Beaumont residents call for overhaul of city leadership

Beaumont residents are demanding transparency from city leadership following Wednesday’s FBI raid of city hall and Urban Logic Consultants, a firm that did all the city’s planning, public works and economic development since 1993.

“Someone’s got their hand in the cookie jar and they’re going to get caught,” said Barbara Brown, who is fed up with city’s politics.

“It’s a major mess, there are so many things that are interconnected,” Brown said.

She’s not the only one who’s had enough.

“We’ve been trying for years for someone to notice the dishonesty,” said Nancy Gall, who served on city council from 2008 to 2012.

“If it’s fraud, if it’s taking money whatever they need to be held responsible,” said Mary Daniel who has lived in Beaumont for more than 60 years.

For the first time since the FBI and Riverside County District Attorney’s office confiscated a U-Haul worth of hard drives and file cabinets from city hall and Urban Logic, residents got to publicly point the finger at city leaders. The council held a special city council meeting.

“You joined right in for the money,” declared Judy Bingham pointing at officials. Binham has been investigating the city’s public records for the last 10 years. “I have never been so disappointed with anyone.”

“They’re not taking care of business they should be thrown out period,” said Stan Sweeney, who moved to Beaumont six months ago.

Much of the heat at the meeting was directed on Mayor Brenda Knight, who some say ignored resident concerns about the city’s business with Urban Logic.

“You are now the face of Beaumont’s corruption and you should be ashamed of yourself,” Bingham said to Knight.

While residents demanded answers about their tax money, the city announced it’s cooperating with investigators.

“I am confident Beaumont will continue to shine into the future despite the negative light cast on us now,” Knight read from a statement during the meeting.

“She sugar coated it quite a bit,” Sweeney said. “I’m wondering where the money is going.”

“Am I furious? Yes. Are they going to get away with it? I hope not,” said Brown.