New Auditor Controller Ben Benoit Sworn In, Pledging 'Responsibility'

WILDOMAR, CA — Riverside County's new auditor-controller, Ben Benoit, said Tuesday he will ensure the county's fiscal business is conducted in a "responsible way" and that every expenditure is vetted with the utmost scrutiny.

"We need to take care of all the communities, even the voices not here today," Benoit said. "We need to do it in a fiscally responsible way. I'll make sure we're doing it in a responsible way."

The former Wildomar mayor was sworn in near the dais of the board chamber, laying his hand on the family Bible held by his mother, Sheryl, who also administered his oath of office.

He was applauded afterward and embraced his mother, who teared up, telling her, "I love you, Mom."

Board of Supervisors Chairman Kevin Jeffries noted that Benoit's father, John J. Benoit, for whom the Indio jail is named, had served as a county supervisor from 2009 to 2016, when he lost a battle with pancreatic cancer.

"If we're not taking care of the dollars we have, things will go bad," Benoit said. "We need to know how much money we have and can spend, and that we're spending it correctly."

The 42-year-old auditor-controller challenged three-term incumbent Paul Angulo, beating him by a nearly nine-point margin in the Nov. 8 general election.

The race -- the first in which Angulo faced a challenger -- was bitterly fought, with the incumbent questioning Benoit's work ethic and capabilities.

Angulo stressed that Benoit was not a certified public accountant and might end up beholden to the special interests who supported his campaign, including labor unions.

Benoit ran on a campaign of integrity and dedication to protecting public dollars.

"I've balanced budgets, improved government efficiency and increased transparency and accountability in local government," he said on the campaign trail.

He served more than a decade on the Wildomar City Council and worked in a public relations capacity in the private sector.

During the campaign, he cited a county grand jury report from May as one of the vulnerabilities of the incumbent. The report indicated that the Office of the Auditor-Controller could benefit from additional oversight, including relying on a committee composed of individuals appointed by the board, Executive Office and private sector -- in other words, a watchdog keeping an eye on the watchdog.