OZ PUERTA
WARD 6 CITY COUNCIL
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Our neighborhoods need to be safer. Residents deserve a community where families, neighbors, and professionals can live and work peacefully.
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No one should be living on our streets. The problem is only getting worse, but we can solve this crisis by implementing proven housing, mental health, and substance abuse programs.
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It’s time to build communities every resident can be proud of. That means implementing common sense initiatives like increased power washing, enhancing landscape maintenance schedules, investing in road and sidewalk improvements, and organizing frequent community cleanup events.
Riverside deserves clean streets, safe neighborhoods, and leadership that listens.
TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC TRUST ARE ESSENTIAL.
Together, we can build a stronger Ward 6.
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OZ PUERTA
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WARD 6
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RIVERSIDE CITY COUNCIL
- OZ PUERTA - WARD 6 - RIVERSIDE CITY COUNCIL
Professional experience
Executive Director – Arlington Business Partnership (2018–Present)
Serve and advocate for the businesses of Wards 5 & 6 within the Arlington Business Improvement District, managing programs, grants, and events that strengthen the local economy.
Chamber Ambassador – Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce (2024–Present)
Support Chamber members in achieving their business goals while connecting them with valuable partners and resources.
Vice President – Arlington Business Council (2025–Present)
Represent Arlington District businesses within the Chamber and lead fundraising efforts to reinvest directly into the community.
Board Member - R.U.S.D.'s Measure O Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee (June 2025–Present)
Informing the public concerning the District’s expenditure of bond proceeds.
Reviewing expenditure reports produced by the District to ensure that bond proceeds were expended only for the purposes set forth in Measure O.
Presenting an annual report to the RUSD Board.
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
President & Cofounder – Arlington Community Action Group (2022–Present)
Lead weekly street clean-ups, beautification projects (including the Arlington Park Mural), and a monthly food pantry serving more than 200 families facing food insecurity.
President – Arlington Temporary Assistance (2010–Present)
Oversee food pantry efforts that serve thousands of local residents annually who face food insecurity.
Board Member – Keep Riverside Clean & Beautiful (June 2025–Present)
Volunteer at Festival of Lights, organize Ward clean-ups, and assist with sponsorship outreach.
Advisory Board Member – Museum of Riverside Immigration Advisory Board (2024–Present)
Contributed to historical preservation by helping locate and interview Bracero Program participants.
“I’m already serving you, I’m just asking for the chance to serve you on City Council.”
hi, i’m oz.
My family moved to the Arlanza community of Riverside when I was 10 years old, proud to have achieved our American Dream by buying our first home on Harold Street. That dream was cut short when my father, Oswaldo Puerta, fell ill and lost his job. We were forced to sell our home and went through a difficult period of housing struggles before finally settling on Montgomery Street.
During those years, I found a lifeline in my community. After the Arlanza Community Center reopened, I joined the free neighborhood gym and soon began volunteering with Riverside’s Parks, Recreation & Community Services. I coached youth flag football, worked with Project H.O.P.E. at Bryant Park, and eventually earned my first job with the City. That was when I discovered my true passion: serving the community that raised me.
generational riverside resident.
community leader.
executive director.
“TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC TRUST ARE ESSENTIAL”
PUBLIC SAFETY
Our neighborhoods need to be safer. Residents deserve a community where families, neighbors, and professionals can live and work peacefully.
Ward 6 will harness every opportunity to ensure a safer future for its residents. Riverside has borne the brunt of responsibility responding to homelessness, vagrancy, and addiction. Businesses and residents are witnessing this humanitarian crisis everyday.
Our hands are tied.
Ward 6 will spearhead innovative, strategic policies to hold peer cities accountable. We’ll lead initiatives that utilize our expansive resources and pursue tangible solutions like improving security and lighting, funding our police and fire departments, and advocating for long-term legislative action in Sacramento.
BEAUTIFICATION
Ward 6 deserves clean streets and transparent leadership. I have a proven track record of mobilizing community stakeholders to remove graffiti, clean up trash and debris, paint electrical boxes, and improve business storefronts.
Beautification has been overlooked far too often. There are too many examples of dilapidated buildings, vacant lots, and deteriorating infrastructure around this ward.
It’s time to build communities every resident can be proud of. That means implementing common sense initiatives like increased power washing, enhancing landscape maintenance schedules, investing in road and sidewalk improvements, and organizing frequent community cleanup events.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Riverside has made tremendous economic progress in recent years under the leadership of the new City Council. After I’m elected, I’ll work with my fellow colleagues, the Chamber, and local businesses to enact a bold economic development vision for Ward 6.
With assets like Kaiser Permanente, the Galleria Mall, and the redevelopment opportunities along the Magnolia corridor, it’s time to be ambitious and unlock the full potential of our community. Small businesses need greater support and resources to grow and weather potential economic uncertainty. Residents deserve more retail and restaurant options, and our local workforce should be well-equipped for high-paying, close-to-home jobs.
As your councilmember, I’ll work to revitalize Ward 6 into a destination every Riversider can enjoy.
ENDORSEMENTS
City of Riverside Ward 1 Councilmember - Philip Falcone City of Riverside Ward 5 Councilmember - Sean Mill
City of Riverside Ward 3 Councilmember - Steven Robillard City of Riverside Ward 5 Former Councilmember - Chris MacArthur
City of Riverside Ward 6 Former Councilmember - Nancy Hart City of Riverside Ward 1 Former Councilmember - Mike Gardner City of Riverside Ward 7 Former Councilmember - Steve Adams
City of Riverside Former Mayor - Ronald Loveridge
City of Riverside Ward 4 Planning Commissioner - Judy Teunissen
City of Riverside Ward 5 Budget Engagement Commissioner - Miles Ward City of Riverside Ward 5 Parks & Recreation Commissioner - Joshua Kopp City of Riverside Community Police Review Commissioner - Natasha Ferguson
Carolyn Badger – Community Leader Elia Camarena - MAS Ladies of Arlanza Gracie Torres - Western Municipal Water District
Cindy Keyes Ross – Keyes Mane Design
Former Judge – William Bailey
Greg Lund – Crazy Tuna Party Rentals
Jack Cords – Printing Connection
Kevin Wembes – AK Securities
Michael Canahai – Affordable Homeworks & Righty Tighty Plumbing
Michael James – PayNation USA
Mike Munksgaard – Center Electric
Mike Sadeghian – Van Buren Land & Investments
Paul Akes – Akes Family Funeral Home
Paul Petrilli – Riverside Coupon Magazine
Richard Bennett – Community Leader
Rob Steinmuller – IES
Ryan Norris – Norris Jewelers
Sue Johnson - Community Leader
Tony Gonzales – LETO Financial & Insurance
Wade Harris – Nutrishop Riverside/Moreno Valley Greyson Berzansky - Cerberus Group, USA Nolan Lamberth - Cerberus Group, USA
bringing city hall to you.
Contact Us
This campaign is people-powered. Together, we can build a safe, clean, and vibrant community in Ward 6.
We want to hear from you!
contact@ozforriverside.com
(951)-836-1084
