Documents obtained through the Georgia Open Records Act raise questions about how Mayor Connie Alsobrook justified a new position that could cost Conyers taxpayers up to $31,200 per year.
By CJ Lester | CJ Lester Investigates | February 28, 2026
CONYERS, Ga. — Forty-eight days into her term as mayor of Conyers, Connie Alsobrook requested that the city hire a part-time administrative assistant for her office at a cost of up to $31,200 per year. The request went before the Conyers City Council and drew pushback from at least one council member who asked for public input before any vote was taken.
Now documents obtained by CJ Lester Investigates through the Georgia Open Records Act raise questions about how that request was built — and whether the justification holds up.
The Job Description Came From a Personal Gmail
Among the 43 pages of records received from the City of Conyers is an email sent from Mayor Alsobrook's personal Gmail account containing a draft job description for the proposed assistant position. The language in that job description appears to have been sourced from the internet rather than drawn from any internal city analysis of workload or operational need.
No formal budget documents were included in the records. No workload study was submitted. No internal analysis comparing the mayor's current responsibilities to prior administrations was provided to justify the position.
The Call Logs Tell A Different Story
City records included in the response show a modest volume of mayoral phone activity. The call logs do not reflect the level of administrative demand that would typically be used to justify adding a new paid position to a city payroll.
The City Attorney Raised Questions
Records show that City Attorney Carrie Bootcheck — who serves as the City of Conyers in house counsel — raised questions in writing about the scope of mayoral authority under the current city charter in connection with this matter. Those questions appear on pages 22 and 23 of the records response.
The City of Conyers operates under a council-manager form of government commonly referred to as a weak mayor system. Under this structure administrative authority rests with the city manager not the mayor. Mayor Alsobrook's own written communications included in the records — appearing on pages 35 and 36 — acknowledge the limitations of the weak mayor structure while framing those limitations as justification for additional support.
No Comparison To Prior Administration
CJ Lester Investigates also filed an Open Records request seeking comparable records from the tenure of former Mayor Vince Evans to allow a direct workload comparison. That request was denied. The City of Conyers stated that records from the Evans administration no longer exist under the city's retention policy.
Without those records no direct comparison between the current mayor's workload and that of her predecessor is possible based on available documents.
What This Would Cost Taxpayers
The proposed position would pay between $25 and $30 per hour for up to 20 hours per week. At maximum hours and the higher pay rate that totals $31,200 per year in taxpayer funds — more than three times the mayor's own annual compensation of $9,600.
Council Member Asked For Public Input
Councilman Gerald Hinesley publicly asked that residents have an opportunity to weigh in before any vote on the position was taken. That request reflects the level of scrutiny the proposal has drawn from within city government itself.
Mayor Did Not Respond
Mayor Alsobrook was contacted for comment on February 27, 2026 and did not respond by deadline.
What Comes Next
The Conyers City Council has not yet voted on the assistant position. CJ Lester Investigates will continue to monitor this matter and will report on any vote or new developments as they occur. Tips related to this story or any other City of Conyers matter can be submitted confidentially at cjlester.com.
CJ Lester Investigates covers government accountability in Newton and Rockdale Counties. Tips are always confidential. Contact: cjlester.com
Source: 43-page Open Records Act response received from the City of Conyers, February 2026.
The Open Records Act response from the City of Conyers referenced in this report is available for download below. Readers are encouraged to review the documents and draw their own conclusions.
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