First Methodist Church’s preschool serves more than 120 Henderson families. When its back retaining wall needed repair, HEDCO agreed to pay half if the school kept its teachers for five years. It’s a good cause. The order of the approvals deserves a closer look.
This story is part of our review of every performance agreement the Henderson Economic Development Corporation has made. A performance agreement is a contract: HEDCO puts up sales tax money, land or work, and a business promises something in return, usually investment and jobs. We are not suggesting anyone did anything wrong. We are asking whether the public can see what was promised and whether anyone checks.
| The deal at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Recipient | First Methodist Church Preschool |
| HEDCO action | Requests July 15 and August 19, 2025; public hearing and agreement December 16, 2025; amendments January 20 and February 17, 2026 |
| City Council approval | November 18, 2025 (item 22); amendment February 17, 2026 |
| Incentive | 50% of an about $65,000 repair, about $32,500 |
| Promised in return | Keep 30 to 35 teaching positions for at least 5 years |
| Agreement text public? | No |
What the record shows
Mr. Gardella told the council on November 18, 2025 that the preschool asked HEDCO to fix part of the wall, and HEDCO asked it to fix the whole wall properly instead, paying half. A council member whose family is served by the preschool abstained.
On February 17, 2026 the council approved an amendment. A different engineer found the wall could be repaired with added rebar instead of rebuilt, which changed the price by about $2,200, and the school got six more months to start work. The same council member abstained again. Mr. Gardella also told the council in November that the bank next door had asked HEDCO for help with its own retaining wall.
What’s missing
What the public record leaves out
- The order of approvals. The council approved the agreement on November 18, 2025. HEDCO’s own agenda shows the public hearing and the board’s action on December 16, 2025, a month later. State law generally requires a Type B corporation to hold its public hearing before it spends on a project.
- The exact amount after the amendment, and whether payment is made only after the work is finished.
- How the five-year teaching requirement will be checked, and what happens if it isn’t met.
- Whether the bank’s request was ever made formally, and what HEDCO did with it.
Our ask
What would make this deal easy to check
- Publish the agreement and amendment.
- Confirm the public hearing came before any spending.
- Adopt a written rule for retaining wall and building repair requests, so every property owner who asks is treated the same.
Sources: HEDCO agendas for July 15, August 19 and December 16, 2025, and January 20 and February 17, 2026; Henderson City Council meetings, November 18, 2025 and February 17, 2026 (recordings); HEDCO notice of projects for fiscal year 2025-26.