DOLTON, IL – The eccentric self-proclaimed “super mayor” of a Chicago suburb has been likened to a South American dictator by disaffected voters, has giant billboards bearing his face all over town and local police ” He was dissatisfied with militarization.
A sign next to Mayor Tiffany Henyard’s face on a shuttered street in downtown Dalton, Illinois, reads, “We keep our promises and we fight for our residents.”
Less than 90 feet away, another woman wearing a bejeweled figure wrote, “It’s the people’s choice.”
Across the street, the 40-year-old mayor, wearing a pink blazer, smiles and says to some: “Congratulations on making history, Thornton Township Supervisor Tiffany A. Henyard.”
“It’s Venezuela. Isn’t that what they’re doing with Maduro? His face looks like I’m the dictator,” the 66-year-old Dalton resident said of Henyard’s poster.
“It’s like being a dictator. There’s no need to ask for that,” he added.
Henyard was first elected in 2021 to lead the small town of 20,000 people about 20 miles south of downtown Chicago.
She has been involved in a series of bizarre stunts in recent weeks, including spending thousands of dollars in public funds on lavish trips and meals, using local police as her personal bodyguard and backup dancer in music videos, and hiring a DJ for town meetings. The list is subject to intense scrutiny. — Meanwhile, the city is $5 million in debt.
“She’s… power-hungry. She doesn’t care how much community resources are drained. It’s her life and that’s it,” the resident said, adding that Henyard is trying to corral dissenters. , accused the police of using them to harass him.
“This town, people have to watch. This police department has become militaristic now with her, and a lot of these people are scared,” he said, fearing retaliation. he said, declining to give his name.
Concerned citizens weren’t the only ones to voice those concerns — Dalton City Supervisor Kiana Belcher said former Dolton Police Chief Robert Collins had been trying to force the mayor to target people. He said he admitted what he had done.
“She’s going to have the police tail her and give her a ticket,” Belcher said. “When I went out of town, she had one of the officers give me a ticket…It was a manipulative tactic.”
Belcher said when she confronted Collins, the chief did not hesitate to criticize Henyard.
“He looked down at me and said, ‘She told me to write that,'” Belcher said.
Collins, who was reportedly fired by Henyard late last year, could not be reached for comment.
The former police chief is suing the Village of Dalton for wrongful termination. FOX32 reported. He claims in his complaint that the mayor fired him without cause or board approval because he believed his wife was friends with perceived political opponents. are doing.
Mr. Belcher and Mr. Henyard previously worked together as town trustees and she supported the mayor’s campaign, but their relationship soured soon after the election.
“We thought it would be a great thing to have someone young in office. She was already on the board. It was a different outlook for Town Forward,” she said.
“It started maybe two weeks after she took office as mayor. The inauguration bill arrived. The bill was about $15,000.”
“It was basically a big party,” Belcher said, explaining that Henyard promised to pay for it with campaign funds, but the town ended up paying for it instead. And that was just the beginning of the town-funded party.
“The expenses have become unbearable for residents. There are a lot of parties and events. Resources to make it look like something is going on, but in reality they can’t afford it.”
“If there’s a party, she’s going to make it happen,” she added, pointing to plans for a Valentine’s Day party at a skating rink that Henyard built on public land without proper approvals.
“They are more likely to organize parties than to work for the community.”
When a Post reporter and photographer showed up to the “Love on the Ice” Valentine’s Day dinner Wednesday night, four police officers were present at the event, even though the venue was on public property. Entry was blocked.
A police officer said he received “orders” to keep the two men on the sidewalk, as Henyard moved from igloo to igloo, taking selfies with residents while listening to R&B music and chants of “Super Mayor.” She said she and another officer watched the situation for more than an hour. ! ” A loud sound comes from the speakers.
Henyard was flanked by an assistant and two police officers. Among them was Deputy Chief Louis Lacey, the top official in the Dalton Police Department, for whom Henyard served as a sort of bodyguard throughout the night.
Lacey told the Post that the mayor refused to be interviewed and that Post photographers physically prevented him from taking photos, either by standing in front of him or holding up his jacket.
Throughout the night, Haynard ignored the Post’s angry questions.
Mr. Belcher, on a bipartisan basis, has racked up $1 million worth of bills from overtime payments to the officers assigned to provide Mr. Henyard’s personal protection, which was first assigned after protests over the 2021 shooting. said.
“She just understood and kept the details,” Belcher said. “The contract says you can get the details, but it should be according to their shifts and that will change. But for her staff, pick them up at 10 o’clock, pick them up at 12 o’clock or 1 a.m., so it’s all overtime.”
“I pick up my daughter from school and go shopping,” she says. “A million dollars in police overtime is ridiculous. We can’t afford that.”
That claim was backed up by Collins, who told a local Fox station that the mayor’s round-the-clock security detail not only wasted taxpayer money but posed a safety hazard. .
“We needed police officers to be on the streets fighting crime. Instead, we have several police officers on horseback protecting the mayor,” he told the station. “A mistake is a mistake and it is time to hold people accountable and responsible for their actions.”
Belcher said the billboards and other ostentatious advertising around town show how Henyard’s power has “grown her head.”
“It’s sad… you see her, you see her, you see her. It always stays in your head because you see the face and the name,” she said. . “She’s marketing herself and branding herself. She doesn’t care about all this publicity. She’s like, ‘Oh, they’re looking at me.’
“It’s not about doing what’s right for the community, it’s about the extent to which you embrace who you are.”
Henyard, who also serves as Thornton Township supervisor, slammed the village board last week after they filed a lawsuit accusing him of forging checks and withholding financial records.
“You all should be ashamed of being black. You are all black,” she said at the Feb. 5 meeting. [are] You’re sitting here beating and attacking black women who are in power. ”
Henyard, who earns a $285,000 salary from her political position, is also against a salary ordinance she proposed and passed that would cut the salaries of those who hold the seat by 90% if they lose the next election. Fox 32 reported that he was facing criticism. However, her salary remains the same.
Many long-time residents feel they’ve had enough.
“She’s really ruining the town of Dalton,” said Antoinette, 72. “There used to be a lot of trees planted here. She brought them down.”
Additional reporting by Allie Griffin
