While a flurry of journalistic and social media attention over the past four years has associated Dolton with chaos, financial mismanagement and secrecy, Jason House pointed to a more positive result of Tiffany Henyard’s leadership after he was sworn in as her replacement Monday night.
“Unity,” the new mayor said, was top of mind at the Royal Estates Assisted Living Ballroom, where as many as 500 people gathered to celebrate new beginnings for the village of just over 20,000 residents.
“That’s what’s really going to grow this moment to its culmination. And that’s what it’s going to take for us to work together,” House said.
House was the last of five elected Dolton officials to take the oath of office, swearing to support both the Illinois and United States constitutions.
Following their oath, each official stood to a roar of applause and spoke optimistically about Dolton’s future, promising to lead with transparency and collaborating to achieve a set of goals outlined by House.
They included achieving financial stability, including erasing debt incurred by the village over the next four years. During its final meeting before House’s inauguration, the board voted to conduct an audit of Dolton’s finances mainly focusing on spending in the village’s Police, Water and Housing departments.
Since Henyard took office, the village has been delinquent in filing annual financial reports and audits with the state comptroller’s office. House said his team is concerned about potential mismanagement inherited from Henyard’s administration, but the village’s finances are an “uncertainty that we’re prepared for.”
“We’re going to seek the funding that we need. We’re going to get it. We’re going to make the tough decisions collectively as a board that are necessary,” House said.
Other priorities included welcoming businesses to grow the village economy, creating a culture of professionalism in village government, cleaning up the streets and improving safety.
Dolton residents Vivian Allen and Jessie Jones, who have spoken out against Henyard’s administration, both said they’re excited about the change in leadership and trust House’s administration to fulfill its promises to improve life for community members.
“They’ve been fighting from day one,” Jones, 68, said outside of the ballroom.
Jones said she plans to continue attending meetings despite Henyard’s exit, and encourages others to do the same.
“I feel love and passion and comfort,” she said. “Everything is slowing down, but there’s still work to do.”
House ousted Henyard, who he and two other reelected board members ran alongside four years ago, with 88% of the vote in the village’s Democratic primary. In the April 1 general election, he received more than 95% of the vote over Independent mayoral candidate Casundra Hopson-Jordan.
Those reelected included Alison Key as clerk and Kiana Belcher and Brittney Norwood as trustees. Edward “Ed” Steave, who lost a 2023 bid for reelection, was also ushered into office on House’s slate.
Henyard did not attend the swearing in ceremony Monday.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
