Dolton trustees have named a fill-in replacement for Mayor Tiffany Henyard as a “precautionary measure” in the event she is absent from a meeting or otherwise unable to fill her duties, according to Trustee Jason House.
The appointment of House to serve as mayor pro tem came at a special Village Board meeting held Monday at a village park district building.
Henyard did not attend the meeting, which came after the mayor earlier this month vetoed action taken by four trustees to hire former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to investigate Henyard and village spending.
A president or mayor pro tem is common among communities, with someone, usually a senior trustee or council member, appointed to fill in when the mayor or board president is absent.
The four trustees who are at odds with Henyard — House, Kiana Belcher, Tammie Brown and Brittney Norwood — have served as pro tem during their special meetings because the mayor does not attend.
Having the authority of mayor pro tem “gives me the consistent authority to act” as mayor” in the event Henyard is absent from a meeting or unable to act in her capacity as mayor.
He and Belcher said Tuesday that quick action in appointing a pro tem needed to be taken as trustees were informed recently that payments to Dolton’s trash disposal company were in arrears.
People look on as members of the Dolton Village Board hold a special meeting May 13, 2024, at the Lester Long Fieldhouse. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
Dolton annually sells bonds to pay for garbage pickup from Homewood Disposal, and the tax levy includes collecting property tax revenue to pay the principal and interest on the bonds, the trustees said.
Paperwork to include that in the current levy was apparently not sent by the village to Cook County, but trustees were able to get an extension, House said.
House said trustees needed a quick turnaround to approve that change.
It does not affect the village’s overall tax levy amount, and House said there had not been an immediate risk of garbage pickups being cut off.
He said the bond amount of $900,000, and collection of money for debt service, was approved for Homewood Disposal in a tax levy approved by trustees in December.
Henyard had sought a bond of $1.4 million, House said, but trustees were reluctant to approve the higher amount because of continued uncertainty over how village funds are being spent.
Where the money is going is one of the tasks assigned to Lightfoot, who is being paid $400 an hour for her work. Trustees at the next regular Village Board meeting set for June 3 vote to override Henyard’s veto of Lightfoot’s hiring.
mnolan@southtownstar.com
