Chaos erupts at Dolton, Illinois village meeting
Citizens express outrage against controversial mayor accused of corruption
A meeting in Thornton Township devolved into chaos over the scandal-ridden Dolton, Illinois mayor Tiffany Henyard Tuesday night.
According to CBS News Chicago, the meeting was originally meant to address the Thornton Township Board currently operating without a fiscal budget, leading trustees to demand Henyard, who also serves as Thornton Township Supervisor, be more open about her lavish spending habits.
Though former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot previously investigated Henyard for her spending habits in the Village of Dolton, there has been no investigation into her spending habits regarding Thornton Township.
"Lori Lightfoot did such a great job in Dolton," Thornton Township Trustee Carmen Carlisle said at the meeting. "I would welcome her to come and do the same thing here at Thornton Township."
Tiffany Henyard, mayor of Dolton, Illinois, has come under fire for her excessive spending. (Fox 32)
CONTROVERSIAL DEMOCRAT MAYOR UNDER INVESTIGATION AFTER WILD TIRADES, POLICE RAIDS, LAVISH SPENDING
Henyard accused the board of trustees of attacking her, insisting that the township was in a deficit prior to her term as mayor and supervisor.
"This is what I mean about my board," Henyard said. "It's a lot of hate, jealousy, and envy amongst them towards their supervisor."
The board continued to accuse her of out-of-control spending, which led to an angry back and forth between Henyard and Carlisle.
"I am the leader for Thornton Township. I am the supervisor of Thornton Township," Henyard said, "And I'm going to make sure you all give me my respect and stop playing these games every time you come to the meeting."
"Respect is earned. It is not demanded," Carlisle said.
The meeting got more heated as Henyard and Carlisle accused each other of being liars, according to footage from ABC7 Chicago.
"She lies all the time," Henyard said.
"No, you lie all the time," Carlisle responded, with a few people cheering at her comment.
Mayor Tiffany Henyard seemed confrontational with the Dolton residents she was elected to represent during a contentious board meeting on Aug. 5, 2024. (FOX 32 Chicago)
CBS News Chicago later reported police were called after someone referred to Henyard as an animal. Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor’s office for a comment.
Police have been called to break up the chaos in Dolton town hall meetings multiple times over the past year. In April, police were forced to shut down a meeting due to safety concerns following contentious exchanges between Henyard and residents.
In June, police officers broke up a scuffle between supporters and opponents of Henyard before it turned violent.
In May, Lightfoot’s investigation into the town’s financial situation revealed in a preliminary report that Dolton's general fund balance was $5.61 million in 2022, but by May 2024 the balance had dropped to a deficit of $3.65 million.
Tiffany Henyard, a politician who has been embroiled in numerous controversies, had yet another contentious meeting with her constituents this week. (Screencap courtesy of video from Fox32)
Meanwhile, Henyard has come under fire for extravagant spending on the taxpayer's dime. Most recently, she spent approximately $85,000 to throw a party that featured R&B singer Keke Wyatt and rapper J. Holiday last month.
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Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
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