Some suburban Chicago leaders say Tiffany Henyard is using turkey giveaway as a distraction
SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill. (CBS) — Thornton Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard spent the last few days handing out free turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving on behalf of the township.
The township holds turkey giveaways annually. But some believe Henyard used the event this year to defer from the work that needs to be done by the township government.
Henyard was enthusiastic about giving out smoked ham hocks and smoked turkey at the Thanksgiving giveaway. She called herself "your supermayor Tiffany Henyard" and "the people's mayor-slash-people's supervisor."
But while Henyard had no trouble getting into the giving spirit, there is something she simply can't get going — a trustee meeting. Some trustees are deliberately denying her a quorum.
"The supervisor is trying to basically force us in the building to try to force a vote through for this appointment," said trustee Chris Gonzalez.
Back in October, longstanding trustee Jerry Jones resigned. Under the law, if the supervisor does not appoint someone to fill such a position within 60 days, then a candidate for the vacant seat must be voted upon by the people.
Henyard called an emergency meeting Monday, and has since placed the appointment on the agenda twice.
"Why is there such a desperation to get us to a meeting?" Gonzalez said.
Trustees Gonzalez and Carmen Carlisle opted not to attend the meeting Monday, and thus deny a quorum, because they say it gives Henyard full power — and they fear spending would get further out of control.
"In my opinion, we'd be going backwards to some of the spending we've seen in the past," Gonzalez said, "and I don't think that's the direction we need to go in."
Official business cannot go on until the board comes together. Gonzalez said the trustees are waiting until Dec. 7, when Henyard is unable to appoint someone to Jones' old seat because it's too late.
"We're actually doing our job, I feel, by not attending the meeting," Gonzalez said. "You know, we are trying to be financially responsible."
Trustee Gonzalez suspects Henyard will try to call many more "special meetings" between now and Dec. 7, at which if the meetings fail due to a lack of a quorum thanks to trustee absences, the voters will have to vote in the vacant position.