* CBS Chicago…
The Village of Dolton is more than $3.5 million in the hole, an investigation into Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard’s misuse of village funds has found.
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is leading the investigation into Henyard. Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor, in April, agreed to investigate the claims about the misuse of public funds—which Henyard has repeatedly denied.
A community packed a special village meeting to hear firsthand what Lightfoot uncovered. The crowd gasped when the revelations were announced—and many were left furious, and further questioning where their tax dollars are going. […]
A limited examination of the books revealed that as of May 31, 2024, the Dolton Village General Fund had a negative balance of $3.65 million. Folks shook their heads in disbelief as Lightfoot—the special investigator hired by village trustees—showed there are simply no checks and balances with the records she found.
* FOX 32…
* Daily Southtown…
Lightfoot said the village’s general fund, used for paying most village expenses, had gone from a healthy multimillion-dollar surplus a couple of years ago to deficits.
Revenue for the general fund was $24.6 million in fiscal year 2024, which ended April 30 of this year, and expenses were $30 million, she said. […]
Lightfoot said village vendors who have performed services or other work for Dolton are awaiting payment, and that 589 checks totaling more than $6 million have been approved but not sent to vendors because the village lacks the cash.
Lightfoot said she plans to do more work, including looking into spending by village officials for travel.
* WGN…
One of the biggest reactions tonight came when Lightfoot presented an example of police overtime. In a PowerPoint presentation, Lightfoot showed two officers made more in overtime than their base salaries, totaling $192,000 for one officer, and $227,000 for another in the last fiscal year.
The acting police chief Lewis Lacey, who we learned tonight has been terminated, isn’t even eligible for overtime, and yet, he’s gotten more than $200,000 in overtime over the last four fiscal years.
* NBC Chicago…
Multiple purchases made by the village are under investigation, including $40,000 worth in purchases from Amazon. The Dolton Village Board recently approved a change to the village’s credit card policy.
Lightfoot said that Henyard, the subject of numerous lawsuits and investigations, did not cooperate with her investigation. […]
The Village Board also said locks at Village Hall have been changed for a third time, leaving multiple elected officials without access.
- DuPage Saint - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 8:35 am:
I hope Lightfoot got paid up front
- sulla - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 8:47 am:
My guess is that it’ll take Dolton ten years to rebuild that general fund balance once they manage to get rid of Henyard.
- Barrister's Lectern - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 9:00 am:
I feel bad for the residents of Dolton and Thornton Township. Property taxes are already outrageous in the south suburbs and to see that money being wasted has to be infuriating.
- Bob - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 9:06 am:
Imagine knowing you’re going to prison, and just having to watch it slowly play out. Enjoy the freedom you have left, Tiffany. Hope you like orange.
- So_Ill - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 9:09 am:
I still have no idea how it’s taken this long to indict her. Most of this stuff was public knowledge (at least on the township side) two years ago.
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 9:10 am:
“isn’t even eligible for overtime, and yet, he’s gotten more than $200,000 in overtime over the last four fiscal years”
I’d be more upset if this was in any way uncommon. Only thing that sticks out here is the amount.
- Gravitas - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 9:26 am:
Tiffany Henyard doesn’t have the decency to resign. Her extravagant habits will continue until such time as she is convicted and dragged out of office kicking and screaming.
So sad for a blue collar, working class community.
- Huh? - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 9:27 am:
Someone has been raiding the piggy bank.
How long until that someone goes on the lam.
- Homebody - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 9:32 am:
I wonder if you did a full audit of every municipality, village, etc, how many you’d find have similar issues that haven’t blown up yet. Not necessarily to the level of having negative money, but I mean just piles of cronyism, people getting unearned pay, etc.
I’ve had an unproven belief for a long time that corruption and fraud is rampant in small towns, but so long as it isn’t massively overt, there is just no one watching the henhouse.
- Bob - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 9:47 am:
@Downstate
There certainly is, but I’m willing to bet it’s not the lesson you took away.
- Save Ferris - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 9:50 am:
“Henyard did nothing wrong.” - Rita Crundwell
- Duck Duck Goose - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 10:01 am:
Municipalities go through independent audits every year. The auditors have to report their findings to the city council at a public meeting. I don’t get how this level of unauthorized spending could go unflagged.
There are some things that audits don’t always catch, like when money is diverted before its put into the accounting system (looking at you, Rita Crundwell), but catching this kind of unauthorized spending is the whole point of audits.
- Donnie Elgin - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 10:13 am:
=Lightfoot said the village’s general fund, used for paying most village expenses, had gone from a healthy multimillion-dollar surplus a couple of years ago to deficits=
Who has been doing their CAFR or Audit for the past few years? In the management letter the auditors should have pointed out problems in overspending and things like poor segregation of duties and lax spending /credit card use controls or policies.
- low level - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 10:13 am:
Can someone who knows tell us how Henyard won in the first place? Unfortunately I dont pay as much attention to tge south suburbs as I once did.
- South Side - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 10:22 am:
—Can someone who knows tell us how Henyard won in the first place?—
She was a Village Trustee before running for Mayor. While a Trustee, she used to fight the previous Mayor tooth and nail about any type of spending. She complained about him going to the Mayors conference on Dolton’s dime, stated that he should pay himself since he gets a paycheck. When she became Mayor, she went on 10 or so trips on the taxpayer dime. As one trustee said a while ago, Trustee Henyard and Mayor Henyard are 2 completely different people!
- NIU Grad - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 10:27 am:
A walking satire of the fiefdoms that exist in the south suburbs.
- low level - Friday, Aug 9, 24 @ 10:50 am:
South Side, thank you very much for that.