Riverside names first inspector general, with Oct. 19 start planned

Riverside’s City Council unanimously approved an employment agreement naming Lori K. M. Cox as the city’s first inspector general on Oct. 6. Her three-year contract carries an annual salary of $219,000 and is scheduled to begin Oct. 19.

The appointment puts a leader in place for an oversight office established after voters approved Measure L in November 2024. As of Oct. 10, Cox’s start date remained in the future.

A voter-approved office with broad oversight duties

The council voted 6-1 in November 2025 to establish the office. Under the charter, the inspector general may investigate, audit and inspect covered operations and evaluate their performance. The scope includes city-government entities, certain special districts and joint powers authorities, and entities that receive city funds. The council may also assign other duties by ordinance.

Residents may submit complaints or suggest areas for audits, according to local reporting. The charter requires the inspector general to present final findings and recommendations to the City Council at a public meeting at least once a year.

Charter safeguard and questions about independence

The inspector general is appointed by the mayor and City Council and serves at their pleasure; the mayor may vote on appointment, suspension or removal, according to the City Attorney’s analysis of Measure L. Local reporting says Cox will report directly to the mayor and council. At the same time, the charter bars the mayor and City Council from interfering with the inspector general’s powers and duties.

Residents questioned whether an office appointed by and reporting to elected officials could scrutinize those officials independently. The noninterference provision is a charter safeguard, but it does not settle those structural concerns or establish how the office will perform in practice.

The appointment followed a hiring process in which 25 candidates applied, 10 took part in initial interviews and council members interviewed two finalists in July, The Riverside Record reported, attributing the figures to the city. The council approved Cox’s agreement unanimously.

Cox is scheduled to lead the office when her employment begins. The charter sets a recurring public accountability requirement: the council must receive the inspector general’s final findings and recommendations at least annually.