With Mayor Henyard absent, Dolton, Illinois trustees get to business, question some village hiring
DOLTON, Ill. (CBS) -- A meeting of village trustees in south suburban Dolton grew chaotic Thursday night, with questions about following protocols in hiring.
While the trustees wait for several investigations to unfold, they are also trying to move forward with business. They sat down to handle that business Thursday night not at the Dolton Village Hall, but at the Dolton Park District Building.
Absent from the monthly board meeting was Mayor Tiffany Henyard. But present for the first time was trustee Stanley Brown—who previously has not sided with four other trustees who have been outspoken about Henyard's lack of accountability.
"I've had residents that say come this meet. Some say don't come to this meet," Brown said. "I'm not here jumping ship. I was never on the ship to jump the ship—always been here."
Earlier this month, Brown did leave when the mayor continued with a board meeting despite not having enough trustees to do so. The village attorney made it clear that any action taken at that meeting without a quorum was illegal.
But action was taken anyway at that meeting. Henyard appointed a new village manager.
On Thursday night, the board made it clear they never approved the firing of the current village manager, Keith Freeman. The trustees added that since Freeman was indicted for falsifying his income in a bankruptcy filing, and is now working with federal investigators, Freeman is also now doing his job.
"We are able to get things done," said Trustee Tammy Brown.
"Keith Freeman is finally doing the right thing, and he's protected by the Whistleblowers' Act," said Trustee Brittney Norwood. "They want to remove him."
Meanwhile, back in August, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza decided to freeze funds to the village because her office had not received audits or financial reports for two fiscal years. But things have now changed there, trustees said.
"Now, we're in the process of doing a reconciliation of the previous fiscal year," said Trustee Jason House.
It was also revealed Thursday night that the village's bank was so fed up with the back-and-forth and irregularities that it ordered the village to close its account and take its business elsewhere. The village has just 60 days to transfer whatever funds are available to a new bank.