Thornton Township trustees were set to hold a meeting on Tuesday, but concerns over safety have led to a lack of quorum for the proceedings to take place.
According to a letter from Trustees Carmen Carlisle and Christopher Gonzalez, those safety concerns were raised at a previous meeting of the board in September, and a lack of action has led to their decision not to attend the meeting.
“Despite numerous attempts to address these issues with the supervisor’s office, we have yet to receive a response regarding the safety plan that is essential for ensuring a secure environment for all attendees,” the letter read, in part.
Tuesday’s meeting was set to feature discussion on numerous pieces of old business, including an approval of an ordinance protecting whistleblowers in the township, and a motion to require Supervisor Tiffany Henyard to retain separate legal counsel in several pending court cases.
The township was also expected to further debate a budget for the new fiscal year, with Thornton currently operating without such a budget amid disagreements between Henyard and some members of the board.
During a late September meeting, some members of the board issued calls for investigations into Henyard’s spending as supervisor, but she dismissed such calls as stemming from “hate, jealousy and envy,” according to CBS News.
Public comment during that September meeting became heated, with police eventually called into the event to restore order. Those interruptions ultimately led board members to demand changes to safety protocols, but according to their letter, no such changes have taken place.
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“It is our priority to make informed decisions that prioritize the well-being of our community,” Carlisle and Gonzalez said in their letter.
Thornton Township remains without a budget. The board’s next meeting is currently set for Nov. 19, according to the clerk’s office.
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