Henderson County commissioners vote to pursue $25M farmland preservation bond; set special meeting

The Henderson County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously July 15 to pursue a general obligation bond referendum of up to $25 million to finance farmland preservation and authorized a special called meeting for July 27 to meet the Board of Elections timeline.

County Attorney Russ Burrell and Finance Director Samantha Reynolds outlined the legal and financing timeline for placing a general obligation bond on the November ballot and said missing the presented timeline would force any referendum to the 2028 primary. Burrell told commissioners that, if approved by voters, the debt would be repaid through property taxes and become part of property tax bills; he also said there is no separate hardship exemption for the bond levy beyond existing ad valorem tax relief programs available under state law.

Commissioner Rebecca McCall urged development of a public education program to explain farmland preservation, encourage farmer participation and answer homeowner questions about tax impacts. Commissioner William Lapsley described the referendum as “a baby step” toward preserving farmland and emphasized that the board's action was to give voters the choice.

Public commenters during the meeting's public comment period strongly urged the board to place the question on the ballot. Dr. Ken Shelton, identified in the record as a retired physician, told the board farmland acreage has already declined by "approximately 20%" and warned losses could reach 40% if trends continue.

Next steps set by the board include adoption of resolutions to publish notice and apply to the Local Government Commission for bond approval, submitting required statements of fact, and making the formal submission to the Board of Elections by the calendar deadlines. The board set the special called meeting for July 27, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. to finalize the materials for election officials.

The board vote to proceed was unanimous.