Solidifying the divide between Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard and the majority of the village’s trustees, the Dolton Village Board voted Monday night to override her veto of their April decision to hire former Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot to investigate Henyard’s spending habits.
Similarly to past meetings addressing Henyard’s conduct as mayor, concerned residents lined up outside the board chamber to make sure they had a chance to speak out against what many see as chronic dishonesty and mismanagement of taxpayer funds by Henyard.
While police taped off most of the block and the building’s parking lot, by the time the meeting began, residents had walked through the metal detectors at the entrance and filled all 40 folding chairs.
Henyard said the trustees’ action to hire Lightfoot as a special investigator for $400 per hour was “unconstitutional infringement of the powers of the office of mayor.”
However, her concerns did not deter four of the six trustees, who voted in favor of hiring the former Chicago mayor and assistant U.S. attorney to investigate what some have called excessive and unauthorized use of village funds by Henyard they say has resulted a deficit of more than $5 million.
Dolton Village Trustee Jason House, left, and Trustee Andrew Holmes at the Dolton Village Board meeting June 3, 2024. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
Trustee Jason House requested for the board to allow Lightfoot, who was present at the meeting, to make remarks after the vote. However, Henyard denied the request, which she called “political grandstanding” and encouraged a quick adjournment, angering many in the audience.
Lightfoot still got up to the podium and managed to briefly address those in attendance before her microphone was shut off by village staff. She later released a statement commending the board’s decision to override the veto and stating her intention to complete a fair and thorough investigation.
As former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot attempts to speak during a Dolton Village Board June 3, 2024, Dolton Deputy Chief Lewis Lacey orders police to clear the room. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
“I look forward to the work ahead and urge Mayor Henyard and her administration to fully cooperate with this investigation by promptly providing the requested documentation to give all concerned a complete and accurate accounting of the fiscal conditions for the village,” Lightfoot said in the statement.
