Dear Councilman Sean Mills,

Your recent post highlighting the need for Riverside’s leaders to stand against Sacramento’s single-party power grab is a critical wake-up call, but it must be met with introspection and decisive action. With respect, the City Council and Mayor’s Office, including your own tenure, have contributed to this erosion of local control by aligning too closely with state agendas. The time for photo ops with Governor Newsom, deferential meetings in Sacramento, and honoring officials who advance this power grab is over. Riverside must chart a new course to reclaim its autonomy.

The optics of Riverside’s leadership, including the Mayor’s photo op with Newsom during his homelessness and housing tour, have signaled compliance rather than resistance. These engagements, often framed as collaborative, have instead amplified Sacramento’s narrative—such as the push for $1.4 billion in state housing funds—while sidelining Riverside’s unique needs. Similarly, council decisions to rubber-stamp staff recommendations on high-density housing mandates, like those tied to the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA), have opened the door to state overreach. As I noted in past public comments, these unfunded mandates, driven by Newsom’s policies like SB 50 (2019), were a clear threat to local control, yet the council voted often followed staff’s misguided direction without sufficient scrutiny.

This acquiescence has consequences. The state’s “builder’s remedy,” wielded against cities like Norwalk in 2024, looms as a warning for Riverside if we fail to assert our zoning authority. By prioritizing state compliance over community input, the council has emboldened Sacramento’s power grab, undermining the very residents you serve.

To reverse this course, the City Council and Mayor’s Office must act boldly:

Lead Through Advocacy: Leverage the League of California Cities to spearhead opposition to unfunded mandates. The League’s resistance to bills like SB 9 (2021), which eroded single-family zoning, shows potential, but Riverside’s voice—yours included—must be louder. Propose coalitions with inland cities to demand funding and flexibility, not top-down edicts.

Challenge Staff Recommendations: End the era of rubber-stamping. Your council votes must prioritize public input over staff proposals that align with Sacramento’s agenda. A task force to evaluate state housing policies’ local impacts could ensure transparency and accountability.

Reject Performative Engagements: Stop attending Sacramento meetings or photo ops that serve Newsom’s narrative. If participation is necessary, use these platforms to advocate fiercely for Riverside’s interests, as Sacramento’s Mayor Steinberg did for SB 50. Your presence must signal defiance, not deference.

Reallocate Resources: If advocacy groups like the League fail to protect local control, redirect taxpayer funds to legal challenges or regional alliances. As I’ve urged before, wasting money on ineffective advocacy is unacceptable.

Celebrate Local Leadership: Honor those who champion Riverside’s autonomy, not officials tied to Sacramento’s agenda. Highlight community-driven solutions, like our nonprofit partnerships on homelessness, as models of local success.

Councilman Mills, your post acknowledges the problem, but the council’s past actions, including your own, have fed into this power grab. Riverside’s residents demand leadership that fights for our city’s identity, not one that bends to Sacramento’s will. Change course now—use your platform to rally the council and Mayor’s Office to protect local control before it’s too late. I urge you to address these concerns at the next council meeting and invite public dialogue to rebuild trust.