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Henderson council approves Sister City relationship with Kigali despite objections
Summary
The Henderson City Council voted 6–2 to establish a Sister City relationship with Kigali, Rwanda, after Mayor Melissa Elliott said the partnership would not cost the city; two councilmembers voted no and some residents urged that public funds not be used for the effort.
The Henderson City Council voted 6–2 on April 14 to establish a Sister City relationship with Kigali, Rwanda, a move Mayor Melissa Elliott described as an opportunity for cultural exchange that would not require city expenditures.
Councilmembers Michael Venable, Garry D. Daeke, Ola Thorpe-Cooper, Tami Walker, Geraldine Champion and Sara M. Coffey voted in favor of Resolution 25-14. Councilmembers Lamont Noel and Sam Seifert voted against the resolution.
During the public-comment period, Melissa Lemmond urged the council to reduce the tax rate and explicitly asked that a Sister City relationship not involve spending public funds; Mary Susan Williams separately called for transparency in the upcoming budget because rising property values and taxes place financial strain on residents on fixed incomes.
Mayor Elliott told the council the proposed relationship would be a cultural and friendship opportunity and 'would not be a cost to the City.' The resolution passed without conditions recorded in the meeting minutes; no follow-up financial commitments were made during the April 14 meeting.
The motion was introduced and passed under new business; councilmembers who opposed the resolution did not identify specific alternative partners during the recorded discussion. The council did not take a subsequent vote limiting any future expenditures related to the Sister City relationship during this meeting.
