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Mayor and city manager clash over Council Chambers use; Narcan training moved
Summary
A dispute between Mayor Melissa Elliott and City Manager Hassan T. Kingsberry over authority to schedule Council Chambers led to cancellation and relocation of a Narcan administration training; council and manager agreed to a two‑week notice requirement to coordinate events.
HENDERSON, N.C. — A disagreement over who has authority to schedule and manage events in Council Chambers led to a publicized conflict between Mayor Melissa Elliott and City Manager Hassan T. Kingsberry at the Sept. 2 special meeting of the Henderson City Council.
Manager Kingsberry told the council he needs adequate notice—more than a week—to confirm room availability, staffing and safety protocols, and said recent A/C problems added to the logistical concerns. Mayor Elliott countered that similar trainings had taken place in Council Chambers without incident and said Catherine Hazlett, the planned instructor for a Narcan administration and substance‑use event, had been told at different times both that the training would be held and that it would be canceled.
Kingsberry said he called Ms. Hazlett to cancel the Council Chambers reservation; the training was moved to McGregor Hall. Police Chief Marcus Barrow intervened during the discussion to maintain calm in the chambers.
Seeking to resolve scheduling disputes, Councilmember Sam Seifert proposed a two‑week notice requirement; both the mayor and the city manager agreed to that timeframe during the meeting.
Separately, councilmembers discussed concerns about contract handling and alleged harassment involving the city manager; Kingsberry agreed to resume providing weekly reports to the council, and members were asked to avoid "reply‑all" email exchanges to limit unintentional meetings. The council did not take formal disciplinary action during the Sept. 2 meeting.
