It’s hard to imagine the City Council of Rancho Santa Margarita sinking any lower. The town’s residents have watched in disbelief as the people entrusted to protect our interests have instead sold us out, misled us, and embroiled our community in scandals and costly failures. The council was elected to be stewards of our money, advocates for our families, and protectors of our civic values. What we’ve gotten instead is a circus of self-serving decisions, perjury allegations, fiscal irresponsibility, and a brazen disregard for transparency and accountability.
Prioritizing Fundraising Over Families
Let’s start with one of the most morally bankrupt decisions yet: the choice to invest in a rarely open museum — described by many as a glorified, dusty fundraising venue — instead of supporting a local Boys and Girls Club. This isn’t just tone-deaf; it’s a direct insult to working families in our community. After-school care is essential. The Boys and Girls Club provides an affordable, trusted space for children to learn, grow, and stay safe. But apparently, to this City Council, our kids matter less than wine-and-cheese fundraisers at a near-vacant building.
Mayor Tony Beall’s reasoning? Reports suggest he dismissed the Boys and Girls Club location because it served too many “minorities.” While census numbers and facts thoroughly disprove that claim, the racist undertone is unmistakable — and absolutely unacceptable. Is this the leadership RSM residents deserve?
Perjury: A Badge of Office?
Next, the perjury problems. Last year, former Mayor Carol Gamble was charged with perjury. Now, our current Mayor Tony Beall stands accused of the same disgraceful crime. What is it about the office of mayor in Rancho Santa Margarita that seems to attract — or produce — alleged liars under oath? Is it a rite of passage now? And more importantly, how do we explain to our children that those who lead us can’t even tell the truth under penalty of law?
CVRA: From Sensible Strategy to Financial Disaster
Then comes the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) debacle — a disaster that encapsulates the arrogance and incompetence of this council. At first, the council made a rare wise move after, unfortunately, first hiring an overpriced demographer (to the tune of $62,000) who suggested RSM might be vulnerable to racially polarized voting claims. Based on that, the council agreed to take the “safe harbor” route — transitioning to district-based voting while minimizing potential legal fees.
But here’s where it all unraveled. Instead of simply paying the $38,000 maximum in safe harbor fees, the Council chose to abandon that protection and hire a Northern California law firm known for never having won a CVRA case. That’s right — zero wins. They threw away the fiscal safety net, racked up what now appears to be more than half a million dollars in legal costs, and exposed the City to further litigation risk. Why? Hubris? Incompetence? Or something more nefarious?
And the cherry on top? They won’t even disclose how much we currently owe to their chosen law firm. So much for transparency.
Gerrymandering in Plain Sight?
As if that weren’t enough, it’s now been revealed that the final district map adopted by the City Council wasn’t the one created by the hired demographer — the expert they paid with taxpayer dollars. No, it was a late-stage map submitted by a so-called “citizen committee,” which turned out to be a smokescreen for a political maneuver orchestrated by Mayor Beall himself. He allegedly handed the map to one of his long-time supporters to submit, effectively hijacking the democratic process.
This stunt not only undermines the legitimacy of district elections but sets the City up for potential violations under the Fair Maps Act, an exposure the Council clearly anticipated by padding the City Attorney’s budget. Instead of defending residents’ interests, they’re bracing for the fallout of their own misdeeds.
Conclusion: Enough is Enough
The pattern is clear: this Council lies, misleads, and manipulates. They serve their own political interests while ignoring the needs and voices of the community. From racist undercurrents to perjury charges, from financial recklessness to backroom gerrymandering, the Rancho Santa Margarita City Council has betrayed the public trust at every turn.
We deserve better. Our children deserve better. Our city deserves leaders who work for the public — not for themselves.
It’s time to stop asking whether they can sink any lower. It’s time to demand resignations, audits, investigations, and — most importantly — accountability.
Because enough is enough.
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