Henderson approves 2022-2023 Budget / ARP expenditures

The City of Henderson’s 2022-2023 Budget and Tax Ordinance was approved on the final reading with all in favor last Thursday during their June meeting.
The tax rate is tentatively calculated at $0.8798 per $100 assessment. The final calculation and certification of the tax rate will take place after assessment appeals are heard around July 1 and the 2022 city tax rate will be adjusted to match the final certified rate.
The board also passed the expenditures of the ARP (America Rescue Plan) funds on the final reading with all aldermen in favor.
In regards to the TDEC ARP funds, the city board passed an ordinance amending water and sewage rates to fund the depreciation expense related to the proposed water and sewage projects to be done with the funds.
There was already a 2.5% increase on water and sewage rates that was approved, and now there will be an additional 2.5% increase to offset the depreciation of the TDEC ARP projects; in total there will be a five% increase.
This increase will take effect on all bills with a due date after July 1, 2022.
There will be a five% (compounded) increase with the utility bills with a due date on or after July 1, 2023 and again increased by an additional five% (compounded) for any utility bills with a due date on or after July 1, 2024.
The expenditures are as follows: City Hall buildout project – $650,000; city park grant matching funds – $500,000; police equipment (drone and body cameras) – $30,000; police vehicles with upfitting – $134,000; fire equipment – $55,000; fire vehicles (chief’s truck) – $40,000; two public works vehicles – $80,000; a sanitation truck – $175,000; street lighting – $100,000 and funds in reserve at $122,800.
Additionally, all were in favor of approving the 3.5% cost of living increase as well as the standard pay scales for all city departments.
The 2022-2023 Henderson Utility Department Operations and Capital Expenditure budget was also approved.
All aldermen were also in favor of amending the Municipal Zoning Ordinance to permit distribution centers, mini storage units, and warehouses within the Light Industrial District, Heavy Industrial District and the Retail industrial District as permitted use.
When it came to the zoning action to consider an appeal of a decision of the planning commission to not recommend the rezoning of property located at 436/440 Fourth Street (owner: Sylvia Flowers) from R-2 Residential to I – Industrial. All aldermen were in favor of NOT rezoning the property due to the issue of spot-zoning and the aldermen not seeing the purpose of rezoning the entire area.