Some members of Kendleton City Council were surprised during Thursday’s budget workshop when they discovered a new city secretary, Dominique Spears, had been hired without their knowledge. Mayor Darryl Humphrey Sr. made this decision without council input. Christina Flores, the previous secretary, had been fired on August 23, with reasons undisclosed, though some council members had wanted her removal for months. The council also discussed the 2024 budget, agreeing to maintain the current tax rate at a recent meeting.