ATLANTA, Ga — After drawing public scrutiny for making more than half a million dollars in 2021, Fulton County’s Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts has more questions to answer.
Following The Atlanta Press’s reporting on Tina Robinson’s salary, all of the Fulton County Magistrate Court judges signed a letter informing her they have “lost confidence” in Clerk Robinson, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. Experts say the move was unprecedented.
But now, The Atlanta Press has discovered through our own submitted public records requests, that Clerk Tina Robinson has demonstrated a pattern of asking for raises for her employees, without providing much justification to the county beyond citing in one particular letter that the salary raises “better reflect” current “and future assignments.”
Some of these raises are listed as “unclassified” promotions.
One case, in particular, stood out: current Fulton County Bureau Chief Clerk Ché Alexander, who, according to personnel files, also legally had the names “Cheryl Ballard,” “Cheryl Glover,” “Cheryl Watson,” and “Erica Ashley Alexander.”
In the 438-page personnel file obtained for Ché Alexander that The Atlanta Press requested in February, Ché Alexander resigned at least four times during her tenure with Fulton County.
Her recent rehiring at the beginning of the month to act as the Fulton County Superior and Magistrate Courts Bureau Chief under Tina Robinson is at least the fifth stint she’s had with Fulton County.
Her latest position pays $170,000.
A majority of the time when Ché Alexander came back after resigning, she received a job offer directly from Tina Robinson that came with a pay bump.
According to personnel files, Ché Alexander left in November 2018 to pursue the company she founded, CHEckrein Consulting, LLC until December 2022.
The Atlanta Press obtained a copy of the contract proposal between Fulton County and CHEckrein Consulting, LLC where Ché Alexander provided “Technical Consulting Services for Fulton County Justice Partners.”
According to the document which was signed in December 2020, the “County agrees to compensate Consultant for all services performed under this Agreement in an amount not to exceed $499,500.00.”
This contract for Ché Alexander’s company and the County was approved for January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021, “with two renewal options.”
Ché Alexander’s last day with the company she founded was on December 31, 2022.
It’s unclear if she received the entire $499,500 from Fulton County for her services between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021. The Atlanta Press is currently investigating this matter.
How did Ché Alexander come back this year – for at least the fifth time?
A job posting with a vacancy date of February 01, 2023, for “Court Bureau Chief – Set Rate (606240)” was classified as “Personal Staff to Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts, Cathelene ‘Tina’ Robinson” was published.
Within a week after the listed vacancy date, on February 7, 2023, a letter was sent from Tina Robinson to Ché Alexander offering her that $170,000 position.
A week after that, the contract was signed off by Tina Robinson on February 13, 2023, where Ché Alexander signed off on the Official Oath of Fulton County; Ché Alexander began working with Tina Robinson, as her personal staff, again, on March 1, 2023.
A timeline of the history of hiring and resignations:
- December 1994 to April 1995: Ché Alexander began working as a Court Clerk for Fulton County, making $1,700 / month, effectively $20,400 a year. She resigned and relocated after four months for a new opportunity.
- From March 1998 to October 1999, Ché Alexander began working as the Fulton County Clerk of Superior Court, making $4160 / month, effectively $49,920 a year. She also resigned and listed “relocating” as the reason for leaving.
- From October 1999 to May 2000, for seven months she worked for the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, making $5300 / month, effectively $63,600 a year.
- There is a gap in her employment application between May 2000 to January 2002.
- From January 2002 to September 2005, Ché Alexander returned again to work for the Fulton County Clerk of Superior Court, Tina Robinson, as a Court Support Manager, with Tina Robinson as her direct supervisor. Ché Alexander said she made $5100 / month, effectively $61,200 a year.
Her personnel file says she resigned and left for another opportunity. - From October 2005 to January 2007 Ché Alexander worked in New Orleans for “The Dairymple Corporation” making $6,000, effectively $72,000 a year.
- From January 2007 to June 2010 Ché Alexander worked as a real estate agent. She listed this as 30 hours/week.
- From April 2008 to September 2010, Ché Alexander worked as the “Chief Deputy Clerk” for the Fulton County Clerk of Superior Court, making $6,600 a month, effectively $79,200 a year. Tina Robinson was her supervisor.Ché Alexander listed doing Chief Deputy Clerk work 55 hours/week, which would have likely overlapped with her real estate job, disclosed on her personnel file, for about 26 months.
- From September 2010 to September 2013, Ché Alexander was promoted to “Court Services Director” for $7300 / month, effectively $87,600.
This represented a 10.6% pay increase with the change of position.
Ché Alexander resigned on September 24, 2013 “to pursue other opportunities” according to her personnel file. - Less than three (3) months later, on December 16, 2013, Ché Alexander applied for a position as the “Courts Bureau Chief.”
- One (1) month later, on January 16, 2014: Ché Alexander is rehired with a salary of $93,346.00.
This is a 6.6% salary increase from the position she held four months prior.
- Nine (9) months later on October 22, 2014: Ché Alexander had a pay increase to $102,362 with the same title.
This represented a 9.6% salary increase from the nine months before, and an overall 16.9% from the year prior.
- August 5, 2015, Ché Alexander was given an “unclassified promotion” from Tina Robinson, with a salary increase to $139,740.00.
This represents a 36.5% increase from the year prior.
- In June 2018, Ché Alexander was given a salary increase, bringing it up to $153,174 acting as the “Bureau Chief,” which is classified as personal staff to Tina Robinson.
- On November 14, 2018, Alexander resigned and started her own company, CHEckrein Consulting, LLC (Atlanta, GA).
- On January 20, 2021, Ché Alexander’s company, CHEckrein Consulting, LLC gained a $499,500.00 contract with the county to provide technical and consulting services effective January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021, with two renewal options.
It was approved by the Fulton County Commissioners and represents 2.5 times more pay than her previous salary when she resigned from Fulton County.
- Ché Alexander came back on March 1, 2023, as a Bureau Chief clerk at $170,000, effectively about a 10.6% pay raise from her previous Bureau Chief clerk salary of $153,714.00
The Atlanta Press reached out to both Tina Robinson and Ché Alexander to discuss all of the resignations, rehiring, promotions, and pay increases.
On behalf of Tina Robinson, Nicholas Cotten, Chief of Public and Media relations talked to The Atlanta Press reporter Crystal Bui and asked The Atlanta Press if this tip about the resignation and rehiring practices came from a “whistleblower.” Bui immediately told Cotten on the phone it goes against her journalistic ethics and standards to disclose any sources or give further information beyond the request for comment.
Cotten later released information in an email to Bui that said in part:
Clerk Robinson has always employed impartiality in all of her commendation, promotional, and disciplinary practices. Ms. Alexander, nor her matriculation through the Clerk’s Office, has been an exception.
Ms. Alexander has an invaluable wealth of expertise that benefits the Clerk’s Office, the Justice Partners, and the citizens of Fulton County. To suggest otherwise is, at best, a misrepresentation of factual information or at worst, the perpetuation of a false narrative. Either way, both scenarios rest upon utter baselessness.
Additionally, I have attached a copy of Ms. Alexander’s resume for your convenience and edification.
The Atlanta Press did not receive a response from Ché Alexander regarding her pattern of resignations and pay raises upon return.
