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Conyers council tables $8,000 mayoral assistant funding after debate over job description and oversight
Summary
After heated discussion about job duties and oversight, the Conyers City Council voted to table a request to add $8,000 for a mayoral contract assistant and asked that terms, job description and a review plan (including a proposed 90‑day contract with documented goals) be developed and returned for further consideration.
The Conyers City Council voted to table a proposed $8,000 addition to the mayor and council contract labor budget for a mayoral assistant after several council members said they had not seen a formal job description or adequate oversight arrangements.
The funding request was introduced on the agenda and placed on the floor for discussion. One council member moved to add the $8,000 to the mayor’s contract labor account; the motion drew immediate concern from other members about process and transparency. "We don't have a job description that describes what this individual would do," a council member (speaker 6) said during the discussion, arguing that the council lacked parameters, posting and an opportunity to meet candidates for a new position.
Supporters of the funding said the request would allow the mayor to have assistance to pursue grants, housing and workforce initiatives, and framed the vote as approval of budget authority rather than a contract. To address concerns, a proposal was made to limit the engagement to a 90‑day contract with documented goals and a council review. That amendment was discussed and seconded, then a separate motion to postpone and table the item until further discussion (an April 1 retreat and a later council meeting) was made and carried; the mayor recorded the result as a four‑two vote to table the funding.
Why it matters: council members expressed recurring concerns about approving budget authority without a clear job description and oversight. Opponents said staff and city policy should define contract terms and that approving money without guardrails is poor governance; proponents said approving budget authority is routine and contract details can be reviewed when a contract is presented.
The council instructed staff to prepare clearer documentation of the proposed assistant role, contractual terms and performance goals for consideration at the scheduled retreat and a future council meeting.
