Beaumont on the Path for Real City Government Accountability

An Open Letter to All Residents

(May 4, 2015 – Beaumont, CA)

Dear Beaumont Resident,

As you might have already learned, last Wednesday, officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Riverside County District Attorney’s office swarmed into Beaumont City Hall, as they served multiple search warrants. The media reported this action with nuances such as “Apparently in relation to questionable practices in awarded contracts by City Hall.”  However, you as a reader, and as an active citizen, can easily take the quotes away.

Also, another question is Urban Logic’s role as an “entity of interest”. This is clear through the Riverside County District Attorney’s spokesman John Hall’s email confirming that this longstanding City contractor’s office was also raided as part of this investigation. We do not know what the outcome of this investigation will be and up to what extent Beaumont citizens have been wronged, yet we are clear about who is involved. As reasonable citizens, we will wait until the FBI goes through stacks of confiscated files, computer equipment, and issue its findings.

For those that want to read more about these raids please refer to the related articles: FBI, DA’s Office Serve Warrants at Beaumont City Hall, Urban Logic and Home of Beaumont City Manager Alan Kapanicas raided by the FBI. For those that already know about it, Beaumont Citizens for Responsible Growth (BCRG) cordially invites you to join us in the reflection of how this investigation came about, and what it means to the individuals that live in and love Beaumont.

For more than a decade, BCRG engaged in a journey of holding city government and its managers accountable for their actions, demanded more transparency, and due diligence in their proposed policies. For these reasons, all involved in this journey are elated that these efforts paid off.

Nevertheless, this involvement was not without challenges. However, with BCRG’s determination, its members foresaw the FBI and DA’s investigation as imminent and necessary, placing Beaumont in an inevitable financial predicament. Yet, on the other hand, we see Beaumont on the path toward city government accountability, so that the draining of its financial resources can stop soon and our community can begin to heal.

 

 

We Thank You for Your Support

BCRG thanks all our members and supporters for their hard work, commitment, and involvement. By being actively engaged, we have overcome indifference and criticisms, and in the process has preserved Beaumont’s dignity.

 

Our gratitude also extends to the individuals that helped by speaking out at council meetings, by discussing these issues with neighbors, by writing concerned letters to receptive City Council members, and to the thousands of residents that receive and share our newsletters.

 

The 500+ petitions sent to Riverside County District Attorney, Riverside County Auditor-Controller, Riverside County Supervisor, State Controller’s Office, State Representative, State Senator, U.S. Congressman Representative and Federal Bureau of Investigation, contributed greatly for the authorities to step in.

 

Furthermore, through consistent and sensible pressure, we were able to replace three unresponsive City Council members, all entrenched in destructive practices, and in close collaboration with the city manager and staff to block accountability to Beaumont residents.

 

 

The Job Is Not Done

BCRG strongly believes that the lesson learned is that the job of the real citizen is never done, and that it requires a continued commitment to engage in actions that work. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to continue working for Beaumont by engaging in the following fashion:

 

  • To continue demanding answers to the many irregularities that we have uncovered.
  • To subscribe to our newsletter by completing the form at the top left of this page.
  • To share and point your friends to this informational site beaumongate.org.
  • To speak up and be informed on new city proposals that affect you.

 

 

NEXT ACTION:

Stop more bond debt at the next City Council meeting on Tuesday May 5, 2015

BCRG is calling to action Beaumont residents to send emails to the Mayor and City Council Members demanding for them not to renew 2 bonds and not to approve a new one, as noted in the upcoming city council meeting’ agenda. View the agenda here.Why? Because of two main reasons:

 

  1. Beaumont Finance Director, William Aylward, Resigned on Friday, May 1, 2015 in the midst of a budget workshop scheduled for today Monday May 4th, leaving Council without a budget for next year and the City without accountants on staff, and;
  2. Because the soundness of Beaumont’s bond issuance has been questioned, not only by residents who follow municipal finances, but also the specialized media has issued a “Cautionary warning to Beaumont’s bond buyers” Here is the Forbes Magazine article.
We need to stop bond issuances now and until we know exactly real financial status of our city. Here is what we ask you to do:

 

1) Write and email stating that we demand not to support or vote for more bond issuances.

 

2) Send this email, and ask your friends to do the same, to the City Mayor and all City Council members at:

3) Attend the next City Council Meeting Tuesday, May 5, 2015 at 6pm, and speak up against more debt and liabilities.Thank you all for your support,BCRG
Beaumont Citizens for Responsible Growth