Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard sues trustees, says they’re conspiring to thwart her authority

Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard is accusing some trustees and the village administrator of taking part in a “civil conspiracy” meant to dilute her authority, according to a lawsuit file Tuesday in Cook County.

The lawsuit alleges trustees have taken away Henyard’s authority to make appointments to positions such as police chief, village administrator and village attorney.

Henyard, in the complaint, says the village, where she has been mayor for nearly four years and is under investigation by federal authorities, is “disorganized, disjointed and in disarray due to the constant infighting” among her, trustees and other village officials.

Angela Lockett, an attorney representing Dolton and Henyard, said Thursday she plans to ask a judge for a restraining order that would restore the mayor’s ability to make appointments.

Lockett was appointed as temporary village attorney by Henyard, although the Village Board did not approve it, and the mayor had also named Ronnie Burge Sr. as Dolton police chief, whose 30-day term was to have lapsed Dec. 6.

Trustees Jason House, who is challenging Henyard for mayor in next February’s primary, was named as a defendant along with Trustees Kiana Belcher, Tammie Brown and Brittney Norwood, and Village Clerk Alison Key.

Village administrator Keith Freeman, who Henyard has attempted to fire, is also named as a defendant as is the law firm Odelson, Murphey, Frazier & McGrath, the  legislative counsel to trustees.

Trustees named in the lawsuit said, through a spokeswoman, that the complaint “is nothing more than a distraction and a blatant misuse of taxpayer dollars.”

“Our focus should remain where it matters most — on addressing the pressing needs of our community and delivering real solutions for the people we serve,” the statement Thursday said.

Burt Odelson, a partner with Odelson Murphey, said the lawsuit is “incompetent and unprofessional,” and said the firm would move to consolidate the new case with lawsuits previously filed by Henyard, including one challenging the location of where Village Board meetings can be held.

House, the lawsuit alleges, has “maliciously, intentionally and with corrupt intent misused his power as a political official.”

Lockett said trustees approved an ordinance Oct. 7 that limits Henyard’s temporary appointments to 14-day stints, although Odelson said Thursday that was amended to 30-day appointments.

Lockett said that such limitations are “unreasonable and ridiculous,” and hopes a judge will agree.

“How much can I get up to speed in 14 days?,” she said Thursday. “Essentially, you take (Henyard’s) power of appointment away.”

Village Board meetings have, in recent months, been a battle between Henyard and the board majority, who have not consented to any of the mayor’s appointments and her efforts to fire other key personnel, such as Freeman.

In the lawsuit, Henyard said she had sent notice on Nov. 15 to Freeman of his firing, and asked trustees at a Dec. 2 meeting to fire him, although they did not take any action.

Henyard previously dismissed Freeman, who faces federal bankruptcy fraud charges, of his role as her top aide at Thornton Township, where she serves as supervisor.

At the township level, Henyard named, but without township trustees’ consent, Keith Price, the township’s food assistance manager, as her top assistant and had tried to replace Freeman with Price as administrator in Dolton.

The lawsuit says that  “various mechanisms, schemes and illegal tactics” by Freeman and a majority of trustees, clerk and the lawyers have been used “to exhaust, frustrate and extinguish the energy of Dolton’s chief executive.”

Trustees, Henyard alleges, “have continuously inserted themselves in the day-to-day operations of the village, essentially acting illegally as both legislative and executive branches of the government.”

Along with reinstating Henyard’s appointment authority, the lawsuit asks a judge to declare that Freeman has been fired as Dolton administrator.

Lockett said Thursday she has “not gotten a dime from the village of Dolton” for her work as temporary village attorney.

“I can’t do this for free,” she said.

Lockett acknowledges that, as far as Henyard’s appointments, the existing board has “a veto-proof majority,” with four of the six trustees opposed to the mayor.

She said she hopes for some relief from a judge.

“We’ll see what happens,” Lockett said.