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CONYERS, GA—Following public discussion at the city-hosted Nov. 5 town hall meeting, proposed modifications to the city of Conyers charter have been put on hold until 2026, city officials announced on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
“After months of revisions and thoughtful deliberation among council and staff regarding basic changes and clarifications to the city’s charter and having meaningful dialogue with concerned citizens and members of our state delegation, we’ve decided to put the charter revisions on hold until the city council planning retreat in 2026,” said Mayor Vince Evans.
The 2026 retreat will provide an opportunity for the incoming city council, which will include the city’s newly-elected mayor, Connie Alsobrook, and two newly-elected council members, along with two veteran city council members to meet as a body and discuss how they want to move forward with proposed modifications to the charter.
“I think it was wise to allow the incoming council members to have an opportunity to weigh in on any changes that will be made. I think it will be important to get more input from citizens moving forward,” said State Rep. Rhonda Taylor, who spoke at the town hall, as well as State Rep. Doreen Carter and State Sen. Tonya Peterson Anderson, members of the Rockdale County Legislative Delegation.
A crowd turned out for the town hall, with several people standing before city officials urging them to hold off on hastily pushing through charter changes. The City Council had held only one public hearing on the matter with no participation from the public. State legislators had asked for the city to hold the town hall after expressing their concern about the lack of transparency and the city’s efforts to notify the public about the proposed charter changes.
According to the Georgia Municipal Association, the city charter is the document that establishes the government structure of the city and defines boundaries, specific powers, functions, essential procedures, and legal control. The charter also details the basic form of government for the city. The form of government Conyers operates under is council-manager, one of the most common forms of local government, and that structure would remain unchanged in the proposed Charter revisions. A council-manager governing body means the city hires a professional city manager to administer the daily affairs of the city with the oversight of the city council. The city council holds responsibility for establishing governmental policy and for supervising the city manager.
The city of Conyers charter was last modified 30 years ago.
“The city has successfully operated under a council-manager form of government for 50 years and it’s healthy for any organization to review and update its government document, in this case, the charter, as needs arise and with the changing times,” said Evans. “With a new mayor and two new council members taking office, we welcome their input, along with the seasoned members of the city council, to review and make any recommendations for further review whether by future town hall meetings, citizen review panels, or other means of citizen input and engagement. The city of Conyers remains focused on continuity of services and a strong commitment to transparency in all operations.”