The Theme is ‘We’re going to account for Your Money – Next Time’. But in Beaumont ‘Tomorrow’ Never Happens. It’s always the Same.
The City of Beaumont is attempting to enact a Sewer Fee Increase to increase Sewer Capacity for the thousands of houses ‘Council Approved’ since the Raids in April, 2015 and to ‘go it alone’ with their own Brine Line.
The main theme at the last January 22nd Sewer Workshop from the Citizens was ‘where’s the Sewer money you’ve already received?’
The main theme from the City was ‘we’re going to keep track of your money – next time’.
The January Workshop was attend by City Attorney John Pinkney, NBS, and Web and Associates paid by the hour. Also in attendance was City Manager Todd Parton, several other Staff Members, and of course the Police in case the old people riot. There is also a basic cost of utilities associated with holding meetings.
To test the City’s theory that they are properly accounting for the Taxpayers’ money ‘now’; I submitted a Public Records’ Request for the hard and soft costs associated with the Sewer Workshop.
The reply to the Public Records Request was “There is no document on file in response to your request.”
How much did City Attorney Pinkney charge to attend the Meeting?
The answer is; whatever Pinkney wants to charge – money is no object when it’s the Taxpayers’ money.
How much did Albert Webb & Associates charge for Brian Knoll to talk really slowwwwww and distort his own documents?
Nobody knows, but on January 24th, just two days after the Workshop, the City of Beaumont issued Check number 97380 to Albert Webb & Associates for $545,542.39.
Cost Accounting is not a new or difficult procedure. Even if the City isn’t keeping track of the Taxpayers’ money; they could have ‘faked it’ for one two-hour meeting.
But the answer to the question: ‘is the City of Beaumont properly accounting for the Citizens’ money RIGHT NOW? The answer is ‘no’.
And the money the City is collected right now from the Sewer Fee Increase?
As City Manager Parton so eloquently put it at the Sewer Workshop when asked about the money being collected right now for Sewer Infrastructure: “We spent it on other things.”