Georgetown County Council held a meeting on Tuesday after groups questioned a member’s residency.
The Georgetown area chapter of the NAACP, members of Citizens for Progress, and the West End Citizens Council requested in a written document for Georgetown County Council to “conduct a full and thorough investigation regarding the residency of James Austin Beard,” who serves as council’s District 5 member.
The written request claims Beard doesn’t meet residential requirements set by a county ordinance.
“For one to qualify for election as a member of county council, he must be a resident of the County of Georgetown, and a resident of the district from which he seeks election,” says the request, which cites an ordinance. “To remain a member of county council for the term for which he is elected, one must remain a resident of the district from which he is elected for the full term for which he was elected.”
The request also alleges that in March 2012, Beard filed for county council and listed his residential address as 603 S. Farr Avenue in the Andrews Avenue.
Beard and his wife reportedly filed for divorce in April 2012 and his wife reportedly received ownership of this property, according to the request. For calendar years of 2013-2018, a PO Box in the Andrews area was reportedly listed on Beard’s Individual Report Statement of Economic Interests.
The request also says Beard purchased a vacant lot for about $24,000 and that this lot remained vacant as of December 2018.
The request further claims that as of 2018, Beard’s voter registration address is reportedly listed as being on North Magnolia Avenue in the Andrews area, that this property is owned by another person, and that as of December 2018, “there is no evidence the building is occupied and used as a full-time residence.”
“In 2018, on the county council member listing, the residency of Austin Beard is listed as 706 N. Fraser Street, Georgetown,” the request adds.”This is a business address for Anderson Brother Banks.”
“As of December 2018, it is common knowledge that Austin Beard lives at 907 Huger Street, Georgetown, SC 29440 with his current wife,” states the request.
“Upon further citizen’s investigation, additional documentation will be forwarded to the SC Ethics Commission to conduct a full investigation to determine Austin Beard is or is not in compliance with the residency requirements of Georgetown County Council and if any violation involved financial compensation,” says the last paragraph of the request.
“We really need to start looking at who we are putting in these positions and challenge them. No one should run unopposed, especially on the condition that his district is in. He should have been opposed every time,” Marvin Neal, President of NAACP 5520 in the Georgetown area, told a News13 crew present at the meeting.
“We want to know how he was able to serve so many years, got the position of vice chairman of county council, and yet he wasn’t qualified to be on county council at all,” Wesley Gibson, a representative of Citizens for Progress, told News13.
News13’s crew at the meeting said Beard excused himself and didn’t attend tonight’s meeting so we were not able to get a comment from him.
John Thomas was elected to serve as County Council chairman.
Lillie Jean Johnson is the new vice chairwoman.
