Dolton Village Hall reopened — and then come the fireworks
Mayor Henyard blasts trustees for blocking agenda
Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard reopened a renovated Village Hall Thursday then defended her record during a packed town hall meeting.
Henyard, who also is Thornton Township supervisor, defiantly criticized a Village Board majority for blocking her agenda. Trustees previously voted to pursue a mayoral recall referendum. The Cook County clerk’s office has said Dolton voters will see the question on ballots June 28.
“They put it on there out of hatred, dislike, envy, jealousy — whatever you want to call it,” Henyard told an audience of about 50 people packed into a board meeting room. “I have not done anything wrong.”
Thursday’s town hall was not an official public meeting, but it is believed to be the first time Henyard addressed an audience of citizens in person at Village Hall since taking office last May. Henyard and the Village Board met together for regular public meetings via teleconference for nine months due to the pandemic.
Since February, however, five trustees and the village clerk have held public meetings via teleconference with legislative counsel, an attorney from Burt Odelson’s legal firm. Henyard, Trustee Andrew Holmes and department heads have held informal town halls at the same time trustees have met.
During an afternoon ribbon-cutting ceremony before Thursday’s town hall, Henyard said she hoped to hold her first in-person Village Board meeting with trustees Monday night at Village Hall.
“It’s been a long time and everybody’s sick and tired of COVID,” Henyard said. “I took advantage of the COVID situation. We’ve been remodeling Village Hall.”
Several trustees attended the ribbon-cutting and town hall but did not speak publicly. I asked Trustee Edward Steave for his reaction to the prospect of the Village Board meeting with Henyard in person.
“You get a better feel for the residents when you’re in person,” Steave said. “You get a better feel for the tone of the town and how people feel.”
A short time later, Henyard appealed to residents to pressure the board majority into cooperating with her.
“Would you please let your board of trustees know that they are out of line, that they are wrong, that Mayor Henyard has not done anything wrong and you guys need to work with her and stop working against her,” Henyard said.
“I earned my seat fair and square and I am here to stay,” Henyard said.
Henyard supporters appeared to be in the minority. A few people in the audience applauded her remarks, but most in the crowd reacted with silence.
Earlier this month, the board majority directed Odelson to pursue lawsuits accusing Henyard of spending public funds without board approval, violating policies regarding hiring and firing employees and ignoring requests for financial documents through the Freedom of Information Act.
The fourth lawsuit seeks to challenge Henyard’s eligibility to simultaneously mayor and township supervisor. During her town hall, Henyard said Odelson has represented Christopher Getty, who is both mayor of Lyons and supervisor of Lyons Township.
She said she would seek to fire Odelson as legislative counsel, a move that appears unlikely to be supported by the board majority.
Henyard told the audience it was God’s plan that she serve as both mayor and township supervisor.
“God puts you in places where he wants you,”
Henyard said. “Only God can remove you.”
Henyard said trustees would fail in their attempt to remove her from office.
“You cannot undo what God has meant for me,” Henyard said.
If Henyard was anointed queen of a monarchy, she would lead a form of government in which a supreme sovereign rules with unquestioned power. Actually, the village of Dolton is subject to the same set of democratic laws that apply to the rest of the United States of America.
In a democracy, the legislative branch controls spending and serves as a check on the power of the executive branch. The judicial branch resolves disputes when the other two branches disagree. In this instance, the judicial branch has determined Henyard is subject to a recall referendum by Dolton voters June 28.
Henyard and administrators spent about an hour during the town hall talking about improvements they have planned for the community if Henyard survives the recall vote. The presentations seemed like campaign stump speeches and inappropriate uses of public resources for personal and political gain.
A few citizens addressed the board during public comment. A woman said she wished the mayor and board would work together.
“I voted for the ‘Dream Team,’ not the nightmare,” the resident said, referring to Henyard’s slate of candidates in the 2021 municipal election.
Though a large crowd packed the Village Board meeting room Thursday, Henyard and fire Chief Steven “Pete” McCain told the audience capacity would be limited to 15 citizens for Village Board meetings due to the pandemic.
Skeptics expressed concern that Henyard would fill available seats with supporters and continue denying dissenters opportunities to participate in village government.