Tiffany Henyard, the controversial mayor of Dolton, Illinois, known for her tumultuous tenure and extravagant spending habits, faced a public outcry as she was booed out of a town meeting on Monday. The meeting, held at the local park district facility, was the result of a recent investigation by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office, which found that Dolton had violated the state’s Open Meetings Act.
Arriving an hour late, Henyard attempted to assert her authority by vetoing decisions made by the board prior to her arrival. “I just want to come here and lay the law down as it relates to what’s going on in our village,” she declared, but her comments were met with jeers from the crowd, prompting her to leave amidst the chaos.
The scene unfolded as village trustees gathered to address Dolton’s estimated $2.8 million deficit and approved measures to halt several high-profile vehicle leases. In a twist of fate, Henyard’s absence from the meeting she initially sought to dominate led to her being served with a lawsuit the following day at a separate town hall gathering, where she casually remarked, “I get sued all the time.”
In response to the uproar, Henyard has now filed her own lawsuit against several village trustees, the village clerk, and the Dolton Park District. She claims that Village Administrator Keith Freeman ignored her instructions to ensure the meeting complied with the Attorney General’s guidelines. The lawsuit argues that the agenda for the October 7 meeting was improperly posted, and she is seeking to invalidate any decisions made during the meeting, insisting that the Village Hall is the proper venue for public meetings.
Henyard, who has been dubbed “America’s Worst Mayor,” has faced significant controversy during her time in office. She was recently evicted from her home for failing to pay over $3,300 in rent, and her administration is marked by a history of reckless spending. In September, she hosted an extravagant $85,000 party for the town despite being cut off from spending by the state due to the town’s financial troubles. The event reportedly cost taxpayers around $50,000 for performances, with an additional $35,000 spent on activities and staffing.
In August, the Illinois State Comptroller cut off funding to Dolton after Henyard failed to submit financial reports for approximately $135,000 in expenses. Susana Mendoza, the comptroller, has threatened to impose fines of $78,600 if the reports are not submitted.
As tensions continue to rise in Dolton, Henyard’s controversial leadership raises questions about the future of the village and its governance. With mounting legal challenges and public discontent, the small town watches closely as the drama unfolds.
