After police chief ousted, petition calls for Henderson city manager’s replacement

An online petition that calls for Henderson City Manager Stephanie Garcia-Vause to be replaced surfaced Tuesday.

The development came four days after the city announced the firing of former police Chief Hollie Chadwick, a move that was questioned and criticized by some in the community.

As of early Tuesday afternoon, the petition on the Change.org online platform had nearly 50 signatures.

According to the city, the decision to terminate Chadwick was made by Garcia-Vause. A news release issued by the city Thursday cited “leadership styles” that were at odds and Garcia-Vause’s belief that Chadwick wouldn’t “improve the (police) department’s culture and operations.”

Chadwick, who started at the department in 2002, was named chief of police in May 2023.

The petition was started by Jeff Crampton, a Henderson real estate agent who previously served as a civilian board member for the Henderson Police Association.

On the petition’s information page, Crampton said that Garcia-Vause “is neither qualified for her position, nor has she held it long enough to make such a consequential decision.”

Garcia-Vause served as an assistant city manager in Henderson for nearly seven years before taking over as city manager Jan. 22, according to her bio page.

The petition calls for Chadwick supporters to attend Henderson’s City Council meeting on March 18.

An attempt by the Review-Journal to reach Garcia-Vause on Tuesday was unsuccessful. A city spokesperson said the city did not have a reaction to the petition.

Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.