Growth, traffic and public safety shape Nov. 3 race
Beaumont, Calif. (Cherry Valley Online) —Three Beaumont City Council seats are up for grabs in the city’s at-large council race on November 3, 2026, pitting three incumbents against three challengers in one of the fastest-growing San Gorgonio Pass area communities.
The full official list of candidates includes Lloyd White, Jessica Voigt, Joseph Mathews, James “Jim” Mercado, Mike Lara, and Carlos Cueva. White, Voigt, and Lara are incumbents. Beaumont’s five council members are elected at large, which means they represent the whole city rather than districts, in four-year terms.
With Beaumont growing both in population and new businesses as well as major capital improvements projects being planned or underway, the upcoming election will determine who helps steer transportation, public safety, development, downtown revitalization and infrastructure projects for the next four years. As of July 1, 2025, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates Beaumont’s population at 60,835, an increase of 14.7% from 2020’s April base of 53,036.
Lloyd White – Incumbent
White currently holds the office of mayor pro tem and first joined Beaumont City Council in November 2014. His current term expires in 2026. White’s city biography highlights his background in business and transportation in the region, whereas his 2026 candidate statement stresses fiscal responsibility, traffic, public safety, infrastructure, and economic development.
According to White’s statement, Beaumont recovered from previous financial struggles, lowered some Community Facilities District assessments, improved streets, opened Fire Station 106, invested in recycled water, and started major transportation projects. These are the claims made in his campaign material; however, most of the projects and achievements mentioned can be confirmed by city records independently, not necessarily every number or statement provided.
Contact: lwhite@beaumontca.gov or 951-692-0832.
Jessica Voigt – Incumbent
Voigt was first elected to the City Council in November 2022 and is currently the mayor of Beaumont in 2026. Voigt’s city biography notes that she has been living in Beaumont since 2003. Voigt is a registered nurse and nursing administrator and holds a master’s degree in nursing leadership and management.
In her statement, Voigt highlights public safety, support for local businesses and employment, transportation and infrastructure, fiscal responsibility, and quality of life. Voigt’s campaign materials also mention new fire station built, plans for the construction of a new police station, parks and recreation improvements, street repairs and improvements, and economic development during her first term in office.
Contact: jvoigt@beaumontca.gov or 951-692-1209.
Joseph Mathews – Challenger
Mathews does not hold any council position now. According to his filed candidate statement, he is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and serves as a Riverside County Youth Commission coordinator, gaining experience in conducting local economic development activities. Beaumont city records show that he was appointed to Economic Development Committee of the city in December 2024 with a term expiring in December 2026.
In his campaign material, Mathews emphasizes the necessity to create quality local employment, conduct responsible development, improve public safety, ensure governmental transparency, and maintain fiscal stability. According to the publicly filed ballot designation form, Mathews has work experience with youth programs. Mathews’ nomination document posted by the city council redacts his personal contact information.
For direct campaign contact: no public contact information available for this candidate.
James “Jim” Mercado – Challenger
Mercado is not currently serving as a council member. According to his campaign materials, he moved to Beaumont almost 8 years ago, having lived in Los Angeles for almost 40 years prior, where his background includes ministry, mentoring and community leadership. Mercado’s filed ballot designation form lists his occupation as retired retail salesperson.
According to Mercado, his campaign goals are smart growth, which includes coordination of development with roads, water and other infrastructure, involvement of locals in decision-making earlier in planning processes, revitalization of downtown, and increase of benefits associated with new development. His campaign site also addresses downtown parking, public events and support for local businesses.
Campaign contact: available at the Jim Mercado for Beaumont City Council website.
Mike Lara – Incumbent
Lara is a lifelong resident of Beaumont and was first elected to the City Council in November 2014 and reelected in 2018 and 2022. He also served as the mayor of Beaumont multiple times. Prior to retirement in 2019, Lara worked for Riverside County for 35 years, from architectural draftsman to building official. Lara also served as a board member of Beaumont-Cherry Valley Recreation and Park District prior to running for City Council.
In his 2026 candidate statement, Lara highlights public safety, traffic, infrastructure, first responders, fiscal responsibility, and management of growth. His campaign material cites police staffing, street rehabilitation and Fire Station 106 as his achievements on the council. These can be compared against the independent city records on staffing, capital projects and public safety issues.
Contact: mlara@beaumontca.gov or 951-692-1008.
Carlos Cueva – Challenger
Cueva is not currently serving as a council member but serves as a member of Beaumont Planning Commission. City records show that Cueva was appointed to the commission in December 2024, and his term expires in December 2028. Planning Commission analyzes land use proposals and recommends changes in the General Plan, zoning, development applications and related planning projects.
According to Cueva, he has lived, worked and raised his family in Beaumont for over 15 years, providing him with professional experience in commercial and residential development and bond financing. According to his statement, Cueva’s priorities include emergency services, roads, parks, utilities, local businesses and jobs. His ballot designation worksheet describes him as a director in design development.
Contact: ccueva@beaumontca.gov.
Beaumont record during the 2022-2026 council term
The current term of council has seen significant capital expenditures.
Fire Station 106 was completed in June 2024 following the start of construction in 2022. According to city financial records, the locally-funded project cost around $8 million and occupies 10,760 square feet, with capacity of 12 paramedic and fire response positions. Beaumont contracts with Riverside County Fire Department/Cal Fire for its fire and emergency services since 1978.
Transportation has been one of the top priorities of Beaumont during the term. According to the city, Pennsylvania Avenue widening, traffic signals improvements at First Street and Beaumont Avenue, accessibility ramps at City Hall, and Phase I of downtown sidewalk improvements are among the completed projects. Current projects include street rehabilitation throughout the city, Second Street Extension, Pennsylvania and Potrero interchanges improvement, Highland Springs improvement, traffic signal upgrade, Oak Valley Parkway interchange, and initial stages of future police station construction.
In June 2026, Beaumont announced $2 million in federal funding for Pennsylvania Avenue Grade Separation project that will cost Beaumont approximately $140 million to replace the at-grade railroad crossing south of Interstate 10 with grade-separated underpass preserving four traffic lanes and adding sidewalks and signals. According to the city, the project is expected to be eligible for listing by June 2027.
Previously, in 2025, California Transportation Commission approved the Pennsylvania project for possible funding in the amount of approximately $50.4 million, taking another step towards the construction of one of the largest transportation projects in Beaumont.
Downtown investments have increased as well. In August 2026, city reported more than $250,000 in funding committed for its Downtown Business Attraction and Expansion Forgivable Loan and Commercial Façade Improvement Programs. Over $210,000 was awarded in 2026 to four businesses and improvements of two commercial buildings, representing around 84% of funds committed to these two programs.
Public safety has received increased investment in staffing and equipment. Beaumont’s FY 2024-25 report notes four new staff members – one police officer, one lieutenant, and two dispatchers. Traffic Enforcement Team was enlarged from three to five motorcycle officers, two officer Commercial Enforcement Unit was created, and a new computer-aided dispatch and records management system was adopted. The city is envisioning future police station.
City awards, public safety, and infrastructure statistics
Beaumont has been receiving repeated awards for its financial reporting and budgeting. Government Finance Officers Association gave Distinguished Budget Presentation Award to Beaumont for fiscal years 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25. The city also received GFOA acknowledgment for financial and popular annual reporting, as well as the operating budgets of 2022-23 and 2023-24 were acknowledged by California Society of Municipal Finance Officers.
In October 2025, Beaumont announced its receipt of GFOA Triple Crown Award for the second consecutive year, which means that the city received three different major GFOA awards for budgeting and financial reporting.
For FY 2024-25, city records show 83,868 police response calls, 6 minute, 9 second response time for priority-one patrol calls, and 130 cases solved. According to fire services data, there were 6,365 fire-protection calls and 4,429 medical responses. Animal Control handled 2,428 service calls.
Public Works recorded maintenance of 238 streetlights, 32 completed projects, and 316,800 linear feet of asphalt crack sealing for the same period. Beaumont manages 18 parks and playgrounds, occupying 235 acres. During the same period, wastewater operations processed about 1.44 billion gallons and produced around 1.24 billion gallons of recycled water.
Beaumont by the numbers
Beaumont occupies about 30.32 square miles. It is located in the San Gorgonio Pass, with Cherry Valley to the north, Banning to the east, San Jacinto to the south and Calimesa and other unincorporated Riverside County to the west. Main transportation arteries include Interstate 10, State Route 60, and State Route 79.
According to the 2025 Census Bureau population estimate, Beaumont has 60,835 inhabitants, compared to 53,036 in 2020 and 36,877 in 2010. According to Census data, 2020-24 labor force participation rate among residents aged 16 and older was 62.2%, median household income – $107,118, and average commute – 35.7 minutes.
Popular Annual Financial Report of Beaumont for 2025 cites some of the largest employers. Principal employer list includes about 5,800 Amazon employees, 1,382 Beaumont Unified School District employees, 630 CJ Foods employees, and 550 Walmart employees.
Beaumont is a general law city, using a council-manager form of government. Christopher Boatman was appointed city manager in May 2026, overseeing daily operations of the city and implementation of council policies. Jessica Voigt is the mayor of Beaumont, Lloyd White – mayor pro tem, and the current council consists of Julio Martinez III, David Fenn, and Mike Lara. Police chief Christopher Ramos was appointed in July 2025, after long career with the Beaumont Police Department. Fire and EMS protection in Beaumont are provided through its contract with Riverside County Fire Department/Cal Fire.
From railroad stop to a fast-growing city
Before Beaumont became an incorporated city, San Gorgonio Pass belonged to traditional territory of the Cahuilla nation. In the 19th century, the pass became increasingly important as a transportation route. With the railroad, it gained a depot and telegraph office in 1875, stores in 1884, school in 1885, several hotels by 1887, with grain cultivation being its main industry.
Major transformation followed the formation of San Gorgonio Water Company in 1907, which built a reservoir and laid down about 40 miles of pipes. Expanded water system and irrigation allowed increasing the population of Beaumont to over 1,100 by 1910. The city was incorporated on November 18, 1912. The name Beaumont is translated from French as “beautiful mountain,” referring to its location amidst mountain ranges of Southern California.
Later, Beaumont became known for its apple orchards and small town feeling, but the geography of the city played its part as well. Today, Beaumont is intersected by Interstate 10, and State Routes 60 and 79 and Union Pacific Railroad make it an important transportation hub between Los Angeles metro area and desert communities to the east.
Such geography led to increasing importance of Beaumont as a place with accessible housing, logistics, retail and commerce. Population of Beaumont increased from less than 37,000 in 2010 to over 60,000 according to the latest Census Bureau estimate, making ongoing demands on transportation, public safety, water and wastewater systems, parks and other public infrastructure.
What are the voters deciding
On November 3, the citywide election without districts takes place with six candidates competing for three seats available on the council. Materials provided by the candidates highlight several issues repeatedly: traffic congestion, development, infrastructure capacity, public safety, municipal finances, local businesses, and pace and nature of the continued growth of Beaumont. Three incumbents have records of City Council service, while three challengers bring experience from city commissions, county programs, community organizations, business, and development work.
Election happens in the context of two interrelated records: growth and capital improvements of Beaumont in the current council term and ongoing questions of how the city that added nearly 7,800 new residents since the 2020 population base should proceed with its future development.
On Nov. 3, Beaumont voters will elect three of these candidates to help make those decisions during the next four years on the council.
