“Find people that are passionate about something and get them involved; support them and get out of their way.” It seems simple, but it is an effective view of leadership when one looks at the tenure of City of Henderson Mayor Bobby King.
King retires this year after 16 years in office, a term which faced a number of challenges and successes but is highlighted by his effective use of those around him.
The 2009 city budget was one of King’s earliest challenges as mayor. “We had to make some tough cuts and increase revenue,” he said, reminiscing that the board faced balancing a difficult budget during a poor economy. “I’m very proud of that board and the department heads, how hard they worked to do that. It positioned us to come out of that a whole lot better and we recovered greatly after.”
The city has come quite some way since that budget, touting an 80% lower debt and increased funding to take on projects. The city’s revenue has increased as well, King said, with sales tax revenue having more than doubled since he took the helm.
Other accomplishments for the city King noted included growth for Gene Record Park, local industry, the Barbecue Festival, city departments, an improvement in the city’s technology and the procurement of millions of dollars in grants.
Gene Record Memorial Park continues to grow, having benefited from a number of grants and small investments. In this past year, the city board leveraged ARPA funding together with park grants for more than $1 million, said King. He credits his wife, Theresa, with encouraging him in his early days in office to see the value in creating a space for community. With a conscious decision to give attention to its growth, the city hired Parks Superintendent Deena Azevedo and appointed a volunteer Park Board. Today, the park boasts public wi-fi, walking trails with exercise stations, a specialized playground, picnic areas, a water spashpad, dog park and of course, the large welded butterfly where everyone stops for a photo op. With the most recently acquired grant, a playground for older children will be installed along with pavilions and weather-rated bathrooms.
“It’s a community park, the whole community was involved in what made that park what it is today,” King said, again eluding to the trick to success - support them and get out of their way.
In addition to the improvements at Gene Record Park, the city installed Sue Shelton Park downtown, which is also wi-fi accessible and has been known to host art shows and “Pickin’ in the Park.”
King came through on his first goal, “Get a website for the city.” Not only does Henderson now have their very own website, the city was one of the first GIG cities in West Tennessee.
The city worked with the Henderson|Chester County Chamber of Commerce over the past 16 years in developing and furthering local industry. King said the Chamber has been instrumental in acquiring manufacturing grants. As a result, he said, this year the city received more than $200,000 in real and personal property taxes from city industrial parks, and the county received $500,000 in real and personal property taxes. The Chamber has played a key part in the city’s economic development, he said.
In addition to the honor of serving as president on the Tennessee Municipality Board, King said Henderson was home to two National Champion Basketball teams during his tenure. He does not claim to be responsibility there, though.
As his retirement approaches, King leaves the city in good standing for the future and in capable hands. “The city’s finances are stronger than we’ve ever been this year,” he said. The fund balance has grown, and the bond rating is expected to be raised this year. “That’s because of the hard work of the board and department heads, and, you’ve got to give credit where credit is due, Jim Garland (City Recorder).”
King’s advice for incoming mayor Terry Bell? “Always be an advocate for the City of Henderson.”
