STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — The Stone Mountain City Council voted to remove Mayor Dr. Beverly Jones from office.
The decision happened Aug. 19, as council members discussed their investigation of allegations the mayor had misused the city’s bank account.
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In a statement shared with Channel 2 Action News, Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Smith confirmed the vote had passed 4-2.
“No one on council is happy about this decision. The two that voted against the motion mayor are very negative to the four which voted for her to be removed,” Smith said. “One of the two is using the race card and calling us negative names on social media. This is not about race, it’s about following our city charter and her oath of office.”
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On Aug. 23, Council Member Gil Freeman posted online asking if several of his fellow council members had used taxpayer dollars ”to run a political smear campaign."
Freeman and fellow council member Shawnette Bryant voted against Jones’ removal from office.
The post also asked for transcripts of interviews from the investigation.
The council also approved a subpoena draft for banking records.
Despite efforts by Channel 2 Action News, Jones could not be reached for comment after the vote. Channel 2 also reached out to Truist Bank for comment regarding the investigative documents.
The city council first discussed investigating the claims in May.
Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln reported on a council meeting where city officials said a bank alert notified them Jones had made changes to the city’s Downtown Development Authority account at Truist Bank.
Council members told Lincoln that during a May board meeting, the city manager said the mayor had showed a Truist Bank employee a city resolution that removed everyone but herself as a signer for the account.
At the time, Smith told Lincoln the council had not approved the resolution and did not know who wrote it.
On May 13, the city council voted to investigate the financial allegations involving Jones.
“There was no intention to change an account. My intention was to make sure the city was covered,” Jones explained at the meeting.
At a June news conference, Jones defended herself and her actions involving the bank accounts, claiming she did nothing wrong.
Instead, Jones said she acted in response to a warning from the bank about a potential cybersecurity risk.
As previously reported, the city has since taken back control of all financial accounts and removed her access to them.
A Truist Bank spokesperson told Channel 2 Action News in May that they were working toward a resolution about the city’s accounts, but more recent records from the City Council allege the bank has been uncooperative in the investigation.
Jones is currently up for reelection. She qualified for a second campaign for mayor on Aug. 20, according to city records. The current mayoral race will include a challenge to Jones by Jelani Linder, an urban planner.
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