The “Dolton Dragon” Has Been Slain
Many Democratic mayors have such poor records that it is nearly impossible to determine the worst among them. While they share similar negative traits, each exhibits unique failings in specific areas. One outrageous case is that of Tiffany Henyard, whose narcissism, arrogance, and self-entitlement are so abhorrent that it’s difficult to fathom.
Henyard became the mayor of Dolton in 2021 and has faced allegations of massively misusing village funds and engaging in other corruption, including using the police as her personal bodyguards, which meant paying them much higher overtime rates.
Henyard fancies herself as a diva and never appeared in public in anything but the finest clothes with perfect hair and nails, which she allegedly purchased using public funds. Last year, the village brought in Lori Lightfoot, the failed Beetlejuice mayor of Chicago, to review Henyard’s spending.
In August, Lightfoot disclosed the extensive expenditures during a board meeting, months after she was hired at $400 per hour to investigate the village following directives from trustees opposing Henyard.
“$40,000 at Amazon,” Dolton Trustee Kiana Belcher said following the report presentation. “What a slap in the face to everybody that resides in the 60419 zip code.”
She even went so far as to say that village taxpayers have been “financially raped.”
“And when people rape people, they get anything they deserve,” Belcher said cryptically, adding it’s “sickening.”
As Lightfoot rattled off one stunning number after the next, residents in the crowd gasped.
According to the report, the village has utilized at least six credit cards, including four belonging to the police department, one addressed to the village administrator, and another addressed to the village.
The shocking figures include Amazon purchases of $33,005, $4,715, and $5,609 on Jan. 5, 2023. Based on the information Lightfoot has obtained to that point, more than $12,000 combined was spent at Best Buy, Target, Walgreens, Wayfair, and Giftly.com between May 2023 and December 2023.
The report states that village credit cards were also used to fund trips for multiple people to Washington, DC, Austin, Texas, New York City, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and a few other spots.
In Addition:
Henyard’s office is facing allegations that it terminated an employee who reported she was sexually assaulted by one of the mayor’s supporters during a taxpayer-funded “economic development” trip to Las Vegas.
According to a recent report, police costs have increased by 21 percent compared to two years ago, with police overtime rising nearly $880,000.
Lightfoot noted that the village’s average monthly expenses have surged by almost 30 percent since the fiscal year 2022. She pointed out that the village’s general fund, which covers most of Dolton’s expenses, had a negative balance of $3.65 million as of May 31. In April 2022, the fund had a surplus of $5.61 million.
According to Lightfoot, the village has struggled to pay all its monthly bills with its available cash since March 2023.
Fortunately, the saying “All good things must come to an end” also works in reverse. According to Fox 32, on Tuesday, the morning of the Democratic primary, Henyard confidently predicted.
“Well, I see no competition, so when I come in with a landslide this evening, it will be so great,” all the while blasting her campaign theme song, “We the People.”
“Y’all can all come to the after-party, and we can talk about it.”
She was right about the landslide, but it wasn’t in her favor. In an old-fashioned butt whipping, Henyard only gained 12 pitiful percent of the vote while her opponent and former supporter Jason House garnered a full 88 percent.
As he declared victory, House stated what many people believed.
“The voters have spoken. They’ve spoken in a loud way.”
“And I’ve said it before — I’ll always say it — this does not represent Dolton. We had one rogue individual. Dolton is proud, and we are happy that we’re ready to change the narrative.”
Henyard told WGN following the results, “The people have spoken. God must have a different plan for me.”
According to the results, all of Henyard’s candidates also lost to those running in favor with House.
Residents and business owners celebrated Tuesday night, including Lawrence Gardner, 57, who alleged that Henyard targeted his now-closed trucking business because he did not contribute to her campaign funds.
“The Wicked Witch of the West is dead! It’s over. Now we have to wait another eight weeks to bury her,” he told The Post in a message. “I feel as if I have been reborn.”
Henyard wasn’t just disliked; she was despised for good reason. What she did to this small village was nothing short of criminal. Hopefully, we will hear about her again soon when she’s arrested for her crimes.
