Hendersonville aldermen approve first reading of FY2026 budget after contentious pay-plan fight

Hendersonville's Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted on first reading May 27 to adopt the city's fiscal year 2026 budget (Ordinance 25-O-9) with an amended employee pay plan commonly called "scenario 5." The vote to adopt the amendment replacing the mayor's salary language passed after a series of motions and roll-call votes; the ordinance as amended cleared first reading and the board set second reading for June 24.

The pay amendment was introduced by Alderman Autumn Robertson and sought to change Section 13 of the proposed budget to the scenario she described as prioritizing “the year of the employee.” The adopted amendment provides, among other elements discussed at length, a 2% cost-of-living adjustment for all employees, a 2.5% merit component for eligible employees and a supplemental 6% increase targeted to employees up through pay grade 25 who were not covered by a prior midyear adjustment.

Why it matters: The budget debate centered on whether to direct larger increases to first responders and mid-level supervisory positions identified in a 2023 pay…