Rialto Mayor Deborah Robertson told the students to challenge anyone with a negative image of their city. In turn, the teens put out the hashtag #RialtoPride and it immediately began trending among local students. The conversations started to center around why they love Rialto and a movement was begun.
(Rialto, Calif.) She is not from the generation that made Twitter-speak common, but Rialto Mayor Deborah Robertson certainly knows her way around a hashtag.
High schoolers and young voters have taken Mayor Robertson’s re-election slogan of #RialtoPride and soon it morphed it into a new nickname for the incumbent mayor — #MayorGetItDoneRobertson.
Mayor Robertson is running for her second term as mayor, and fifth term in Rialto city government. Election Day is November 8. She is also Rialto’s first Black Mayor.
Mayor Robertson chuckled about the name given to her originally by some Rialto High School students after spending the day with her during a mock city council. It shows that beyond economic development and crime statistics, Mayor Robertson – a nearly 30-year resident – has a deep-rooted pride in her city.
“I feel the negative images of cities are often portrayed in TV shows such as ‘Cops,’ “Mayor Robertson said. “Often you see a negative image, yet crime continues to decrease in Rialto. But negatives get the program ratings.”
Mayor Robertson pointed out that in the past five years, violent crime in Rialto has steadily declined and according to city-data.com, Rialto fell below the national average in 2014 and crime continues to drop. Rialto now ranks among the top half in safest communities in San Bernardino County, city-data.com also shows. The unemployment rate in Rialto has steadily dropped since 2013, according to homefact.com and the rate is now at seven percent.
Raised in a military community in San Diego, Mayor Robertson said she learned civic pride at an early age. When new kids came to her elementary school and turned their nose up, she quickly set them straight.
“I grew up in a military town and trying to assimilate into an existing group is stressful,” Mayor Robertson said. “Kids would come in and put us down. Most kids would just listen and feel bad. My friend and I were equalizers. We told them if they didn’t like it, go back to where they came from.”
It was at this mock city council day a year ago that the idea of promoting “Rialto Pride” was initiated. Mayor Robertson said students were starting to ask questions, including why some people weren’t more positive about Rialto.
“I told them, ‘If you don’t stand up for Rialto, who is going to stand up for Rialto?’ “Mayor Robertson said. “You can lead or you can be led. That’s your choice.”
She told the students to challenge anyone with a negative image of their city. In turn, the teens put out the hashtag #RialtoPride and it immediately began trending among local students. The conversations started to center around why they love Rialto and a movement was begun.
For more information about Mayor Deborah Robertson go to: http://www.DeborahRobertson.org. About Rialto Mayor Deborah Robertson
Under Mayor Robertson’s leadership, Rialto has gained regional and national recognition for innovation in the areas of public-private partnerships, business development and job creation. The City’s refinancing and restructuring of its water and wastewater operations has become a model for other communities in California, pumping millions of dollars into the local economy.
Mayor Robertson’s reason for wanting a second term is simple. “I’m not done.”
In her first term, Mayor Deborah Robertson accomplished much of what she wanted. Her focus was on keeping Rialto financially sound, moving forward on commercial and business development, generating jobs in Rialto and enhancing open space for healthy recreational usage.
(Rialto, Calif.) As Deborah Robertson moves from table to table greeting folks at Mary Stewart’s Southern Soul Food, the Mayor of Rialto looks as comfortable as if she was in her own kitchen.
In a way, she is. Mayor Robertson has called Rialto home for nearly 30 years and has served in its local government for 16 years, including three terms as a councilwoman and one as Mayor.
As she campaigns for re-election – Election Day is Nov. 8 – Mayor Robertson’s reason for wanting a second term is simple. “I’m not done.”
“I feel the role of the Mayor is a calling, not just a title,” said Mayor Robertson, who is running against current councilmember Ed Palmer. “We keep it real in Rialto. Our foundation is in a common belief of community. We’re middle class, salt of the earth people.”
In her first term, Mayor Robertson accomplished much of what she wanted. Her focus was on keeping Rialto financially sound, moving forward on commercial and business development, generating jobs in Rialto and enhancing open space for healthy recreational usage.
“The community as a whole is concerned about safety and lowering crime in the city,” said Mayor Robertson. Cutting down on crime was also a major focus in her first term as Mayor.
“I am very proud of the part the city’s police force played in response to the terrorist attack nine months ago in San Bernardino,” said Mayor Robertson. Rialto’s SWAT Team was one of the first responders in support of San Bernardino’s units.
During her time as Mayor, Rialto was also one of the first cities to have its police force wear body cameras. “As the result of a research project, the Rialto police agreed to wear the cameras for one year,” said Mayor Robertson. The results were positive and Rialto decided to keep the cameras. Robertson said it gave citizens a new perspective into law enforcement.
“It gave us empirical data, not just anecdotal,” Mayor Robertson said. “The number of complaints from citizens went down drastically. It brought about a different level of respect for the police.”
Statistically, both violent crime and property crime have gone down in each year of Robertson’s first term as Mayor.
In 2014, Rialto dropped below the national average in violent crime rate for the first time in 12 years, according to City-Data.com. Mayor Robertson is also one of four Mayors in San Bernardino County that have been very vocal about the illegal gun problem.
Under Mayor Robertson’s leadership, Rialto has gained regional and national recognition for innovation in the areas of public-private partnerships, business development and job creation. The City’s refinancing and restructuring of its water and wastewater operations has become a model for other communities in California, pumping millions of dollars into the local economy.
A leading voice on regional and national infrastructure issues, Mayor Robertson chairs the Public Health Subcommittee for SCAG’s 2016 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, is a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Water Council and Metro Economies, and member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.
She is a founding board member for the NFL/AFL Youth Life Skills Camp, has hosted the annual State of Women event in Rialto for the past seven years, and was recognized by Assembly Member Cheryl Brown as 47th District Woman of the Year.
Mayor Robertson was instrumental in developing Rialto’s Transportation Commission and coordinated a transportation summit for the region. Her wielding influence and determination have helped bring new businesses and housing to the City of Rialto.
With all that she has done Mayor Robertson still has the time for family, two children and six grandchildren, that are the joy of her life.
