A Cook County Circuit Court judge has blocked appointments by Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard to key village posts, including police chief and village administrator.
In a ruling Wednesday, Judge Thaddeus Wilson said Henyard didn’t abide by proper procedure when she named Ronnie Burge Sr. as police chief, Michael Smith as village administrator and Angela Lockett as village attorney.
Four trustees who are at odds with Henyard contended the appointments were illegal because the Village Board did not vote on them, and the judge agreed. In barring Henyard from making the appointments, Wilson also said the three appointees are ineligible to hold the posts.
Trustees Kiana Belcher, Tammie Brown, Jason House and Brittney Norwood had sued in Cook County Circuit Court, seeking a temporary restraining order to block the appointments.
Wilson wrote that the trustees “have established an ascertainable right in need of protection,” and they and Dolton residents “are entitled to having lawful running of the village and their mayor following of the applicable laws of the village.”
Henyard had made the appointments of Smith and Lockett on Sept. 4, during what had been a regularly scheduled board meeting that had been canceled by the four trustees and rescheduled for a later date.
The required number of village trustees were not present when she made the appointments. Apart from Henyard, Trustees Stan Brown and Andrew Holmes attended.
Although Freeman, who has been indicted for bankruptcy fraud, continues to serve as village administrator, Henyard had supposedly fired him Aug. 5, although trustees took no action to approve her decision.
By law, appointments or removals by the mayor need to be reviewed and voted on by the full Village Board.
Regarding Freeman’s supposed removal, Wilson said “there is no question that the mayor failed to follow the process and procedure required.”
“Not only did she not follow the appropriate removal process, she did not (and could not) follow the appropriate process for naming an interim or permanent replacement,” the judge said in his ruling.
The Village Board at a recent meeting voted to ensure Freeman remained in place as village administrator, although he has lately been working from home.
Wilson said that Freeman is reinstated as administrator and “shall remain until such time as the proper procedure is followed for his removal or until he otherwise vacates the position.”
Burge had previously served as Dolton police chief and also served terms as the top cop in Harvey and Dixmoor.
Lewis Lacey, who had been serving as deputy police chief in the absence of a chief, had been fired by trustees but until recently continued to report for work.
Lacey and Freeman were indicted for bankruptcy fraud, and the next status hearing in Lacey’s case is scheduled for Oct. 1 while Freeman’s next status hearing is Oct. 3.