Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington will not seek another term in the upcoming municipal elections.
On Friday, Ellington called his decision “bittersweet” but said after two terms as mayor, he looks to a new chapter in life.
“Holding on for too long leads to entrenched leaders, which diminishes new ideas and creative thinking,” Ellington said.
He said he vividly remembers his first days in office, and said he was “driven with passion and vision” for the city.
In his eight years as mayor, Ellington cited successes such as the $79.6 million expansion of the regional water system and the $600,000 renovation and expansion of the downtown fire station.
“We celebrate our successes but the let-downs can truly wear on you. I have seen and lived both sides of politics and it can be hurtful and hard not to take it personally,” he noted.
Being mayor of a city during the COVID-19 pandemic proved especially challenging, and Ellington said it’s a point of pride that he, with the assistance of City Manager Terrell Blackmon, “courageously and emotionally led us as a city and community through hard decisions of the COVID pandemic that touched us all.”
Ellington said it’s important to realize that problems must be faced if improvements are to be made.
“Looking back, I have devoted the past eight years and two terms to ensure a brighter future while establishing a broad range of relationships on the state and federal level across both sides of the aisle. Being the official ambassador and lobbyist for the City of Henderson I can proudly say I have ties and political courtesy with both governors past and present, as well as officials in Washington, DC who will answer the phone if I call. That goes a long way for us here at home. Coming from the business sector and often at times frustrated but knowing that government moves a lot slower, we have shared success with many goals and projects that gives us a promise for the days to come,” Ellington stated.
In addition to the projects noted above, Ellington shared some more projects that have taken shape during his time as mayor, including:
- adoption of a new Comprehensive Land Use Policy
- completion of the West End Urban Redevelopment Area Plan and the Flint Hill Neighborhood Strategy
- new Water and Exercise Park on William and Montgomery streets
- new Economic Development initiatives that led to the location of Mako Medical, M.R. Williams Frozen Food Expansion, new state-of-the-art Maria Parham Cardiac Catheterization Lab
- support and vision for the new S-Line corridor
- re-establishment of our NC Main Street Community Program
- re-enacted the City Redevelopment Commission
- the creation of the first city-wide Unified Development Ordinance
- declared gun violence a public health crisis
- implementation, along with Henderson Police Department, the new FLOCK system with neighborhood cameras and license plate readers