Dawn Crawford vs Dirty County Politicians and  Officials

RIVERSIDE - Mayor Ron Loveridge said Monday he is seeking one more term.

The next mayoral election will take place in November 2009 with a runoff in January 2010 if no candidate receives a majority of the votes.

But the term, usually four years, will be shortened by a year and five months to end in June 2012 under a charter amendment that voters approved in 2006.

 

By virtue of that vote, starting in 2012, mayoral elections will take place every presidential election year, with June primaries and November runoffs.

Now in his fourth term, Loveridge, 69, said this would be his final race. Before serving as mayor, he was a city councilman for 15 years.

There are major initiatives that he would like to continue working on, Loveridge said.

They include the $1.8 billion Riverside Renaissance, a five-year program of public improvements citywide; making the city more environmentally friendly through efforts to save water, reduce waste, plant more trees and increase use of solar energy; and turning the city into the Inland region's arts and culture capital.

"It's a very, very good time in the history of the city," Loveridge said.

He also is in line to be president of the National League of Cities in 2010 as long as he remains an elected official at that time. The yearlong post would allow him to influence the national agenda for cities, he said, and would help increase Riverside's profile.

Loveridge has fundraisers planned for May 28 and Aug. 20.

Former Mayor Terry Frizzel, whom Loveridge defeated for the mayoral seat in 1994, 1997 and 2005, said Monday that Loveridge hasn't served the city well and she wouldn't rule out another campaign "if I felt it was the right thing to do."

Former City Councilman Art Gage said Monday he also is weighing a run for mayor.

Reach Doug Haberman at 951-368-9644 or dhaberman@PE.