Current councilmembers Sara Lommatzsch and Zach Joseph are not seeking reelection.
Riverside City Council is composed of six council members and the mayor. The council is in charge of policy making, selecting the city manager, approving legislation and appointing community members to boards and other committees. Riverside, a city of about 24,400 residents, has about 81 full-time and 20 part-time employees. Council members earn about $8,000 per year and serve for four-year terms.
Mike Denning
Denning, 67, a senior engineering technician and project coordinator, has served on Riverside City Council since 2010.
Denning said Riverside has lots of potential and this election is about keeping the city on the right track. Riverside has seen growth, new development and stronger collaboration between the city and local schools, he said, adding that residents deserve leaders who listen, care and take action like he does.
Denning said during his time on council the city has welcomed a new Kroger store, new homes in Brantwood Estates and new businesses along Linden Avenue, plus strong development in the areas around Airway and Harshman roads.
“But there’s always room to do more, especially when it comes to improving communication, expanding economic opportunities and maintaining our roads and parks,” he said.
Brenda Fry
Fry, 51, a senior principal software engineer in the defense industry, is seeking a third term in office. Fry said she values honest dialogue, balanced budgets and she tries to treat everyone with dignity and respect.
Riverside is a young city at just 30 years old, and though it has gained maturity and institutional knowledge it has not yet reached a point of fiscal sustainability, Fry said.
Since road levies introduced in 2018, 2019 and 2020 all failed, the city needs to find ways to fund residential road improvements moving forward, she said, adding that she has asked council to convene a task force to study the problem.
“I say Riverside is on a much better trajectory than even a few years ago,” Fry said. “While we are not out of the woods financially, we have the data we need to make well-informed decisions, and we have engaged citizens to help prioritize our work along the way.”
Steve Gaby
Gaby, 67, a retired maintenance electrician who worked for Pepsi, said this election is about the future of Riverside. He said the city will be bankrupt in about five years if things don’t change.
“I believe the city is headed in the wrong direction (and) hope to help turn it around,” Gaby said.
Gaby’s campaign slogan has been, “honesty, transparency and accountability.” He said he will listen to residents and act on their needs.
According to Gaby, a couple of the big issues facing the city include the cost of maintaining two city-owned properties on Springfield Street and the condition of local roadways. Riverside wants to see the Wright Point Office Park at 5100 and 5200 Springfield Street redeveloped.
Angel Patterson
Patterson, 40, who works in payroll, said she will bring new ideas and a fresh perspective to Riverside City Council.
Patterson, who was a city employee for 15 years, said Riverside needs to make some major changes to become financially solvent. She said council must limit non-essential projects and purchases until the budget stabilizes.
“The entire financial stability is at stake,” she said.
Patterson also said the city council needs to be more open and transparent to build trust with residents and business owners.
She too many residential roads are in bad shape, and the city should use any available funds to start improving the worst of the streets.
“I will bring balance to council by questioning outdated policies and methods, and brainstorming modern solutions to issues,” she said.
Freda Patterson
Patterson, 58, who is retired, said she is running for Riverside City Council because she wants to be the voice of residents who too often have been ignored.
Patterson said she has paid attention to city council meetings for years, and her knowledge would be an asset to the elected body.
“I feel that the new candidates running could make a substantial difference if elected,” she said.
City council’s most important responsibility is creating the budget, and Riverside needs a strong financial plan to be a successful city, she said. Patterson also said she believes that Riverside needs to sell off city-owned properties that are expensive to maintain.
“As a councilmember, I would push for this to be done, plus I would trace the budget back to see where cuts can be made in spending,” she said. “It has been stated that at our current rate, we will be broke by 2030.”
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