Resident vows to publish records alleging downtown contracting favoritism; city says it welcomes review

At the public-comment portion of the May 20 Corona City Council meeting, resident Rory Connell accused city staff of favoritism in downtown contracting and said he would publish emails and public records in a Google Drive link so the public could form its opinion.

Connell said an on-call pool and subsequent selections suggested a preselected firm had been positioned to receive work. "There's a lot of favoritism going on," he said, adding he did not know whether the conduct was illegal but called it unethical.

Mayor and other council members responded publicly by inviting Connell to submit the documents for review. A council member said the city had no interest in operating in secrecy and urged Connell to share the information, promising staff would address the concerns and answer questions.

City staff and the mayor emphasized they welcome transparency and said they will review any published material. No formal investigation or council directive was announced at the meeting; Connell said he would publish the documents to the public record and encouraged the 'court of public opinion' to assess them.