Stone Mountain mayor defends sole control of city bank account amid probe

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. - Stone Mountain Mayor Beverly Jones is defending her actions following a city council investigation into her handling of municipal finances.

PREVIOUS: Stone Mountain mayor faces probe over alleged unauthorized control of city bank accounts

What we know:

During a news conference Tuesday, Jones insisted she acted in the best interest of the city when she became the sole signatory on the city's bank account. She said she was asked to visit Truist Bank in March to address concerns about former city employees who still had access to the city’s bank cards. According to Jones, she was also informed about a potential cyber issue affecting the account.

The mayor stated her goal was to remove four former employees from the city’s account. She acknowledged that two current employees were also removed but said that was not her decision. Jones said she consulted with the city attorney before taking any action.

What they're saying:

"What kind of mayor would I be if I stood by and let someone go in the bank and write a check on us?" Jones said. "I took no documentation. Some people are saying that I purposely took council members off the account. That's an untruth. I did no such thing."

"My purpose and my sole purpose going there was to take them off the signature card. No one else. Nothing else. It came up later that two employees were taken off — that wasn’t my intent," Jones said during the news conference.

Those two current employees have since been reinstated.

When asked to name the Truist Bank official who allegedly requested her intervention, Jones declined to answer, citing potential litigation.

FOX 5 Atlanta also spoke to Stone Mountain residents about what they thought about the situation.

"The investigation should clear up the logistics and the facts, so I'm eager to see what the results of that are," resident Sean Minton said.

"Where is the proof, where is the evidence that the things are as they are being claimed they are. I don't believe there was any malicious intent involved, but I would really like to know the truth," resident Shani Linder said. 

The other side:

Tensions flared at Stone Mountain’s City Council meeting Tuesday night as Mayor Beverly Jones faced sharp criticism over her decision to assume control of the city’s bank accounts.

Council members have since been restored as authorized signers, but many residents remain skeptical.

"There’s too many crooks running this town," one citizen said during public comment. "If people are doing bad things with our city finances, the public needs to know about it."

The city is also considering a 1.3 percent millage rate increase. That proposal prompted pushback from several attendees who called for greater financial accountability before any tax hikes.

"If it goes up even one penny this year, that’s too much," a resident said. "We need to get more efficient with the way we spend our money."

Another speaker pointed to past financial irregularities, claiming, "They were written properly, that stand out and has failed audits. And there’s been a lot of missing money."

Calls for a forensic audit grew louder throughout the meeting, with residents demanding answers and oversight.

"We would like to know where our money’s going. Before you ask for a penny more," one speaker told the council.

What we don't know:

The council did not vote on the mayor’s actions during the meeting on Tuesday night but did move to tighten its rules regarding meeting decorum.

Mayor Jones did not take questions at her earlier press conference, citing a pending lawsuit related to the issue.

What's next:

The Stone Mountain City Council announced in May that it wanted to launch a formal investigation into the matter. The mayor reiterated that her actions were meant to protect the city's finances and its residents.

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