Former police chief says he’s ready to serve again

By Jeremy Twitchell

Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009 | 5:15 p.m.

Former Henderson Police Chief Michael Mayberry has become the fifth and final candidate to join the race to be Henderson's next mayor.

Mayberry retired in 2005 after 29 years with the Henderson Police Department, including almost six as chief. He cited health reasons.

"I still had the heart to serve, but physically, my heart was saying I needed to take a break," he said.

Now, after four years of rest and rejuvenation, Mayberry said he is ready to rejoin the community in an active role.

"Honestly, I just want to serve again," he said. "It's great to be retired, but it's also great to be getting back in the swing of things."

Mayberry joins a crowded race to succeed Mayor James B. Gibson, who is unable to seek a fourth term because of the state's term limits law. He will be up against two current members of the City Council, Andy Hafen and Steve Kirk, former City Councilwoman Amanda Cyphers and attorney Richard Sipan.

Mayberry said he worked closely with Cyphers, Hafen and Kirk when he was police chief, and that he respects all three of them and considers them friends. But with Henderson's budget crisis and the possibility of a deep recession making things more difficult, Mayberry said he felt the city could benefit from his experience in an executive role.

"We've grown very rapidly as a city," Mayberry said. "With that growth, there have been some problems that have come up. I think we need someone with executive-level experience within the city, who can take a close look at a budget and make difficult decisions."

During Mayberry's tenure as police chief, the Henderson Police Department garnered international accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, added a SWAT team and expanded its Community Policing program.

"I'm not going to try to take credit for (the department's achievements), because it was really the people I worked with that did it," Mayberry said. "I just led it. That's the kind of leadership I would bring to the mayor's office."

If elected, Mayberry said his top priorities would be job creation by attracting businesses, public safety and preserving Henderson's small-town feel.

"The thing that I always loved about Henderson is we are a community," he said. "Henderson people kind of watch out for each other and I want there to still be that small-town feeling."

To that end, Mayberry said he would institute the same open-door policy that he had when he was police chief.

"I always felt that was extremely important and it will be the same if I'm fortunate enough to serve as mayor," he said.

Early voting for the municipal primary election runs from March 21 to April 3, with the election date set for April 7. In the event that no candidate in a race captures more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary, the top two finishers in the race would face off in the general election June 2.

Jeremy Twitchell can be reached at 990-8928 or [email protected].