After nearly two months, no job description, and a direct contradiction from the mayor herself about who the assistant would serve, the $8,000 request heads to the April 1 retreat — with a final vote set for April 18.
By CJ Lester | CJ Lester Investigates | March 19, 2026
CONYERS, Ga. — The Conyers City Council voted 4-2 Wednesday night to table the $8,000 contract labor funding request tied to Mayor Connie Alsobrook's push to hire a personal assistant, sending the item to the April 1 council retreat for further discussion and setting a return vote for April 18. It was at least the third time the item has failed to advance since it first appeared on the February 4 work session agenda.
But Wednesday's meeting revealed something beyond another delay. It exposed a direct contradiction from Mayor Alsobrook herself about who the assistant would actually serve — and a tense exchange in which the mayor told Council Member Gerald Hinesley she would not answer any more of his questions.
Council Members Charlie Bryant, Gerald Hinesley, Valyncia Smith, and Anthony Pacheco voted to table. Mayor Alsobrook and Council Member Sherri Washington voted no — meaning the mayor voted against tabling and in favor of approving the $8,000 on the spot.
Bryant: If This Passes, There Must Be Accountability
Council Member Charlie Bryant opened the discussion with a motion that laid down a clear condition. If the funding request were to pass, Bryant said he wanted the position structured as a contract and made reviewable — with the mayor required to bring back to the council specific examples of how the assistant benefited her office.
"If we are paying $8,000 we need to know it's money well spent," Bryant said.
That accountability framework — a built-in review tied to measurable results — reflects the core concern that has dogged this item from the beginning. Bryant's position showed a council member willing to find a path forward, but only on terms that protect the public interest.
Hinesley: We Don't Even Have a Job Description
Council Member Gerald Hinesley then raised the issue that has been at the center of this investigation since February. There is still no job description for the position. Hinesley also noted that his understanding had been that the assistant would be available to all council members — not just the mayor.
Hinesley has been pressing for answers on this item since January. Records I obtained through the Georgia Open Records Act show he emailed City Manager Kameron Kelley in January asking for a full cost breakdown and a proper job description before any vote was taken. He also asked that residents be given an opportunity to weigh in publicly before the council acted.
His question Wednesday about who the assistant would serve was not a new one. It was a question that had never been clearly answered.
The Mayor's Contradiction
Mayor Alsobrook's response to Hinesley's question made Wednesday's meeting significant. The mayor stated that the assistant would be for her alone — not available to council members.
That directly contradicts what had previously been communicated to at least one council member, who understood the assistant would serve the full council. The shift matters because council access had been used as part of the justification for the expense. If the assistant exists solely to serve the mayor — a part-time position in a council-manager government where the mayor does not hold executive authority over city operations — the rationale for the cost becomes even harder to defend.
Following that exchange, Mayor Alsobrook told Hinesley she was not going to answer any more of his questions.
A sitting mayor telling an elected council member — in a public meeting — that she will not answer his questions is not a routine disagreement. It is a statement about how this administration intends to handle accountability from within its own governing body. Hinesley represents the residents of his district. His questions are their questions.
Bryant Reverses Course and Moves to Table
After the mayor's response, Bryant reversed his earlier position. Rather than pursue the conditional approval framework he had proposed, Bryant publicly voted against the item and put forward a new motion — to table the request, send it to the April 1 council retreat for further discussion, and bring it back for a formal vote at the April 18 council meeting.
That motion carried 4-2.
Bryant's reversal is significant. He came into the meeting willing to find a way to move forward with conditions. After watching the exchange between the mayor and Hinesley — and hearing the mayor's contradiction about who the assistant would serve — he changed his vote.
What the Records Already Show
I have been investigating this item for several weeks through the Georgia Open Records Act. The City of Conyers confirmed in writing on March 12, 2026 — in response to ORR CH-64-2026 — that no materials, proposals, cost estimates, job descriptions, candidate information, or budget amendments related to the mayoral administrative assistant position were ever prepared for the March 4 work session. The city's exact language: "No such record exists responsive to this request."
The council voted Wednesday on a spending item with nothing formally in writing behind it — no job description, no cost analysis, no workload study. That has been true since this item first appeared in February. It remains true tonight.
What Happens Next
The item now goes to the April 1 council retreat for discussion and returns for a formal vote at the April 18 council meeting. Between now and then, several questions remain unanswered: What will the job description say? Who is the candidate? Why did the mayor's position on council access change? And will she provide the council — and the public — with a formal written proposal before April 18?
I have filed an Open Records Act request for all documents, communications, and materials related to the March 18 meeting and the $8,000 item. I will publish what those records show.
I have also submitted a renewed interview request to Mayor Alsobrook. She has declined multiple previous requests. The offer to speak directly to Conyers residents through this outlet remains open.
CJ Lester is the founder of CJ Lester Investigates, an independent accountability journalism outlet covering Rockdale County and the City of Conyers. Reach CJ at cj@cjlesterinvestigates.com or 470-996-6915. Source documents referenced in this article are available at cjlester.com.
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