Tag Archive for: #mayormelissaelliott

Lawsuit Against Mayor Dismissed; Melissa Elliott Will Not Seek Second Term

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Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott said Tuesday she will not seek a second term in office.

Elliott sat down Tuesday afternoon with WIZS News and The Dispatch to provide an update on a lawsuit filed in fall of 2025 that claimed she wrongly received money for sale of a property on Charles Street.

That lawsuit has been dismissed, Elliott said.

She said the allegations brought in the lawsuit have had a negative effect on her nonprofit Gang Free, Inc., her personal life and her recent bid for the N.C. House District 32 seat. She lost in the March 2026 Democratic primary to Curtis McRae.

The lawsuit “ripped my nonprofit up,” she said, and she described the media over the past 2 or 2 ½ years as “egregious.”

One purpose of the meeting was to share a written statement she prepared concerning the disposition of the lawsuit, but Elliott took the opportunity to announce her decision not to seek re-election.

Following is an excerpt from Elliott’s prepared statement regarding the lawsuit:

From the very beginning, I maintained that the allegations were without merit, and this outcome affirms that truth.

However, while the case may be dismissed, the impact of false and public allegations does not simply disappear. These claims cause real harm – to my reputation, to the mission of Gang Free Inc., and to the trust that we have worked so hard to build in this community. For those who serve, especially through nonprofit work, credibility is everything- and when that is attacked without cause, the damage can be significant.

I also want to be honest about the personal toll. This has been an emotionally draining experience – marked by stress, sleepless nights, and moments that no public servant should have to endure while simply trying to do the work of serving others.

That is why it is so important that the truth receives the same visibility as the accusations once did.

Despite it all, I stand firm. I remain committed to leading with integrity, serving with purpose, and continuing the work that matters most – supporting our families, uplifting our youth and strengthening our community.

Elliott said the house at 431 Charles St. was given to her personally and she later put it in the name of Gang Free, Inc. with hopes for it to become a men’s shelter. The nonprofit deeded it back to her at a later date and she then sold it.

Gang Free, Inc. subsisted on small grants for the first 10 years or so of its existence, Elliott said, $5,000 here, $3,000 there.

“The real money came during the pandemic,” she explained, when the nonprofit had 23 community workers on the ground providing services through contracts with the N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services and Cure Americas.

“Prior to that, it was in-kind donations,” Elliott said.

Although she was adamant about not running for mayor again, she didn’t slam the door on a possible bid for City Council in the future.

In a follow-up question from WIZS Wednesday, Elliott, who resides in Ward 3, reiterated that she would not run against Ward 3 Council Member Michael Venable “because he is doing a fine job and I would never run against Garry (Daeke) either.” Daeke is the Ward 3 at-large Council member.

“I’m not going to run (for mayor). I think 12 years is enough to surrender your life to the public.”

She said she made her decision after much prayer and consideration; not from any outside pressures, but “because of the trauma that I’ve endured in the last 3 ½ years.” She said she needs to be “healthy mentally” to be able to care for her family, especially her mother and her young grandchild.

Elliott said the believes the current Council wants “to serve the community in our capacity, whatever that capacity is. I think the board has a great skill set. We all bring something different to the table and it mixes well for our community.”

If that were the focus instead of “personalities or personal vendettas, we could be a great, great, great board,” Elliott said.

She said politics in small towns like Henderson require an elected official to have allies and support. Elliott said she ran for mayor to be a visionary and to create initiatives.

“I’m a connector and I try to help people become self-sustainable – that’s my thing,” she said. “I don’t have to be mayor to do that.”

As the city’s first Black and first woman mayor, Elliott said she hopes her accomplishments will serve to inspire or encourage someone to run who never thought they could be mayor.

“I hope I’ve smoothed the playing field for someone else to come through the door.”

Editor’s note: This story has been edited from its original version.

(— by Laura Gabel; John C. Rose contributed to this story)

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Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott Going to Bat for Kittrell Job Corps

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Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott is going to bat for the future of the Kittrell Job Corps, which faces possible elimination in the recently passed FY26 budget that was signed into law on July 4.

Elliott sent letters to North Carolina Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, as well as U.S. Congressman Don Davis.

The Kittrell Job Corps is one of 99 Job Corps centers, which provide residential programs designed to help low-income youth achieve education and career goals.

Although the program had been scheduled to be shut down on June 30 when the fiscal year ended, a temporary restraining order put in place days before has put a pause on the closures until a judge can rule on the matter.

Elliott told WIZS that she had traveled to Washington, D.C. to talk with the office of U.S. Rep. Don Davis about the matter.

Here’s the text of the letters, which were dated July 15, 2025:

“I’m writing to express strong support for the Kittrell Job Corps Center and to oppose the President’s FY26 budget proposal to eliminate the Job Corps program. I’m also deeply concerned about the current halt on student background checks, which has left over 12,000 young people in limbo and stalled their path to a better future.

As a proud Job Corps graduate and now Mayor of the City of Henderson, I have seen firsthand how this program transforms lives and strengthens communities. The Kittrell Job Corps Center trains more than 500 young adults annually. These students earn industry-recognized credentials in fields such as Culinary Arts, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Facility Maintenance, Medical Administrative Assistant, Brick Masonry, Security Protective Services, and Advanced Human Services—often leading to full-time employment within months of graduation. At the same time, the campus directly supports approximately 135 staff jobs and injects over $15 million in federal funding into our region’s economy.

One example is Jerae York, a 23-year-old graduate who earned his high school diploma and Security Protective Services credentials at Kittrell before enlisting in the U.S. Navy. Now earning over $22 per hour and serving on active duty, Jerae credits Job Corps as the best thing that has happened in his life.

These are real outcomes. Real futures. Real value.

I respectfully urge you to contact the U.S. Department of Labor and the White House immediately to demand the resumption of student enrollments and continued funding for the Job Corps program. The loss of Kittrell would be devastating for my community.

Thank you for your leadership and commitment to North Carolina’s youth.”

TownTalk: Henderson Mayor And City Council Sworn In

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Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott made history Monday night when she was sworn in as the first woman and the first Black to hold the city’s highest office.

The Henderson City Council chambers and lobby area was standing-room only, filled with family, friends and dignitaries to witness the historic swearing-in ceremony.

With her left hand on a Bible – held by her mother – Elliott raised her right hand and repeated the oath of office administered by Judge Henry Banks.

Four newly elected City Council members also were sworn in Monday as part of the regular monthly meeting of the council.

Geraldine Champion (Ward 1), Sam Seifert (Ward 2), Michael Venable (Ward 3 at-large) and Tami Walker (Ward 4 at-large) were installed and took their seats alongside current members Garry Daeke, Ola Thorpe-Cooper, Lamont Noel and Sara Coffey.

Outgoing Council members Mike Rainey and Marion Brodie Williams shared brief remarks during the meeting; Jason Spriggs was not present.

Banks also administered the oath of office for Seifert, Venable and Walker; Judge Ben Hunter administered the office for Champion.

The first action taken by the reorganized Council was to elect a Mayor Pro Tem. Ward 3’s Daeke was elected unanimously to that role.

In his final remarks as mayor, Ellington said he and Elliott both began their terms on the Council in 2015, adding that they were seated beside one another in Council meetings. “We’ve always been there together when we left …City Hall,” he recalled. He thanked city staff, including former City Manager Frank Frazier who also was in attendance Monday. Ellington accepted a gavel as a parting gift from the Council.

Brodie Williams challenged the incoming Council members “to not just work for your particular ward but the entire city – everyone and everybody. Lean on your mayor and manager and seasoned Council members,” she said. And remember to “do your research.”

Rainey, who joined the Council in 2003, said he had met a lot of people and seen a lot of changes during his 20-year tenure. He recalled the late Mary Emma Evans, former City Council member, who was fond of saying “it’s OK to disagree, but you don’t have to be disagreeable.”

After months of campaigning for the Oct. 3 election among a field of five candidates, Elliott found herself in a runoff with political newcomer and local businessman Greg Etheridge in the November election – an election she easily won by 300 votes. About 20 percent of the city’s registered voters voted in the October election, and 29 percent came out to vote in the runoff.

Just after the runoff Elliott said, “I’m elated…overwhelmed with joy,” about the election outcome.

“I am a servant leader,” Elliott said, and she plans to serve the community at-large and all people.

“Everyone was so wonderful…so much encouragement,” she said. There were “so many people that wouldn’t allow me to quit. I’m thankful for this historic moment in time,” but she said she also looks to the future for the city.

 

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