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Henderson City Council votes 6–2 to let City Manager Hassan T. Kingsberry remain through December
Summary
The Henderson City Council approved a 6–2 motion to allow City Manager/City Attorney Hassan T. Kingsberry to stay through December while the council searches for a replacement; debate centered on whether the city should fund his $4,500 UNC training and on a social-media post the mayor called defamatory.
Henderson — The Henderson City Council voted 6–2 on Aug. 22 to permit City Manager and City Attorney Hassan T. Kingsberry to remain in his role through December while the council looks for a new manager and city attorney.
Councilmember Sara M. Coffey moved the approval; Councilmember Lamont Noel seconded the motion, which passed with Coffey, Noel, Sam Seifert, Garry D. Daeke, Ola Thorpe-Cooper and Tami Walker voting yes and Geraldine Champion and Michael Venable voting no.
Mr. Kingsberry had asked the council both to rescind his prior resignation and to allow him to attend the UNC School of Government’s Municipal and County Administration Program. He said the program fee was $4,500 and that a scholarship application was not awarded. "I applied for a scholarship, but it was not awarded," the minutes state.
Councilmember Geraldine Champion opposed using city funds for the training, citing Mr. Kingsberry’s prior resignation and saying the City had already spent more than $11,700 on previous training and development.
Mayor Melissa Elliott raised a separate concern about a social-media post by Mr. Kingsberry that she described as "negative and slanderous," saying it accused her of illegal and unethical behavior. She asked Mr. Kingsberry to "either produce factual evidence or cease making defamatory statements about her." Mr. Kingsberry replied that the council should focus on the decision about rescinding his resignation and the training request and warned that addressing the post could lead to further contention.
Councilmember Michael Venable said he was concerned about approving the $4,500 expense while the manager had resigned, emphasizing fiscal responsibility.
The motion to allow Mr. Kingsberry to stay through December passed 6–2. The council subsequently convened a closed session for personnel and attorney-client matters and returned to open session before adjourning at 4:30 p.m.
