Dolton’s Mayor Henyard Faces Backlash over Alleged Misuse of Taxpayer Money

The mayor of a small town in Illinois is in hot water amid allegations of lavish spending of taxpayer money. The peculiar case involves Tiffany Henyard, the Mayor of Dolton, who fell under scrutiny after reportedly failing to provide financial reports.

The accusations against the Mayor resulted in the halt of payments from the Illinois State Comptroller. A sum of $135,000 in “offset” money owed to Dolton was put on hold by the Comptroller, Susana Mendoza, local media reports reveal.

The actions come amid allegations against Henyard claiming she misused public funds for lavish spending, including payments online and at retailers, private security and even a trip to a casino resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The aforementioned trip to Sin City allegedly included hotel accommodation, as well as dining expenses. A dozen other people allegedly accompanied the Mayor on the trip to Sin City last year.

According to Mendoza, the check of $135,000 owed to the village will be on hold until the relevant documents are submitted as required by state laws. The current Mayor is expected to file a financial audit report, as well as a financial report, among other required documents. Reportedly, Henyard hasn’t sent financial reports for Dolton since 2021.

In a statement, Mendoza explained: “When municipalities around Illinois are having legitimate problems filing their annual reports with us, based on staffing or other issues, we earnestly work with them to get them into compliance.” However, she claimed that Henyard, who self-proclaimed herself as “supermayor,” refused to submit the annual reports “willfully.”

The criticized Mayor receives nearly $300,000 in annual pay. However, a proposal filed by herself seeks to decrease the annual pay to only $25,000. This is a move that seeks to make the Mayor’s seat unappealing to competitors, Henyard’s opponents claim.

The Mayor Is Suspected of Misusing More than $1 Million

Mendoza reaffirmed she is prepared to use all legal methods under state law to ensure the interests of Dolton’s residents are protected. “If Mayor Henyard refuses to follow state law, my office will use the tools at our disposal to safeguard the interests of Dolton’s citizens,” she explained.

When Henyard assumed office, Dolton had a budget surplus of $5.6 million. Several years under her guidance, the town’s budget had a $3.6 million deficit, an investigation by Lori Lightfoot, the former Mayor of Chicago, alleges.

The self-proclaimed “supermayor” allegedly spent nearly $8,000 by using the village credit card at retailers such as Wayfair, Target and Walgreens, among others. Moreover, Henyard allegedly purchased $40,000 in goods from Amazon with the same card in a single day. Overall, she is suspected of misplacing more than $1 million in taxpayer money on lavish expenses for herself and her associates.