Ralph Perry Eyes Palm Desert Council Seat

Ralph Perry Sets Sights on District 5 Seat

PALM DESERT — Ralph Perry, 66, now retired, is running to represent District 5 in the November City Council election., he confirmed for Uken Report. This will mark the first time voters have will choose a District 5 representative.

On January 25, 2024, the City Council of Palm Desert passed Ordinance No. 1406, which creates five single-member council districts. The current council members will remain in office until the end of their terms.

The shift to district-based elections will start with the General Municipal Election on November 5, 2024. During this election, residents will vote for council members in Districts 1, 2, and 3. The transition will be completed with the November 2026 election, when residents of Districts 4 and 5 will elect their council members.

Vefore retiring, Perry worked as a supervisor and administrator in the corporate office of a multimillion-dollar, multistate home care agency in Orange County, where he worked with “thousands of elderly folks” and their families about care needs. “It opened my eyes to the challenges of the elderly,” he said.

Before that, he was a country club manager at two golf clubs.

“For my work in the city, my primary motive is to be beneficial, useful and productive,” Perry said in a statement. “I have attended up to 80 meetings at the city over five years of service. I enjoy volunteering for the city. It has been a great honor to serve. As a council member, I want to provide information to residents to understand where we are, where we are going, and how we are going to get there.”

As a public servant, I want to be a source of knowledge in the city, an information and referral source, with pragmatic optimism, to get things done, he said.

“I want to look forward to serving each day with positive momentum. I want to meet people, enjoy their company,  insights and concerns. I want to hear resident stories, their history and what motivates and inspires them. What are their problems?  What do they think about? What are they concerned over?  I want to team up with residents to be a friend, a familiar face in meetings either one on one or in groups. I want to attend neighborhood watch and HOA Board meetings to understand similar or unique issues and how residents can be best served. I want to give people a chance to be heard, to be acknowledged, to give hope,” he said in his statement.

Perry said he is “into” customer service. Everyone is a customer, both internally and externally,” he said.

” I want happy customers, simple as that. I want to protect citizens by providing our police and fire everything they need to perform their difficult jobs. I want meaningful social services such as attending to the homeless. I wish to foster a lifestyle of peace, of beauty, fun, sports, hobbies, teamwork, learning, curiosity, fascination, exciting venues and programs, enjoyment of parks and city offerings. I want our funds to be spent efficiently, to support an environment that maximizes ease of process and greater revenue for the business community. This is vital for steady employment numbers. I support greater tourism, giving others the chance to enjoy what we have.  I want our dedicated city staff members to continue to feel good about coming to work every day, see to their needs and feel fulfilled in their jobs. ”

Following are his goals:

• Building the new library at Civic Center Park. It is projected to open in 2028. I was present from the beginning in plans for the city to assume management of the present library from the County of Riverside.
• Building the new 23-acre Millennium Park, located at the end of Dinah Shore near Gerald Ford.
• Planning the construction of the new 26-acre Regional Park in North Palm Desert at the corner of Portola and Frank Sinatra. Hopefully that will include a community center with a satellite library location.
• Supporting the proposed new sports center in eastern Palm Desert as it comes to fruition.
• Supporting a new freeway interchange at Portola and the I-10. That has been a topic for conversation among city leaders. It is a positive idea which will relieve traffic congestion on Monterey and Cook. It will benefit all residents including the thousands of new North Palm Desert citizens.
• Using the massive, three story, previous Sears location in the Palm Desert Mall to benefit residents. I am thinking of an indoor, air-conditioned walking track for exercise. Plus, for activities such as racket ball and a low-priced membership, indoor pickleball facility during the hot summer.  I have been promoting this in conversations and email.

“So, there are big plans for Palm Desert!” he said.

To learn more about Perry and his wants, visit https://ralphperry4palmdesert.com/