Business View Civil & Municipal | July 2022

107 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 just looks nice. It has a good, homey feel. So we promote the city as ‘feels like home,’ but it’s not really a slogan. It’s the truth.” While Henderson, Texas is centrally located near several major hubs, including Dallas, Houston, and Shreveport, Louisiana, they’ve managed to maintain a small town atmosphere. “We all know each other and we’re very comfortable here,” says Henderson Mayor Buzz Fullen. “We have good churches, good schools. We have a really good program going on here at the city; a lot of good team members. Things run very smooth and we like it that way. It’s a very convenient place to be, to put it that way.” In addition to perfectly manicured lawns, the city has an abundance of park space that fits the needs of residents of all ages. Each park includes a variety of green space, playground equipment, grilling areas, and gazebos. “We have five parks within the city limit, and we have three major parks that are very well child-oriented,” Fullen HENDERSON, TEXAS explains. “Two of those have splash pads, they have skate parks, they have trails all over – walking trails for older adults or young adults.” Henderson has been focused on its parks since 2009, investing heavily to make them perfect for the growing needs of its citizens. “The parks are very successful now,” Fullen reports. “The property value the land is on is worth over $11 million, so it’s very good land and we have a lot of it. We’re very proud of our recreation and our parks.” Many of the city’s trails are interconnected or located nearby Henderson’s historic downtown, which is best described as “a real working downtown.” The bustling city center is filled with shops, restaurants, and offices nestled inside buildings that pre-date the American Civil War. The area has been kept up through a strong main street program that has run in the city since 1988. “We have some nice shops that have antiques and gifts and things like that, and we