Dixon Announces Bid for Alderman

 Karen Dixon is running for Alderman in Ward 4, she announced recently. Here's more:

I am introducing myself as a 2020 candidate for Hendersonville Alderman in Ward 4. My husband and I have lived in Hendersonville since 2012 and fell in love with this city and the people in it. We have two wonderful grown children; a daughter living in Japan with her husband who is a chief in the US Navy, and a son who lives here in Tennessee as well.

I retired in 2018 with a fortune 20 company with 35 years of service.  During my career, I worked in various corporate leadership roles in Finance, Quality Compliance and Regulatory Affairs. I most recently have worked as an independent consultant in the area of FDA Regulation. I also enjoy being a volunteer with the Middle Tennessee Literacy Council.

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A "Bare Bones" Budget

The Hendersonville Standard has the story of the city's initial budget proposal for FY21:

Hendersonville leaders on Tuesday voted 12 to 1 on first reading for a “bare-bones” 2020-2021 fiscal year budget that does not require a property tax increase, spends more than $4 million than it takes in, and leaves a projected end fund balance of $118,000.

Still, at a time when revenue is uncertain due to the impact of COVID-19, most of the city’s aldermen expressed relief at not having to ask for a tax increase as well as not having to lay off any of the city’s more than 300 employees.

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The Secret List

Who will be Hendersonville's next (first) City Administrator?

Well, we can't know because City officials are keeping the names of the five finalists secret. This seems to fly in the face of open records laws, but City officials insist their behind the scenes behavior is totally appropriate.

The Hendersonville Standard has more:

The list of those vying to be Hendersonville’s first permanent city administrator has been narrowed down to five, according to Dave LeMarbre who currently holds the position on an interim basis.   

The list will be narrowed down further before it’s made public who the final candidates are, LeMarbre added. 

The candidates include: 

A county administrator from Mississippi; a chief of staff for a city council in Wisconsin; a former city manager from Ohio; a police chief from Kansas; a chief administrative officer for a mayor in Alabama; a deputy city manager from a city larger than Hendersonville in Virginia; a chief of staff for a city manager in a large city in Florida; an interim village manager in Illinois; a city manager from a small East Tennessee town; the chief executive and administrative officer for a Pennsylvania city of similar size and budget to Hendersonville; and a town manager for a small town in North Carolina with a budget about one-fourth the size of Hendersonville’s.

One woman and one professional who is currently working in Tennessee are among the 11 candidates. None of the candidates are former or current Hendersonville employees, nor are any of the candidates current or former Hendersonville elected officials. 

The secrecy surrounding the process is allegedly to avoid further "political strife." However, it seems that by keeping the names of applicants secret, the process is only adding to the tension surrounding the process.

Typically, the selection process for public officials is relatively transparent. Lists of names are released once the application deadline is met. As the process narrows candidates, the list of finalists is also typically released. Often, meetings to narrow candidates are held in public, with opportunities for public forums or other comment on potential leaders.

It's not clear what statutory authority City Attorney John Bradley is using to justify this super secret process.

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