Henderson City Council names Richard Derrick city manager

Henderson Interim City Manager Richard Derrick during a city council meeting at Henderson City Hall in Henderson, Tuesday, March 6, 2018. Erik Verduzco Las Vegas Review-Journal @Erik_Verduzco

The Henderson City Council voted Tuesday night to take the interim tag off Richard Derrick’s title and make him city manager.

“It is an honor to have been selected to serve as Henderson’s next city manager, and I thank the mayor and council for their vote of confidence in my leadership abilities,” Derrick said.

Derrick, who was named interim city manager in February, was assistant city manager and chief financial officer before City Manager Robert Murnane announced his retirement Jan. 29.

He said he would focus on public safety, education and enhancement of the quality of life.

“As someone who grew up in this community and raised my family here, I am proud to call Henderson my home and to give back to a city that has given me so much,” he said.

Derrick’s salary and start date have not been set, city spokesman David Cherry said.

Mayor Debra March read the city staff’s recommendation of Derrick for city manager: “He has been an exemplary leader and demonstrated his ability to present a clear vision,” she said. “He represents diverse interests, and most importantly, Richard has delivered results.”

Council members emphasized the need for the new city manager to focus on a growing city and take a “nontraditional approach.”

“We are on a verge of unprecedented times in our city, of challenges of growth of stability, and so we need to look in how we manage that,” Councilman John Marz said.

Derrick replied, “We heard you about the organizational structure. We will work with that. We will be innovative, and we will push the envelope to something even higher, higher aspirations.”

Body cameras and education

The council also awarded a five-year contract not to exceed $3 million to Georgia-based Utility Associates for body cameras and a new dashcam program for the Henderson Police Department.

The department initially plans to deploy about 300 body cameras and 250 dashcams, according to city documents.

Starting July 1, Nevada law requires officers who regularly interact with the public to wear cameras.

The council also approved more than $1.4 million to be given to 32 Henderson schools. That includes more than $1.3 million in tax revenue from the Downtown and Eastside redevelopment areas to be disbursed among 22 schools in those zones. Nearly $150,000, 30 percent of recreational marijuana license fees from the first six months of sales, will go to 10 other schools, Cherry said.

More than 35 schools submitted applications requesting nearly $3 million, according to a city release.

“Henderson residents value education, and they support our efforts to improve student outcomes by investing in our local schools,” March said in a statement.

Contact Briana Erickson at berickson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5244. Follow @brianarerick on Twitter.