The Riverside City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the appointment of Lori K. M. Cox as the City of Riverside’s Inspector General.
She will provide independent oversight of the city’s audit and investigative functions, leading performance, financial, contract, and compliance audits along with investigations of fraud, waste, abuse and policy violations, officials said. The position also manages whistleblower programs, prepares and presents audit findings while also working with city departments to strengthen accountability and improve operations.
Cox has been the chief internal auditor for Dallas College in Dallas, Texas, for the last six years. Her professional experience also includes administrative work for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, an auditor for the city of Tempe, Arizona, and director of internal audit for Pima Community College.
She has a master’s degree in business administration from Grand Canyon University and a bachelor of science in business administration from the University of Arizona, along with professional certifications in Risk management assurance, ethics and compliance, government audits and a certified internal auditor credential.
In November 2024, Riverside residents approved Measure L with 65% in favor of amending the charter to establish the inspector general as a new officer position.
“Riversiders asked for an inspector general, and now we have one,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said in a statement. “Our responsibility is not only to serve the city well, but to do so in a way that earns our community’s trust. The Inspector General will help us uphold that trust.”
Mayor Pro Tem Clarissa Cervantes and Councilman Steven Robillard served on the City Council working group that led the recruitment and hiring process for the IG
“Establishing an independent Inspector General is a major step for Riverside. Riverside is setting itself apart as a Big City in California by establishing this office,” Cervantes said in a statement. “With her deep experience in government auditing, Ms. Cox will help ensure our city government and processes remain ethical, transparent, and responsive to community expectations.”
Robillard added, “The creation of an independent Inspector General represents an important change in how Riverside approaches accountability and oversight. The voters entrusted us with establishing this office, and our responsibility was to select someone with the experience and independence to build it the right way. I am confident Ms. Cox will bring the professionalism, integrity, and independence necessary to make the Inspector General’s Office a lasting and effective part of Riverside city government.”
The Council‑approved contract sets the Inspector General’s annual salary at $219,000, and Cox will start her new job on Oct. 19, officials said. The Office of Inspector General will open with a budget of $712,000.
For more about the Office of Inspector General, go to RiversideCA.gov/InspectorGeneral.
