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Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington and Henderson City Council members provided WIZS News with a briefing on the FY 2020-2021 Budget Adoption at the Monday, June 8, 2020, Henderson City Council meeting.
The budget was passed unanimously with six of the eight City Council members in attendance either in person or electronically via Zoom. According to reports, Councilwoman Sara Coffey and Councilwoman Fearldine Simmons were not in attendance. Click here to view the 153-page budget in its entirety.
“Our June City Council Meeting went well,” said Mayor Ellington. “Half of the Council were present in the Council Chambers including myself, the city manager and the city clerk. The others were participating via Zoom. It was a fairly fast-moving meeting with a few housekeeping details, along with adopting our 2020-2021 budget. The budget includes funding for six new firefighter positions. There will also be no service fees nor tax increases to the citizens on a unanimous vote. We are also pleased with our new manager, Mr. Terrell Blackmon’s first budget since taking the role earlier this year.”
Councilman William Burnette said: “The budget was adopted by a unanimous vote, by all in attendance. We are still having to use Zoom. I will be very happy when we can go back to normal meetings and allow public participation in the Council Chambers. Hopefully, this will happen sooner rather than later. I miss the interaction with the citizens.”
Councilman Garry Daeke and Councilwoman Melissa Elliott reported the budget was adopted with no changes and praised the declared proclamation for Dr. Andrea Harris that “was read beautifully by our Mayor,” according to Elliott.
The proclamation reads:
WHEREAS, Dr. Andrea L. Harris was born in Sumter, South Carolina; and
WHEREAS, Andrea L. Harris grew up in Henderson, North Carolina where she resided for the majority of her life; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Andrea L. Harris earned a bachelor’s degree at Bennett College and received an honorary doctorate from Bennett College; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Andrea L. Harris is best known for the impact she made on the African American community and working with minority business owners; and
WHEREAS, in 1986, Dr. Harris co-founded the North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development, a nonprofit organization that focuses on promoting business diversity for minorities, women, and disabled individuals: and
WHEREAS, during her lifetime, Dr. Andrea L. Harris received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Triangle Business Journal, and Governor Roy Cooper stated “Andrea Harris was a trailblazer who never stopped fighting for social and racial equity in our state.”; and
WHEREAS, the City of Henderson lost one of its most influential civil-rights figures with the passing of Dr. Andrea L. Harris on May 20, 2020.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Henderson City Council, on behalf of all our citizens, hereby goes on record as recognizing the contributions made by Dr. Andrea L. Harris and offers her family this sincere expression of condolence.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be presented to her family.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the City of Henderson in the State of North Carolina this the 8th day of June 2020.
-Eddie Ellington, Mayor
To hear the Town Talk segment in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk. Discussion on the Henderson City Council and budget begins at the 24:12 mark.