For the first time in several weeks, the Village of Dolton achieved a quorum and held a public meeting Wednesday night as trustees and Mayor Tiffany Henyard were finally under the same roof.
It comes after weeks of cancelled and delayed meetings due to concerns over safety. The Illinois Attorney General also ruled the village was in violation of the Open Meetings Act, forcing Dolton to meet in a larger park district building until further notice.
“This is an embarrassment to Dolton. Why won’t you step down?” one resident said during public comment, criticizing Henyard, who is facing an FBI investigation.
Henyard has been clashing with a majority of the trustees this year over spending, the village's budget and the fate of the Village’s finances which is suffering from a nearly $3 million deficit.
Henyard has denied wrongdoing amid the federal investigation, as well as a separate trustee-sponsored investigation led by former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Henyard also spent some of Wednesday sending a social media message to President-elect Donald Trump, according to her Facebook page, inviting Trump to meet with her to discuss issues in Thornton Township.
“Congratulations President Trump!!” Henyard wrote on Facebook. “I have a lot of great ideas and believe we can work together for the greater good. Let’s make America Great Again. I also sent you a message. Check your inbox.”
During Wednesday’s meeting, Henyard, who is running for re-election early next year, predicted a win.
“Just like Trump, I’m coming in on a landslide,” she said. “Unfortunately, Democrats didn’t do their job.”
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One of her opponents in the mayoral race, trustee Jason House, has criticized the Mayor and said during Wednesday’s meeting Henyard is making life difficult for small businesses in Dolton.
“Dolton is the only community where — in order to get a business license or a liquor license — you need an attorney,” House said, echoing a common complaint from vendors and small businesses.
Wednesday’s meeting featured an hours-long agenda, where Henyard also moved to hire a new village police chief, but that hire is already facing legal challenges.
The Village Board voted down Henyard's selection for Police Chief, Ronald Burge Sr., though he will be allowed to serve for 30 days in an interim role as legal challenges mount.
