Jim Beck used his public-comment time at the Pinetop-Lakeside Town Council meeting to make a series of allegations about the town's past financial practices.

Beck said the town moved from a $2 million surplus to a $1.7 million shortfall in the prior year and alleged that former town manager Johnson and an official identified as Rodolf withdrew budgeted funds into petty cash and cashed checks written in a manager's name. He claimed cash payments to some employees over a three-year period totaling roughly $48,600 (itemized as approximately $15,000 the first year and $16,800 the next two years) and listed several credit-card charges he called inappropriate, including a $3,000 subscription, purchases totaling $30,000 and $32,000 for a semi truck and a new engine, $4,000 for backpacks, and other items he described as personal expenses.

"Who exactly is guarding the henhouse here?" Beck asked, and said some purchases appeared to violate the Arizona State procurement code. He also said no charges were filed and that departed staff were paid for unused vacation and sick time.

Mayor (unnamed) and council did not take action on the claims during the meeting. Later agenda items addressed specific procurement discrepancies and an unauthorized purchase (see related coverage of the Top of the Woods expenditure), and staff said they are tightening purchase-tracking procedures to avoid future errors.

Because Beck's statements were presented as allegations by a member of the public, the council and staff have not substantiated them during this meeting. No formal investigation result was announced at the session; staff later emphasized they are improving tracking and purchase-policy compliance as part of ongoing internal controls work.