questions submitted by the audience. At several points, the discussion turned into direct exchanges between opponents, prompting Singer to remind them of the evening’s opening question: How could they help Riverside residents talk across their differences?
Addressing polarization
Singer opened by reading from the preamble to Riverside’s charter, which calls for an inclusive community, social cohesion and responsive government.
“As you all know, over the past decade, we have witnessed polarization at the national, the international and at the local level,” Singer said. “And we’re wondering this evening what steps that you might take to promote what our charter has promised that our government officials will do.”
Vandenberg said his experience with Braver Angels, a group that brings people with opposing political views together for civil discussions, had shaped his approach. City Council seats are nonpartisan, he said, and issues such as potholes and economic development call for practical solutions.
“We have kind of forgotten how to talk through things and find common ground, find compromise to get things done,” Vandenberg said.
Torres, a Western Municipal Water District board member, said her campaign has drawn support from labor, businesses and residents with differing political views. Serving in elected office taught her that getting results requires talking with people she disagrees with, she said.
“It takes reaching out to folks that you don’t agree with. It takes talking to all the stakeholders,” Torres said.
Conder pointed to his military career and years at City Hall, saying he has long worked with people who hold different views. He described himself as being on the “Riverside team,” rather than a Republican or Democratic one.
“You’ve never seen me yell. I don’t yell. I’ll sit there and debate with you,” Conder said.
Ayra offered a different perspective. Based on conversations with Ward 2 residents, he said, people often agree on local concerns such as warehouses, housing and homelessness.
He argued that campaign donors and other special interests create a greater divide in the city than party politics and called for local contribution limits, saying Riverside is one of only a handful of cities in California with “absolutely no local contribution spending limits for political campaigns.”
“I don’t want to pretend that those cities are perfect and everybody gets along,” he said. “but these are cities that have in many ways been more effective on moving things across the finish line and most importantly, having a city council that is actually representative of their residents and not on whoever donated the most to their campaign or whoever funded their election.”
Homelessness
Singer asked the candidates what they would do about homelessness, citing more than 1,000 unhoused people in Riverside.
“What are you all planning to do to address this problem?” she asked.
Ayra called for more housing, shelter beds and mental health and substance use services. He criticized the council’s rejection of the University Terrace project, which would have converted the Quality Inn on University Avenue into 114 apartments, including 94 permanent supportive housing units. He also proposed using the city’s inspector general to examine whether homelessness spending produces results and seeking relief from other jurisdictions he said send unhoused people to Riverside.
Conder, who voted against the project in January, called homelessness a regional problem and pointed to an Inland Empire forum he established to bring cities and counties together to share approaches. He said another gathering is planned for Nov. 16. He also described outreach efforts in which people declined services, arguing that there is no simple solution.
Torres said she would begin with an audit of city-funded homelessness programs to identify what works. She also called for more housing and said she would have tried to revise the University Terrace proposal to secure enough council votes for its approval.
“I would’ve done things differently to make sure that we housed 114 people, made sure that the policy was written in a way that at least four people would vote for it,” she said.
Torres’ answer led to a lengthy dispute between the Ward 2 candidates.
Ayra questioned Torres’ position on the proposal, pointing to remarks she made at the Raincross Gazette’s April candidate forum and a $1,500 contribution from Beverly Bailey — whom Ayra described as an opponent of the project — to Torres’ campaign on Sept. 16.
When asked how she would have voted on University Terrace at the Gazette’s forum, Torres replied, “What I know is that we need projects like these. We need housing. I’m supportive of those things, but the reality is this didn’t happen … because the council was unwilling to work together … If I had been on the council and known that no resident was talked to, then I would have voted against it, which is what I said before.”
Torres disputed Ayra’s account of her position, saying she would have worked to change the proposal so it could pass.
“You don’t have to believe me, but what you can’t do is draw lines that are not there,” Torres said.
She also said her relationship with Bailey grew from work helping UC Riverside students and had nothing to do with the project.
Ayra said voters were entitled to examine a candidate’s contributions alongside their public positions. Torres accused him of drawing a connection that did not exist. The two also disagreed over Ayra’s suggestion that the contribution could require Torres to recuse herself if the project returned for a vote. The contribution record does not establish that a recusal would be required.
Vandenberg said he, too, had publicly supported the Quality Inn proposal. He emphasized preventing homelessness, particularly among young people aging out of foster care and older residents at risk of losing housing. He proposed investing in supportive housing, job training and services for those groups.
“For me, it’s investing in our youth, investing in our most at risk youth to give them the opportunity to find success,” Vandenberg said.
Vandenberg also criticized Conder’s past remarks about unhoused people.
“We have a complaint from the ACLU because of the comments he made, the disparaging comments made about homeless folks in the city of Riverside,” Vandenberg said.
Conder rejected the characterization and offered to share “the truth and the facts and the numbers” after the forum.
The ACLU of Southern California filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department in April alleging that Conder and Councilmembers Philip Falcone, Steven Robillard and Sean Mill based their votes against University Terrace on discriminatory remarks about the people it would serve. The department opened an investigation in May.
Making housing affordable
Singer asked what Riverside could do to speed construction when approved projects can still stall because of financing costs.
“What can the city do to accelerate the building of more units?” she asked.
Torres said Riverside should remove delays in its permitting process and look for opportunities to build on city-owned land. Residents and developers should not have to call a councilmember to learn where a permit stands, she said. She also advocated for agreements that would put local residents to work on construction projects.
Conder said the city has worked to speed permitting through a “one-stop shop” and is helping developers navigate the process. But he stressed that the city cannot dictate the price of privately built homes or force developers to build projects that do not make financial sense.
Ayra agreed that permitting and construction costs are barriers. He proposed assessing large corporate owners of residential property and directing the proceeds to Riverside’s affordable housing trust fund. He also said the city should protect existing lower-cost options, including mobile home parks. Riverside’s rent stabilization ordinance places a 4% ceiling on ordinary annual increases for covered mobile home space rents; the city lists the 2026 allowable increase as 2.8%.
That answer prompted another exchange with Torres over donations from people involved in mobile home development. Torres, who said she owns a mobile home, rejected Ayra’s suggestion that accepting their support would affect her decisions. The candidates argued over whether Ayra had sought an endorsement from a business group whose donors included developers.
Vandenberg said housing prices put homeownership out of reach for many young residents. He acknowledged that he did not have a ready solution for getting more affordable homes built, but said he wanted to learn from cities that had made more progress.
He also said Riverside had met less than 5% of its affordable housing allocation. The city’s 2025 housing progress reportshows permits for 331 very low- and low-income units through 2025, about 4% of its combined allocation of 7,925 units in those categories. The report counts permits, not completed homes.
Jobs, warehouses and data centers
Singer asked how Riverside could bring in higher-paying jobs. After the candidates raised warehouses and data centers, she asked them to address those projects as well.
“Here’s something we might be able to do to bring higher paying jobs to this city. And I’m wondering how you would approach that issue,” she said.
Conder defended the city’s efforts to recruit businesses. He said large buildings should not automatically be labeled warehouses because some could house manufacturing jobs. He pointed to projects he said were lost after opposition to development on land near Ward 4.
Ayra said the city should strengthen its ties to UC Riverside and other colleges so graduates have more reasons to stay. He advocated for jobs in health care, green technology and other growing fields. He called for a voter-approved tax on warehouses to help pay for road repairs and truck traffic enforcement, along with a warehouse moratorium and a ban on data centers.
Torres focused on career pathways. She said a water industry program she helped establish has placed more than 150 people in careers, and she wants to pursue similar training and local hiring efforts through the city. She said she opposes warehouses and data centers near homes and described contacting councilmembers after seeing a data center item on a city agenda.
Vandenberg said Ward 4 residents he has spoken with do not want more logistics warehouses. He questioned the city’s strategy of offering incentives to newer companies and said Riverside should recruit established Southern California businesses looking to expand.
Conder pushed back on the other candidates’ descriptions of both warehouses and data centers. He said he had never voted for a warehouse project and argued that data centers vary in size and design. The candidates did not resolve their disagreements over the likely effects of such projects on jobs, water and electricity use.
Bringing young people into City Hall
An audience question asked how the candidates would involve more young people in local government.
“The question is how can we bring more youth into government and community?” Singer asked.
Torres said financial pressures can leave young adults little time to participate. She advocated for paid opportunities, pointing to youth programs at the water district.
Vandenberg said he did not become involved in local government until his family and work responsibilities eased. He said he did not have a clear answer for how to make that possible sooner for others.
Conder described speaking with students and bringing interns into City Hall. Ayra supported youth involvement but said the cost of running for office can keep younger and first-time candidates out. He proposed campaign finance reform and reviving a youth commission. Riverside already has a Youth Council, which is a separate program.
Singer also relayed audience questions about the water board’s censure of Torres. Torres said she had reported what she believed was a Brown Act violation to the district attorney and that the decision was unpopular with colleagues. She said she learned from the experience how to work more effectively with them.
The district’s proposed censure resolution cited several complaints about Torres’ conduct toward staff and during meetings, including her accusation of a Brown Act violation. The resolution reflects the district’s account of the dispute; Torres gave a different explanation at the forum.
Conder spoke in her support, saying he had seen her grow in the role.
Riverside’s future
As the forum closed, Singer asked each candidate to describe the city they hoped to see in the decades ahead.
“What do you hope for Riverside?” she asked.
Ayra envisioned a more affordable city with less influence from campaign donors and fewer warehouses and data centers. He called for investment in health care, education and emerging industries.
“What kind of economy are we building? Does it work for everybody or does it work for a small group of people?” he asked.
Conder emphasized safety, financial stability and local control as Riverside grows. “We have to fight to maintain our local control over things,” he said.
Vandenberg called for jobs that would allow young families to remain in Riverside. “I want a city we can call home forever,” he said.
Torres recalled how Riverside helped her immigrant parents build careers and raise their family. She said she wants her children and parents to have the same chance to stay.
“The quality of life for the city should be one that is taking care of you like Riverside has taken care of us,” Torres said.
