The newest member of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, former Assemblyman Jose Medina, was seated Tuesday, declaring his readiness to “do the work” required to make the county a better place.
“I’m very excited to join my colleagues on the board,” Medina said following his official swearing-in at the outset of the panel’s first meeting of 2025. “I will work towards making Riverside County a more equitable and prosperous county in the state of California.”
Medina, a Democrat, narrowly defeated former state Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside, in the November general election, in which the two men vied for the First District supervisorial seat being vacated by Supervisor Kevin Jeffries, who retired at the end of December.
Medina was termed out of the state Assembly in 2022, after serving 10 years.
“I am ready to start and ready to do the work,” he said in closing during Tuesday’s board meeting. “Thank you all.”
Supervisor Manuel Perez, who was appointed board chairman for 2025 by his colleagues, with Supervisor Karen Spiegel installed as vice chair, recalled that he had met Medina while attending college in Riverside more than three decades ago.
Medina was a full-time educator at the time, and Perez was one of his pupils.
“We talked about starting a new curriculum based on history and … ethnic studies,” Perez said. “As a result of that, I was able to take that back home and (use) his ideas in the Coachella Valley when I became a teacher, as well. My experience with Jose, when it comes to the Latino community, is that he’s an exceptional guy, great individual. I appreciate him being on the board.”
During his campaign, Medina vowed to ensure the sheriff’s department is “accountable” in order to restore “trust with our community,” alluding to complaints regarding conditions in the jail system, which has led to at least one lawsuit.
He said he would also be focused on finding solutions for homelessness.
The former lawmaker appeared before the board in June to oppose double-digit percentage pay hikes ultimately approved for the sheriff, district attorney and other elected officials. He promised that, if elected, he would continue Jeffries’ tradition of declining pay raises for himself.
Jeffries was the lowest paid supervisor, despite being the most senior member of the board.