Latest news with #BeverlyJones
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Stone Mountain mayor says she wants to ‘clear up' allegations that could get her removed
Stone Mountain Mayor Beverly Jones is defending herself after the city council voted on rules that could lead to her removal at the end of an investigation into her use of city bank accounts. Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach was at a news conference the mayor held on Tuesday morning where she claimed she did nothing wrong. 'I'm here to clear up a lot of matters, because this city needs to move forward in goodness and grace," Jones said. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Last month, councilmembers discussed concerns that Jones abused her authority as mayor and launched an investigation into whether she took control of the city's bank account. They claimed that she removed names on the Downtown Development Authority's account at Truist and left just her own. She denied removing any names and said she only acted after the bank warned her of a potential cybersecurity risk. 'It came up later that two employees were taken off. It was not my doing, I don't have that intent and don't have that capability,' she said. TRENDING STORIES: Atlanta Public Schools approves new $1.3 billion budget, will cut 135 positions Atlanta Motor Speedway gets a new name Governor's office said it will start issuing special tax refund checks this week The city has since taken back control of all financial accounts and removed her access to them. Councilmembers says they will not vote on whether to remove Jones as mayor until the independent investigation is complete. Jones claimed that bank officials asked her to remove four names of people who no longer work with the city. Gehlbach asked her who those people are, but she declined to comment, saying she had their identities but did not want to share out of fear of litigation. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stone Mountain mayor faces probe over alleged unauthorized control of city bank accounts
The Brief The Stone Mountain City Council is investigating Mayor Beverly Jones for allegedly gaining sole control over city bank accounts without authorization, raising concerns about her exceeding authority. Mayor Jones reportedly filed a "Resolution for Deposit Account" with Truist Bank, naming herself as the sole authorized representative, which conflicts with city charter requirements for co-signing checks. The council has hired attorney Chris Balch as an independent investigator to examine the situation, aiming to define the mayor's financial authority and protect city funds. STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. - The Stone Mountain City Council voted Monday night to launch an independent investigation into Mayor Beverly Jones after she made herself the sole signatory on the city's bank accounts without notifying council members or staff. It is a move that temporarily disrupted city bill payments and drew sharp criticism. The 4-2 vote by the city council authorizes an independent review of the mayor's actions. Jones said she will cooperate with the investigation What we know During a special called meeting Monday evening, the council entered executive session before voting on a resolution to authorize the hiring of an outside investigator. The move comes amid growing concerns that Jones exceeded her authority by interacting directly with Truist Bank and submitting documentation that removed other city officials as authorized signers on multiple accounts. The backstory According to a draft of the resolution presented Monday, Mayor Jones allegedly filed a "Resolution for Deposit Account" with Truist Bank on April 2, naming herself as the sole authorized representative on all city accounts. City Manager Shawn Edmondson raised concerns in a May 7 email to council members, which included documents from the bank that appeared inconsistent with the city's governing rules. Under the city charter, the mayor is required to co-sign checks with another official designated by the council and is not permitted to unilaterally change account authorizations. The accounts affected reportedly include those related to the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), stormwater utility, payroll, and funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. What they're saying The resolution approved by council directs the city attorney to retain attorney Chris Balch as an independent investigator to examine the interactions between Mayor Jones and Truist Bank. The resolution also reaffirms that the management of the city's financial accounts falls under the jurisdiction of the city manager. "The City of Stone Mountain is aware of concerns raised about signatory authority on specific financial accounts," City Manager Edmondson said in a statement. "City leadership is actively collaborating with legal counsel, the financial institution, and oversight bodies to ensure financial protocols are followed." Edmondson confirmed the issue came to light when he attempted a wire transfer and was informed that only Jones had authority on the account. The bank reportedly relied on documentation submitted solely by the mayor, not a formal city resolution. Carl Wright, Chair Downtown Development Authority of the City of Stone Mountain, also released a statement which reads: "This is unfortunate. This Board should not be here tonight to deal with this. Our Executive Director should not be here tonight to deal with this. We definitely should not be paying our DDA Attorney to deal with this. And, most importantly, you, our residents and businesses, should not have to deal with this. We should be here to celebrate and encourage existing and new businesses. We should be here to approve new Enhancement and Mural Grants to improve our business district. We should be here to continue our work and commitment to lowering homeowners' taxes by encouraging redevelopment and economic development of our downtown commercial district for the betterment of our community. But, we are not. "We are here on an emergency basis to respond to and address ethical, legal, and financial improprieties by the Mayor. The DDA is a statutorily created entity under the Downtown Development Authorities Act. We are independent from and separate from the City and the control of the Mayor. We are not a committee of the City like the Planning Commission or the Historic Preservation Commission. We are independent. Our money - tax dollars from our residents and businesses - should be outside of the control of the Mayor and solely used to advance economic redevelopment, support of businesses, and encourage job growth in our City. "We have recently learned that for more than a month the Mayor and possibly others acting with her defrauded Truist Bank with fraudulent resolutions resulting in the Mayor alone being the sole signatory on all DDA accounts. This was done without the knowledge of or notice to this Board, our Executive Director, or our attorney. This was done in a blatant violation of the City Charter, the enabling legislation of this DDA, the MOU between this DDA and the City, and Georgia law. "The DDA approved tonight reaffirmation of a resolution establishing the true authorized representatives and signatories for our accounts. I am not a signatory. No single person - Board member or Staff - can sign and spend your money. Instead, two signatories are required. Our Treasurer or Vice Chair and our Executive Director or in her absence the City Manager. Tonight, we reaffirm our commitment to our work and to being good stewards of your tax dollars. We have voted tonight on a reinstated resolution establishing the signatories on our accounts and removing the Mayor from our accounts that she fraudulently attempted to hijack. "We are lucky in that this fraud was discovered before DDA funds were stolen as best we know. However, let me and this Board be clear - this is not acceptable. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, three, what are at four, times, shame on me. This Board tonight authorized our attorney to independently investigate what happened here, who was involved, and how it occurred in order to hold the culpable parties accountable and to report the results of his investigation to this Board in a public community meeting. We have also instructed our attorney to set up a separate matter so that this Board can seek the costs for his investigation from the appropriate parties that caused this breach of public trust. Our attorney and the City Attorney both sent demand letters to Truist Bank on Friday to undo these wrongs and to protect the financial assets of the City and the DDA. The Board and I are hopeful that the Council and the City will similarly act to fully investigate and hold accountable all of the involved parties. If the Council and City do not - this Board calls upon the DeKalb CEO, District Attorney, Attorney General, and Governor to intercede." Dig deeper Adding to the controversy, Eileen Smith, wife of Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Smith and a former mayoral candidate, filed a police report accusing Jones of bank fraud. The report alleges Jones improperly removed signers and misused a city credit card, and that an unemployment claim was filed listing the city as her employer. The other side In a contentious city council meeting, Jones defended her actions, saying the changes were intended to protect the city from potential fraud. "There was intention to change an account. That was not the premise of it. It was just to make sure that the city was covered and the only signature on the account, I was the one they asked to come," Jones said. Mayor Jones has dismissed the accusations as a "witch hunt" and has not issued further comment. As of May 9, she reportedly still retained access to the city's accounts. Truist Bank has declined to comment. During the meeting, Jones maintained that she did not request the removal of other signers and claimed Truist Bank made that decision independently. In a statement, Truist said only that it is "working on resolving this situation with the city." Jones said she will cooperate with the investigation. What's next Despite a lot of back and forth during the meeting, council members passed the resolutions. The council's resolution also calls for clearly defining the scope of the mayor's financial authority moving forward and imposing safeguards to protect city and DDA funds. The outcome of the independent probe will determine what disciplinary or legal actions, if any, are pursued. The newly appointed city attorney is expected to present proposals for conducting the inquiry at the council's next meeting. The Source FOX 5's Eric Mock attended the Stone Mountain City Council meeting and spoke with people who were impacted by it.
