[ad_1]
DOLTON, IL. — The eccentric self-described “tremendous mayor” of a Chicago suburb was in comparison with a South American dictator by disgruntled constituents, who complained about large billboards bearing her face throughout city and the “militarization” of native police towards her political enemies.
“Maintaining my guarantees, Preventing for my residents,” reads one signal alongside the face of Mayor Tiffany Henyard on a shuttered strip of downtown Dolton, Illinois.
“The individuals’s selection,” reads one other bearing her bejeweled visage not 300 ft away.
Throughout the road, one other says “Congratulations on making historical past Tiffany A. Henyard, Thornton Township Supervisor,” exhibiting the 40-year-old mayor smiling in a pink blazer.
“It’s Venezuela. Isn’t that what they are doing on the market with Maduro? His face is throughout, like I’m the dictator,” a 66-year-old Dolton resident mentioned of the Henyard posters.
“It’s like a dictator. There is no such thing as a name for it,” he added.
Henyard was first elected in 2021 to guide the small city of 20,000 individuals about 20 miles south of downtown Chicago.
She has come below scrutiny in latest weeks for a laundry listing of antics, together with accusations of blowing 1000’s in public funds on luxurious journey and eating, turning native police into each her private bodyguards and backup dancers for music movies, and hiring DJs for city conferences — all whereas town falls $5 million into debt.
“She’s … energy hungry. She doesn’t care how a lot she bleeds an space out of sources. It’s her life and that’s it,” the resident mentioned, accusing Henyard of utilizing cops to corral and harass dissenters.
“This city, the individuals have to observe. Numerous these persons are scared as a result of this police division is militaristic proper now along with her in it,” he mentioned, declining to present his identify over fears of retribution.
The involved citizen was not the one one voicing such fears — Dolton Trustee Kiana Belcher mentioned former Dolton Chief of Police Robert Collins admitted the mayor pressured him to focus on individuals.
“She’ll have the police comply with you and provides tickets,” Belcher mentioned. “I went out of city and she or he had one of many officers… give me tickets… It was a manipulation tactic.”
When she confronted Collins, Belcher mentioned the chief didn’t hesitate in charge Henyard.
“He regarded down at me and mentioned ‘She advised me to put in writing them,’” Belcher mentioned.
Collins — who was reportedly fired by Henyard late final yr — couldn’t be reached for remark.
The ex-police chief is suing the Village of Dolton for wrongful termination, Fox 32 reported. He claims within the swimsuit that the mayor terminated him with out trigger or board approval as a result of she believed his spouse was pals along with her perceived political enemies.
Belcher and Henyard beforehand labored alongside one another as city trustees — and she or he even supported the mayor’s marketing campaign — however their relationship soured quickly after the election.
“We thought it will be one thing nice — a teenager in workplace. She had already been on the board. It was a unique outlook for the city ahead,” she mentioned.
“It began in all probability two weeks after she had been in workplace as mayor. We obtained a invoice for the inauguration. The invoice was like $15,000.”
“It was an enormous celebration mainly,” Belcher mentioned, explaining Henyard promised to pay with marketing campaign funds however the city ended up footing the invoice as a substitute. And it was just the start of town-funded events.
“The spending has develop into insufferable for the residents. It’s events and numerous occasions. It’s sources in reference to creating it appear like one thing is being executed however we actually can’t afford it.”
“If there’s a celebration, she’s going to make it occur,” she added, mentioning plans for a Valentine’s Day celebration at a skating rink she mentioned Henyard had constructed on public property with out correct approval.
“They do extra planning events than doing work for the group.”
When a Put up reporter and photographer confirmed up on the “Love on the Ice” Valentine’s Day dinner Wednesday evening, 4 cops blocked them from coming into the occasion — regardless of it being on public property.
One officer mentioned she obtained “an order” to make sure that they keep placed on the sidewalk and she or he and one other cop watched the pair for greater than an hour as Henyard went igloo to igloo taking selfies with residents whereas R&B music and chants of “Tremendous mayor!” blasted from audio system.
Henyard was flanked by an assistant and two cops — together with the highest-ranking police official in Dolton, Police Deputy Chief Lewis Lacey, who acted like her bodyguard the whole evening.
Lacey advised The Put up that the mayor wouldn’t be doing interviews and bodily blocked a Put up photographer from taking footage of her by stepping in entrance of her or holding up a jacket.
Heynard ignored shouted questions from The Put up all through the evening.
Past events, Belcher mentioned payments to the tune of $1 million have piled up from paying extra time to cops made to function Henyard’s private safety element, first assigned after a protest over a taking pictures in 2021.
“She simply latched on and saved the element,” Belcher mentioned. “The contract says that you would be able to have a element nevertheless it needs to be on their shift and it adjustments. However along with her individuals, they decide up at 10:00 and drop off at 12:00, 1:00 within the morning, so it’s all extra time hours.”
“They decide up her daughter from college, they buy groceries,” she mentioned. “One million {dollars} of extra time for the police division is absurd. We will’t afford it.”
The claims are supported by Collins who advised the native Fox station that the mayor’s nonstop safety element not solely wasted taxpayer cash however grew to become a security challenge.
“We wanted these officers to be on the road preventing crime. As an alternative, now we have a number of officers which are driving round defending the mayor,” he advised the station. “Improper is mistaken, and there’s a time to carry individuals accountable and accountable for his or her actions.”
As for the omnipresent billboards round city and different exhibits of flamboyant publicity, Belcher mentioned they’re indicators of how Henyard’s energy has “made her head so massive.”
“It’s unhappy… It’s you see her, you see her, you see her. You see the face and identify so it’s all the time going to be in your head,” she mentioned. “She’s advertising and branding herself. She don’t care about all this publicity. She’s like ‘Oh they see me.”
“It’s not about doing what’s proper for the group, it’s about how far am I going to get with who I’m.”
Henyard, who additionally serves as Thornton Township supervisor, lashed out on the village trustees final week after they filed a lawsuit alleging she solid checks and withheld monetary information.
“You all needs to be ashamed of yourselves since you all are black. You all are black,” she mentioned throughout a gathering on February 5. “And also you all [are] sitting up right here beating and attacking a black girl that’s in energy.”
Henyard — who takes house $285,000 in wage from her political positions — has additionally confronted criticism for a wage ordinance she proposed and handed which might reduce the pay by 90% for whoever takes her seat if she loses the following election, Fox 32 reported. Her wage, nevertheless, would stay the identical.
Many longtime residents really feel they’ve had sufficient.
“She’s actually ruining the city of Dolton,” mentioned 72-year-old Antoinette, “We used to have numerous timber put up right here. She’s taken them down.”
Extra reporting by Allie Griffin
[ad_2]
Source link
