Henderson Economic Development Corporation
HEDCO spends a dedicated share of local sales tax on jobs, business recruitment and development projects. Its board is appointed by the City Council, and state law requires the council to approve its programs and spending. We track what HEDCO approves, what it pays, and whether the promised results arrive.
Open cases
Updated November 2, 2026HEDCO’s performance agreements: every deal, one place
A plant expansion, a preschool retaining wall, new homes, a new store. The goals are good. The signed contracts and proof of jobs are mostly missing from the public record.
Read the storyCharged to lines with no approved budget
HEDCO’s own year-end report says budget amendments are still needed.
Read the storyCity selling 114 acres to HEDCO
The council minutes show a plat vote, not a vote on the price or the contract.
Read the storyWho serves
Board and staffMeeting notices
From the posting certificate on each published agendaPublished agendas we reviewed from February 2025 to July 2026 that carry a dated posting certificate. Each showed three to six days of notice.
Published copies with a blank certificate: August 5 and August 19, 2025, December 16, 2025, and January 20 and February 17, 2026.
A blank certificate on the website copy does not prove a meeting was posted late. Posting the signed copy online would settle it every time.
Latest HEDCO coverage
Newest first-
HEDCO’s Performance Agreements: Every Deal, One Place
We found 14 performance agreements and incentives in HEDCO’s public record since 2021, and the terms of most are nowhere to be found. Here is every…
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HEDCO’s Performance Agreement With Atwoods
HEDCO approved its Atwoods agreement in July 2026 and is paying for the road, sewer and water work. We can’t find a City Council vote on…
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HEDCO and the Scout Crossing Housing Development
HEDCO paid $99,000 toward Scout Crossing in 2024-25 and another $44,320 in 2025-26 from a line budgeted at zero. The public record doesn’t show the agreement…
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HEDCO’s 2021 Forgivable Loan to Henderson Canvas Products
HEDCO lent Henderson Canvas Products $30,000 in 2021, to be forgiven for six new jobs. Five years later it is still on the books as money…
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HEDCO’s $35,750 “FMC Performance Agreement”
HEDCO’s books show $35,750 paid on an “FMC Performance Agreement” in 2025-26, with no money budgeted for it. We can’t find the agreement on any HEDCO…
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HEDCO’s Housing Deal With Brasso Development
HEDCO agreed to spend $300,000 on site work and provide 9 acres on Evenside for new homes priced around $250,000 to $280,000. The deal has been…
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HEDCO’s Agreement With the Boys Baseball Association
The City Council approved a HEDCO agreement with the Henderson Boys Baseball Association on November 18, 2025, after an explanation the meeting recording never captured. No…
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HEDCO’s Retaining Wall Deal With First Methodist Preschool
HEDCO agreed to pay half of a retaining wall repair at First Methodist Church’s preschool in exchange for keeping 30 to 35 teaching jobs for five…
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HEDCO’s $50,000 for the Civic Center
HEDCO put $50,000 toward meeting room and carpet work at the Henderson Civic Center. The city budget shows the money arriving as a “HEDCO grant” and…
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HEDCO’s $150,000 Deal for the Gifts of Grace Store
HEDCO committed $50,000 a year for three years to Wiseman’s new Gifts of Grace store on the Kilgore highway. The council was told it is retail.…
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HEDCO and Bane Investment Holdings: Three Deals in One Year
HEDCO bought land from Bane Investment Holdings, signed a performance agreement with the company and approved a small business grant for it. Each may be sound.…
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HEDCO’s Land Deal With Velvin Oil
HEDCO is putting long-idle industrial park land into a Velvin Oil expansion in exchange for about $5 million in investment and 15 jobs. A good fit…
What we are watching
Next steps- Signed contracts. A records request for every performance agreement, payment and compliance report HEDCO holds.
- Budget amendments. Whether the amendments HEDCO says it needs go to the City Council in open session.
- The 114-acre purchase. Whether the council takes a separate vote on the price, with the appraisal attached.
HEDCO roster from hendersonedc.com as of November 1, 2026. Notice counts come from agendas HEDCO published online. We are not accusing anyone of wrongdoing; we are asking whether residents can see how this money is spent.