"Growth is inevitable, but how we grow is up to us."
Jim Mercado for Beaumont City Council
Beaumont is at a crossroads.
We're one of the fastest-growing cities in California. That's not a bad thing, but it means the decisions being made right now, at City Hall, will shape this community for the next thirty years.
Jim Mercado is running for Beaumont City Council because those decisions should belong to the people who live here, not to developers.
Jim believes in Smart Growth: growth that asks hard questions, puts residents first, and makes life better for the families already here.
Beaumont's slogan is A City Elevated. Jim is running to make that real.
Why I'm running
I'm running because Beaumont needs steady, thoughtful leadership that puts the people who already live here first. Whether your family has been here for generations or you moved in when these neighborhoods were brand new, you chose Beaumont. You built community here. You know your neighbors. You deserve a city government that puts you at the center of every decision.
My life has been about listening faithfully to the people around me, and I am committed to engaging with this community before, during, and after every decision that affects them. That is what I will bring to the council.
Smart Growth asks: does this make life better for the people already here?
Growth is coming to Beaumont. The real question is who gets to shape it. Smart Growth doesn’t mean stopping growth. It means residents have a voice in what gets built, public money comes with real community benefits, including fair labor standards for the workers who build this city, and no major project gets approved without a real public conversation.
More about Smart Growth →The greatest asset any community has is its people.
That means everyone. People who agree with us and people who don't. People who make it to Tuesday night council meetings and people who can't. Jim's life and work have been about listening faithfully to the people around him. That's how he'll serve on the city council.
More about community →Beaumont has an amazing downtown plan. What we don't have is a downtown.
In September 2024 the city completed a downtown revitalization plan. It’s now May 2026, and residents still haven’t seen many of the changes the plan envisioned. A functioning downtown isn’t just a nice place to be: it’s how Beaumont builds a tax base that doesn’t depend on approving the next subdivision. Jim’s priority is turning that plan into reality with monthly events, support for local businesses, and public spaces where the people of Beaumont feel completely at home.
More about downtown →The Hidden Tax
That CFD on your tax bill is a Mello-Roos.
Most Beaumont homeowners see a line on their property tax bill that says "CFD" — Community Facilities District — and move on without thinking much about it. That charge is what's commonly known as "Mello-Roos," and it can add over $1,400 a year to the cost of owning your home for the next 25 to 40 years.
Mello-Roos is how developers finance subdivision infrastructure — roads, water lines, sewers — and then pass the entire repayment obligation to whoever buys the homes. In Beaumont, this financing tool has a troubled history: in 2016, seven former city officials were charged with embezzling nearly $43 million in public funds through this exact financing structure, and people are still paying those bills today. In March 2026, the council finalized three new Mello-Roos taxes with no plain-language explanation for the families who will pay them.
This isn't abstract. A young family buying their first home in Beaumont may not realize they're signing up for $1,400 a year on top of their mortgage, for the next 25 to 40 years. A senior on a fixed income sees it on every property tax bill and has never had anyone explain where it goes. A renter often pays it indirectly through higher rent without knowing it exists. Beaumont is one of the more affordable communities left in Southern California. These decisions affect whether it stays that way.
Read About Beaumont's Mello-Roos ProblemMeet Jim
Jim Mercado is a Beaumont resident and community leader whose life has been shaped by a deep commitment to caring for others, listening, and bringing people together.
Before coming to Beaumont, Jim spent nearly four decades in Los Angeles, where his work reflected that commitment in many forms, from ministry and community leadership to mentoring others in their journeys. After moving to Beaumont, he became deeply involved in local community life, taking on leadership roles and helping bring people together around a shared commitment to the future of the San Gorgonio Pass.
Jim and his husband, Dan, have been together for over 25 years and are proud to call Beaumont home.