Mayer Sees Things Looking Up in Rialto...(San Bernardino Sun 051206) City of 99,000 Stands Poised on the cusp of Six Figure Population Status..

The city is looking up alright. There is a lot of development that is going on, What the city needs is a good Chief of Police that has a Backbone to have the guts to say, "NO" to the City administrator, the city Council if need be, and not be afraid to loose his job because of it. They need a man with experience that will fight for his Department so that they will bring in the 3% @50 Retirement Plan for the Police Officers, since Rialto is one of the last Department's in all of California to not offer the 3% @50 Retirement. So City Council it's up to you to Find a great Chief, that will get things done!!

BSR

Mayor sees things looking up in Rialto Robert Rogers, Staff Writer

RIALTO - This city of 99,000 stands poised on the cusp of six-figure population status and an unprecedented stretch of economic growth. Lofty economic development statistics and a slick video presentation bolstered Mayor Grace Vargas' State of the City address Thursday. The $40-per-plate luncheon Thursday drew about 100 guests, including city leaders and employees, business owners and citizens, to the posh El Rancho Royal Vista Country Club. "What tremendous change," Vargas told the crowd. "Because of the business and the redevelopment, (we can) imagine Rialto residents not having to go far for good employment." Vargas then deferred to a 10-minute video, a tightly produced recitation of development projects that featured statistical displays and aerial views pinpointing sectors marked for development. Among the projects touted were: A completed ProLogis Corp. warehouse near the Rialto airport. A 3.6 million-square-foot, 1,300-job Target distribution center set to open next month. The 6,500-home Lytle Creek housing project. The 1,200-acre Renaissance Rialto project, which will feature industrial, commercial and residential development on and around what is now the Rialto airport. The video also featured interim Police Chief Frank Scialdone and Fire Chief Steve Wells . Scialdone pledged the Police Department would maintain an emphasis on community-oriented policing to complement Rialto's economic growth. Wells praised the voter-approved utility tax for helping his department provide ambulance services and upgrade equipment. The video was sponsored by some of the developers overseeing local projects, including Lewis Corp., Hillwood Investment Properties and Lytle Development Corp. After the video, Vargas told the crowd that completion of the Rialto stretch of the Interstate 210 extension in 2007 would mean more growth. Vargas briefly mentioned the "bright" condition of city finances. The budget is balanced at $44.8 million, while the reserve fund has grown to $19.5 million since 2000. After the presentation, Housing Specialist John Dutrey said the best is yet to come for the city. He likened Rialto to a region to the southwest that went from being known for its citrus groves to becoming one of California's glitziest locales. "Rialto is part of a larger trend. This region is in a position similar to Orange County 30 years ago."