The Henderson Mayor and Board of Aldermen met this Thursday, May 14, in City Hall. All members except Michael Phelps were in attendance.
The U.S. Small Business Administration presented before the Board, offering long-term, low-interest loans for those who might still be affected by the ice storm earlier this year. These loans are for both individual properties and businesses.
There was consideration of a resolution approving a 3% cost of living raise for city employees. This would affect employee longevity, bonus pay, police and fire specialist stipends, and the standard pay scales for all city departments. This raise does not apply to elected officials. This was approved by the Board.
Next on the agenda was an ordinance to increase Water and Sewer rates by 5%, effective July 1, 2026. This is in an effort to keep the state out of Henderson’s water and Sewer rates and keep rates as low as possible for residents. This ordinance was passed.
Also, there was consideration of keeping the TCRS Matching Retirement rate at 10% for the ‘26-’27 budget year. The required rate is only at 7.03%, but in an effort to keep up with the rising cost of living, the city has set it at 10%. This was approved with the intent to revisit in a future year.
There was consideration of the passing of the ‘26-’27 Budget and Tax Rate Ordinance on the first reading. Mayor Bell expressed great satisfaction with the work that the budget committee put into this work. The tax rate remains the same at $0.6859. This ordinance was approved, and there will be a public hearing in the next month.
Next, there was an amendment considered on sections 4-222 and 4-223 of the Municipal Code pertaining to employee vacation and sick leave policies. This would improve on the amount of time allotted to longer-term city employees. This was approved and is retroactive for this year.
Approval was considered of an upgrade to the Utility department’s automatic meter system. This would include both hardware and software. While their current system was only installed in 2019, the technology has already become outdated. This upgrade would be in order to serve the city by providing more accurate readings on water meters. The upgrade would cost $64,479.64 with a maintenance contract of $14,294.76. This was approved by the Board.
Finally, approval of the repair of a high-pressure gas valve on Mill St. was considered. The cost to repair this leak would be $ 46,180 and is in budget. This repair was approved.
