The Village of Dolton, a suburb in south Chicago, is currently facing allegations of corruption due to the extravagant spending habits of its mayor, Tiffany Henyard. Despite the village’s mounting debt, Mayor Henyard has been making questionable financial decisions, as reported by Chicago’s WMAQ-TV.
The situation has become so dire that the village’s police cars are at risk of being repossessed due to unpaid car loan payments. Sources reveal that six police cars and six other vehicles from the Public Works Department are in jeopardy.
Additionally, a village trustee has accused Mayor Henyard of obstructing transparency by refusing to open the books and reveal the destination of the funds to both the board and the public.
“A few months ago, we were $7 million in debt,” Trustee Brittny Norwood noted.
Henyard finds herself entangled in an increasing amount of disputes, according to recent reports. Ranging from questions regarding her extravagant expenditures to a legal case accusing her of wrongfully dismissing the village’s police chief, the mayor’s challenges are mounting.
Trustee Jason House informed the press that he has forwarded grievances from village suppliers claiming they have not received payment, yet it appears that Henyard’s office is disregarding the notifications.
“I’ve received no less than 10 messages from different vendors, every time I turn them over to the mayor’s office and it really falls on deaf ears,” House told the media.
In today’s paper, Tiffany Henyard: Dolton’s “dictator” mayor https://t.co/IR6Qw8uN8g pic.twitter.com/2P8fd8hYMe
— Steven Vago (@Vagoish) February 16, 2024
“It’s on the back of the mayor,” Belch said. “We are the legislative body, she want us to do our job, because she says we never do our job. Our job is to make sure the finances are in order and she’s not allowing us to do our job.”
Henyard is facing scrutiny for his annual earnings of $280,000, indulgent trips to Las Vegas and other cities, and the hiring of a costly PR firm to enhance the village’s reputation. Dolton trustees and residents are not the only ones interested in reviewing the financial records. The Illinois attorney general has also insisted that Henyard disclose the books for scrutiny of spending patterns.
WGN-TV in Chicago had submitted a Freedom of Information Act application to access Dolton’s financial records, but the request was disregarded. This prompted the station to escalate the matter to state authorities, resulting in a rare binding directive being issued.
“In the opinion, the Village of Dolton is directed to respond as soon as possible to the request,” a spokeswoman for Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a Feb. 9 message to WGN. “The village has 35 days after the issuance of the opinion to either comply or contest the opinion in court.”
WGN had previously stated that documentation revealed Thornton Township, where Henyard holds an elected position, has utilized nearly $67,000 in township funds for trips to Portland, Austin, Atlanta, and New York City.
Illinois ‘super mayor’ Tiffany Henyard uses cops to harass enemies, puts face on posters across town ‘like a dictator’: residents https://t.co/JMgWar5hDU pic.twitter.com/DGfbUfCPx5
— New York Post (@nypost) February 15, 2024
The expenses for accommodations were extravagant. During Henyard’s visit to Atlanta, her group spent a total of $9,347 on hotels. In comparison, when they traveled to New York City, their hotel expenses skyrocketed to an even larger amount of $13,098.
However, despite her lavish spending, Henyard, who currently serves as Dolton’s mayor, is desperately trying to conceal her financial activities. According to a report by WFLD-TV, on February 14, when citizens attempted to attend a public board meeting, Henyard stationed a police officer at the entrance to prevent their entry. Instead, the citizens were redirected to a different room and informed that the meeting would take place there. However, the meeting never actually occurred in the separate room. By the time the residents discovered the truth, the meeting had concluded, and Henyard had already fled the premises.
The citizens of Dolton have every right to access the city’s financial records. They also deserve to have confidence that their tax dollars are being spent wisely by Dolton’s officials. However, with the state potentially becoming involved, one cannot help but question how much longer Mayor Henyard can continue evading accountability and hiding from the truth.
