Henderson City Council sets salary for new city manager and appoints permanent city attorney

The Henderson City Council on Jan. 6 voted unanimously to set the salary for its new city manager, identified in the meeting as Hassan T. Kingsberry, at $161,906.40 per year and to appoint Kingsberry as the city’s permanent city attorney.

The actions followed a closed-session personnel discussion convened under N.C.G.S. § 143-318.11(a)(6). Councilmember Sara M. Coffey moved to set the new city manager’s salary; Councilmember Ola Thorpe-Cooper seconded the motion, which the council approved unanimously. Councilmember Michael Venable then moved to appoint Hassan T. Kingsberry as permanent city attorney, a motion seconded by Councilmember Geraldine Champion and approved unanimously. The meeting record notes Lamont Noel, Sam Seifert and Garry D. Daeke were absent for the votes.

The motion to appoint Kingsberry as permanent city attorney included a proviso that, if a conflict of interest arose, the city would seek outside legal counsel. The minutes do not elaborate further on staffing transitions or whether the appointments create overlapping duties; the record lists E. Terrell Blackmon as city manager on the meeting attendance roster and identifies Hassan T. Kingsberry as interim city attorney prior to the votes.

Mayor Melissa Elliott presided over the special called meeting, which began at 11:58 a.m. and adjourned at approximately 12:35 p.m. The clerk’s note records that Councilmember Geraldine Champion arrived just after roll call at 11:59 a.m. The minutes show no separate roll-call vote tallies by name; both motions are recorded as approved unanimously with the three absentees listed.

No ordinances, budget measures, or additional policy actions were recorded in the minutes. The council took the personnel actions as its sole substantive business and adjourned.