Endorsement: Oz Puerta for Riverside City Council

After three terms representing Riverside’s Ward 6, Councilman Jim Perry announced last year that his third term would be his last. And so, residents of the 6th Ward have their pick of three candidates to represent them on the Riverside City Council.

Oz Puerta has led the Arlington Business Partnership since 2018 and is running on a back-to-basics platform of “clean streets, safe neighborhoods, and leadership that listens.”

Luis Hernandez is a disability services specialist who offers “a steady hand, a clear voice, and a commitment to doing what's right for our community.”

And there’s Norma Berrellez who is on the Alvord Unified Board of Education.

All three have served on city commissions or boards.

We endorse Oz Puerta’s election to the City Council and it’s not a difficult call.

“Riverside is a city with strong potential, but right now many residents feel like we're not where we should be,” he told us. “We have great institutions, growing business opportunities, and a strong sense of community. But at the same time, people are dealing with real concerns like public safety, homelessness, and neglected infrastructure.”

Puerta vows to focus “on closing that gap, making sure the work the city is doing translates into real, visible improvements in people's neighborhoods.”

With his experience working with the business community, it’s no surprise he has a balanced view on promoting economic activity. “Small businesses shouldn't be waiting months just to open or expand,” he argues. “Streamlining permitting and improving communication from the city can make an immediate impact.”

On housing, Puerta clearly recognizes the need for more housing, both affordable and market-rate, and the need for speedier approval processes.

That’s preferable to Hernandez’s emphasis on affordable units, which are just subsidized units that are often more expensive to build. The housing crisis is a simply supply and demand problem and his criticism of a balance approach on housing development, plus his calls for “strengthening tenant protections,” just means wrapping more red tape around property owners and the housing market.

Like many, we have no idea where Berrellez stands on the issues.

With the backing of Councilmembers Philip Falcone, Sean Mill and Steven Robillard, it’s apparent he has the backing of a practical bloc on the council.

For us, this is a no-brainer: Oz Puerta for Riverside Council in Ward 6.

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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 3:32 PM.