Depending on whom you ask, the Henderson City Council voted Monday to adopt the 2025-26 budget.
But because of the uncertainty and confusion generated since that meeting, a special called meeting has been scheduled for 12 noon on Monday, June 16 to make official the formal adoption of the $54 million budget.
Information about the special called meeting comes from City Clerk Tracey Kimbrell. The meeting will take place at City Hall in City Council Chambers, 134 Rose Ave.
“On Monday night, the Henderson City Council technically voted on CAF 25-45, Ordinance 25-16, (Adoption of the FY26 Budget). A correction sheet (labeled “CAF 25-45, Ordinance 25-16 water and sewer adjustments) regarding water and sewer rate adjustments was given to Council members prior to the meeting on Monday because calculations were incomplete at the time the agenda was distributed, preventing updates to the Schedule of Fees in the Budget Ordinance (25-16),” according to information Thursday afternoon from the clerk.
In a follow-up question from WIZS News Tuesday evening about whether the budget had been voted on, City Manager/City Attorney Hassan Kingsberry said it had been, when the council voted to increase a line item in the budget about McGregor Hall.
Whichever of these two votes was intended to adopt the budget, it’s apparently been decided by virtue of the upcoming special called meeting that neither one of the votes on Monday night was formal enough.
According to information in the agenda packet, the Council was to consider CAF 25-45 – adoption of the FY 26 annual budget.
Otherwise, as the information below indicates, the process leading up to the vote had been very productive despite some difficulties with data loss and the need to adjust the water and sewer rates. Information from the agenda packet reads as follows:
“CAF 25-45 Adoption of the FY 26 Annual Budget
“Requested by: Finance Director Joey Fuqua
“Explanation: On 12 May 2025 the FY 25-26, a balanced Recommended Budget was presented to the City Council followed by two budget work sessions on 19 May and 20 May and a public hearing on 22 May. After all reviews, answered questions and discussions, the City Council reached a consensus on accepting the FY 25-26 budget as presented. Submitted herewith, the City of Henderson FY 25-26 annual budget is presented for formal adoption at the 9 June 2025 regular City Council meeting.
“Recommendation: Approval of the Ordinance”
So while a consensus may have been reached following the budget work sessions and a public hearing, a vote specifically to formally adopt the budget did not occur at the Monday meeting.
Otherwise, another roll call vote was taken following Council Member Tami Walker’s motion to reinstate Michael Venable as mayor pro tem. That motion failed in a 5-3 vote, which means that Council Member Garry Daeke remains mayor pro tem. Council Members Sara Coffey, Lamont Noel, Sam Seifert, Ola Thorpe-Cooper and Daeke voted against the motion; Council Members Geraldine Champion, Tami Walker and Venable voted yes.
Council Member Noel brought up for discussion hiring an independent legal counsel for the purpose of reviewing recent city employee surveys and complaints that have surfaced as a result of the surveys.
Following some discussion, Council Member Seifert made a motion, seconded by Daeke, to approve hiring the firm, which will be tasked with conducting a complete review of the information contained in the surveys to render an independent and unbiased report on the findings. The motion was approved in a 5-3 vote, with Coffey, Noel, Seifert, Daeke and Thorpe-Cooper voting yes and Walker, Venable and Champion voting no.
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