Henderson Mayor Pete O’Geary opened Monday’s meeting of the Henderson City Council by responding to accusations of bad faith negotiations made in The Daily Dispatch and what the mayor characterized as “conversations around town”.
Here is the text of O’Geary’s response:
“There have been many comments made in the local media, via letters to the editor, and in conversations around town about the City of Henderson not working fairly with Vance County in negotiations for the sale of water for its proposed county-wide water system. Normally, I do not publicly address such comments; however, for the sake of transparency and good intergovernmental cooperation, I feel that I must do so now.
First and foremost, the City of Henderson is very supportive of Vance County’s efforts to build a county-wide water system. Development of this type of infrastructure can only help the County and City move forward in the future.
Secondly, and quite importantly, the City of Henderson has never once, and will not tie county-wide zoning to the sale of water. Both are important issues and both are separate issues that must stand on their own merits.
Thirdly, and equally important, the City of Henderson is not trying to “hold up” the County on how much it must pay for water. While negotiations continue, the proposed sale price has always been, and still is, less than that established for both Kittrell and Franklin County. The lower rate is based on the fact that the County will be a large volume user for 40 years and the County’s success in developing its water system is good for both the County and City’s future economic wen being.
One of the City’s Core Values, Core Value 9, is this: “We value a good working relationship with the County of Vance and believe by working together in a cooperative effort we can better address the strategic challenges and opportunities facing our community.”
It is in this spirit that we will continue to work with and negotiate in good faith with the County regarding the proposed county-wide water system. It is also in this vein that we will continue to seek to meet with the County to discuss solutions for more equitable funding formulae for the several joint programs provided by both jurisdictions. Finally we will always seek to work with the County to address opportunities that help improve the lives of our citizens and the quality of life within our community.”