Tag Archive for: #eddieellington

The Local Skinny! Mayor Ellington Discusses City Council Meeting

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The Henderson City Council approved Monday a request of up to $15.3 million from the Local Government Commission to fill a gap in projected costs for the Kerr Lake Regional Water System expansion.

This request includes an extra cushion of $300,000 that may be needed for administrative costs, according to City Manager Terrell Blackmon, who explained the situation to council members during the regular monthly meeting.

Bob Jessup, an attorney whose firm the city contracted with to help manage this part of the project, told council members that the money could be available by mid-March.

Mayor Eddie Ellington elaborated on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny! and said that he and other city leaders have met with state officials to make sure the $80 million project stays on track.

“We’re always working to reach out at the state and federal level,” Ellington told John C. Rose on Tuesday.

Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the skyrocketing cost of materials, “expenses increased in a short amount of time,” he said. Ellington said he and others have met with state leaders to garner support for the project and have been met with nothing but positive responses.

N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore, Rep. Michael Wray have been supportive, as well as Diane Cox with the N.C. Kerr-Tar Council of Government.

“It’s a big deal,” Ellington said of the expansion project. “We have to have it for the future.”

 

 

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Town Talk 12/9/20: Mayor Eddie Ellington With Brandon Boyd

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Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m. Ellington was interviewed by WIZS guest host Brandon Boyd.

Prior to discussing his role as mayor and the City of Henderson’s present standing and future outlook, Ellington talked about growing up in Henderson, his Castello Loughlin family history and the creation of the circus.

When asked by Boyd if being mayor met his expectations for the role, Ellington replied, “I have enjoyed it, but I wear a lot of it on my shoulders and take it personally. Even though things happen that are not related to me, I’m the mayor and it falls back on me. When you’re the mayor for the city, you’re the ambassador and spokesperson for the city.”

(To hear this episode of TownTalk, click play below. TownTalk airs M-F at 11 a.m. on WIZS 1450 AM / 100.1 FM.)

According to Ellington, the on-going COVID-19 pandemic has made this year particularly challenging. “The Henderson City Council, City Manager and I have tough decisions to make. We’re a small, rural community, and we’ve all been hit by the same deal. You take your cards, you play them and you make the best decisions for the public’s well-being.”

In more upbeat news, Ellington reported that the City of Henderson, despite the pandemic, is doing well financially. “The City is in better financial shape than it has been in years,” stated Ellington. “Frank Frazier, the previous city manager, did a wonderful job of balancing the budget every year. Terrell Blackmon, current city manager, has done a wonderful job as well, and he’s going to bring a budget to us in the upcoming months.”

Ellington also reported that Mako Medical, with facilities currently located in Henderson and Raleigh, is in talks of moving its operation to Henderson, resulting in the creation of 100 new jobs for the local area.

“Economic development is the key,” explained Ellington. “When you have jobs, when the poverty rates are low, when people can make a living and provide for their families, when people can go off to college and have something to come back home to, the community thrives.”

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Town Talk 05/19/20: Henderson Manager, Mayor Address Proposed City Budget

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100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

Henderson City Manager Terrell Blackmon and Mayor Eddie Ellington appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Blackmon discussed the $18,992,950 proposed Fiscal Year 2020-2021 City of Henderson Budget as presented to the Henderson City Council at the May 18, 2020, meeting.

The recommended budget for the new fiscal year to begin July 1 is an increase of 7% over the current year’s budget.

A public hearing to receive citizens’ comments on the proposed budget will be held on Tuesday, May 26 at 6 p.m.

Presenting his first budget as Henderson City Manager, Blackmon, who took over the position from retired manager Frank Frazier earlier this year, said this year’s budget was “unique” as considerations were made around COVID-19.

According to Blackmon, city residents may be pleased to hear that the proposed budget does not recommend tax increases or water/sewer fee increases for the new fiscal year.

“The Council and I were very impressed and thankful that they were able to put together a budget with no tax or fee increases while still maintaining the same level of services,” Ellington responded.

The proposed budget also includes an appropriation of $1,500,000 to the City’s Fund Balance, an increase from the $1,066,720 that was approved for the current fiscal year. Blackmon said the City’s fund balance remains well above the minimum requirements as set by the Local Government Commission.

“For the last four or five years, in order to balance our budget, we’ve had to utilize some of our fund balance. Because there isn’t a recommended tax or fee increase this year, we are budgeting a little more fund balance,” explained Blackmon.

Despite initial concerns on the effect COVID-19 would have on sales tax, Blackmon said the City is doing well on that front. “Much to our surprise, we’re actually trending slightly ahead of last year. There was a lot of shopping going on during the months of March and April, so we didn’t see a decline in our sales tax.”

While Blackmon said the new fiscal year’s budget remains “relatively flat,” some increases are expected in electric utilities and employee health insurance costs.

Addressing the on-going mission to reduce the number of job vacancies and employee turnover, Blackmon reported that less than 10 percent of the City’s positions are currently vacant.

The proposed FY 2020-2021 budget is available for viewing in its entirety on the City of Henderson’s website, under the Finance Department tab (click here).

To hear the interview with Blackmon and Ellington in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

West End Baptist

Mayor Ellington Provides City Updates to West End Community Watch Group

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Notes courtesy Claire Catherwood, West End Community Watch

The speaker for the most recent West End Community Watch held on February 18 was Mayor Eddie Ellington. The mayor is currently serving his second term of office. Ellington’s family has lived in Henderson for four generations. In addition to serving as mayor, Ellington works for Charles Boyd Chevrolet in public relations.

Mayor Ellington was pleased to announce that the police department is now fully staffed. Further, the city is in a good financial state, with a balance of $44 million dollars. This figure is 43% over the mandated requirement for city governments. No increases in taxes have been imposed in recent years, nor are they expected.

The City now has a new manager, Edward Blackmon. Blackmon replaced recently retired manager Frank Frazier. The City and County are working well together.

The Economic Development Commission has mobilized a delegation of people who organize tours for prospective industries. Tommy Hester plays a large role in hosting these events.

There have been many economic projects in recent months. Mentioned were – The M.R. Williams expansion, the Vescom expansion, Mako Labs, Maria Parham’s cardiac unit expansion, Life Flight’s helicopter pad addition at Maria Parham, improvements to the living quarters in the oldest firehouse in the state, the building of the outdoor pavilion in downtown Henderson, Sadie’s Coffee Corner, Biscuitville, Popeyes and Starbucks.

Mako was given a half-million dollars in incentives and has hired 200 employees. Maria Parham’s expansion added 25 new jobs. Sadie’s plans to soon add wine and cheese to its offerings. Henderson is close to being accepted for the NC Main Street Program.

Four hundred houses and businesses have been demolished. Included in the list were Howard Johnson’s Hotel and Mazatlán Mexican Restaurant and the adjacent hotel.

A $400 million dollar grant has been awarded towards the upgrade of the Kerr Lake Regional Water Plant. Water from Kerr Lake is being sold to Oxford.

In recent years, there had been six Henderson murders in a short span of time. At that time, Henderson had a severe shortage of police officers. A call to the Governor resulted in the mobilization of the SBI and Federal agents in Henderson. They remain active in Henderson.

As a result of state and federal involvement, area police salaries were studied. It was found that Henderson was not paying the equivalent of neighboring communities. Police salaries have not yet caught up, but improvements are being made.

Ellington commented that it is easy to criticize and complain about everything. Those present were encouraged to use what they heard at this meeting to help change the dialogue. A lot of good is going on in Henderson!

Town Talk 09/30/19: Code Enforcement, Public Safety on Incumbent Mayor’s Agenda

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington was the guest of honor on Monday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk.

Ellington is running as the incumbent mayoral candidate against Sharon Owens in the October 8, 2019, City of Henderson non-partisan, municipal election.

Noting that continued improvements to public safety are of the utmost importance to many in the community, Ellington said it has been his goal since taking office in 2015 to increase pay “across the board” for law enforcement officers.

“There has been a 31% increase in officer pay and a 51% increase in sergeant’s pay,” Ellington said of his time as mayor. “We are not quite there [goal pay], but we are well on our way and are mindful that we need a top-notch police department.”

Emphasizing the importance of economic development in the area, Ellington also said that it is essential that local leaders have the appropriate contacts in Raleigh to attract businesses and make decisions quickly.

“Economic development is driven by Raleigh and you’ve got to have the contacts,” Ellington said. “When you have the contacts and you say ‘we’re ready and we’re open for business,’ then if they get someone on the hook, they’re going to bring them right our way.”

A testament to the current relationship City leaders have with Raleigh, according to Ellington, is Mako Medical Laboratories which is now “well on its way to exceeding the 150 jobs they initially promised us.” Mako opened their Henderson location in late 2017.

Ellington said he also wants to continue to focus on code enforcement, especially as it relates to dilapidated housing, and praised local groups that assist with either the removal of or the recovery of these properties.

“We don’t need to pass any more laws or ordinances until we can enforce what we already have on the books,” stated Ellington.

With the removal of over 400 dilapidated structures since 2010, Ellington said the City of Henderson and County of Vance work well together to get through the “red tape, letters and ordinances that have to be enforced to be able to bring down these houses.”

The City’s recent hiring of an additional full-time code enforcer is a move that Ellington said he believes will help with the backlog of structures in need of repair or demolition.

The process of removing potential safety hazards such as these does not happen overnight or with minimal effort, and Ellington thanked local volunteer group Citizens Aligned to Take Back Henderson, NC for the work they do “simply because they care about their city.”

Ellington said Citizens Aligned founders Tommy Haithcock, Hope Hoyle Howard and Heidi Owen “are wonderful people and we need more residents like them.”

A new program for the City, Urban Homesteading, was also mentioned by Ellington as a means of properly updating non-compliant structures that meet certain criteria.

In addition to volunteers and programs, Ellington said it takes the cooperation of local government leaders to make positive changes happen.

“I’ll echo what Chief Marcus Barrow and Sheriff Curtis Brame have said on Town Talk recently about the collaboration they have – local leadership is getting along,” Ellington said. “The City of Henderson and the County have a team that gets together right now and can get together in a day’s notice if industry is looking to come to Henderson. I have a great working relationship with the county commissioners; the relationship is there.”

Ellington said his tenure as mayor has reaffirmed his belief that Henderson is a great place to call home. “It’s easy to criticize, condemn and complain; we are all guilty of that. We have so many great things that are moving in Henderson. We are in the best place that we’ve ever been – all systems go – unless we let the naysayers talk us into thinking otherwise.”

Early voting for the City of Henderson Municipal Election will be held at the Vance County Board of Elections Office located at 300 S. Garnett Street through Friday, October 4.

The submission of absentee ballots by mail ends tomorrow, Tuesday, October 1. Anyone that would like to request a ballot can call the BOE office at (252) 492-3730.

(This is not a paid political advertisement. Sharon Owens participated in a similar Town Talk interview with equal on-air and online coverage.)

To hear Ellington’s Town Talk interview in its entirety, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

Henderson Mayor Proclaims Wound Care Awareness Week

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Henderson Mayor, Eddie Ellington signed an official proclamation declaring June 5th through June 9th Wound Care Awareness Week in Henderson, North Carolina.  Maria Parham Advanced Wound Center, a member of the Healogics network, is helping raise awareness of chronic wounds. The fourth annual Wound Care Awareness Week is being held from June 5 to June 9.  One of nearly 800 Healogics-managed Centers; Maria Parham Advanced Wound Center offers advanced therapies to patients suffering from chronic wounds.  Program Directors across the nation will dedicate the entire week to educating physicians, patients and the general public about the chronic wound epidemic and the advanced wound care solutions.

It is estimated that chronic wounds affect 6.7 million people in the U.S. and the incidence is rising, fueled by an aging population and increasing rates of diseases and conditions such as diabetes, obesity and the late effects of radiation therapy.  If left untreated, chronic wounds can lead to diminished quality of life and possibly amputation of the affected limb. 

“We see patients living with non-healing wounds for a prolonged amount of time due to the lack of awareness of advanced wound care options,” said D. Scott Covington, MD, FACS, Chief Medical Director for Healogics. “We work to educate community physicians about which of their patients can benefit from advanced wound care, and then provide coordinated care to heal that patient’s wounds.”

People with wounds that have not improved with traditional methods of treatment may benefit from a visit to Maria Parham Advanced Wound Center. Visit www.woundcareawarenessweek.com to learn more about Wound Care Awareness Week and to hear from patients about how wound healing changed their life. To schedule an appointment, please call (252) 436-1700 or visit https://www.mariaparham.com/.

Breaking News: Charges dismissed against Mayor Eddie Ellington

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Press Release

Henderson, NC– On November 6, 2016 officers with the Henderson Police Department were called to investigate a report of domestic violence alleged to have occurred at the home of Mayor Eddie Ellington. When the responding officer arrived on scene he called his supervisor. Officers on scene spoke with Cheri Wheeler Ellington. After observing no evidence of physical abuse, officers advised Mrs. Ellington about the procedure for securing warrants if she so desired.

On November 8, 2016, warrants were issued charging Edward H. Ellington with assault on a female and communicating threats.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Ellington, after consultation with their respective civil attorneys, have requested that the charges against Edward. H. Ellington be dismissed.

Attempts to speak with Mrs. Ellington went unanswered.  However, after consultation with Cheri Wheeler Ellington’s civil attorney, District Attorney Michael D. Waters’ office has decided to not prosecute Mr. Ellington.

The decision reflects the desires of the parties and the police reports which indicated a lack of physical abuse.

Michael Waters

Henderson’s Housing Advisory Committee to meet Thursday

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The Henderson City Council’s Housing Advisory Committee will meet in Council Chambers, 134 Rose Avenue, on Thursday, December 15, 2016 at 6:00 p.m.  The purpose of this meeting is to continue review/discussion regarding housing issues.

It is possible a quorum of City Council members may attend; however, no action by Council will be taken during this meeting.