Tiffany Henyard

Tiffany Aiesha Henyard is an American politician currently serving as the mayor of Dolton, Illinois, since 2021 and as Thornton Township supervisor since 2022. She previously served two terms as a member of the Dolton Village Board of Trustees from 2013 through 2021. Henyard won election as a trustee in 2013 and 2017, and election as mayor in 2021. She was appointed supervisor in 2022.

As mayor and supervisor, Henyard has become embroiled in scandals involving allegations of financial mismanagement, corruption, fraud, and other misconduct. She has been at odds with the majority of the village's Board of Trustees. In early 2024, the Illinois Attorney General's office began scrutinizing Henyard's activities as mayor and her nonprofit organization. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also interviewed witnesses and subpoenaed records related to Henyard's alleged corruption. Henyard is also under civil investigation by the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and is a defendant in a number of lawsuits.

Early life, education, and career
Henyard grew up in Dolton, and graduated from Thornridge High School. She received a degree in business administration from Robert Morris University Illinois. Henyard is a lifelong resident of Dolton.

In 2011, Henyard got her start in government and politics by working on then-governor Pat Quinn's "Put Illinois to Work" initiative.

Henyard regards Dorothy Brown, the former longtime Cook County clerk of courts, to have been her mentor. She regards Frank Zuccarelli, the late longtime supervisor of Thornton Township, to have been another mentor of hers. Conversely, Tiffany has also used racial slurs to describe the previous administration under Frank Zuccarelli as corrupt. During a town meeting with Trustees, she alleged that there was theft of public monies by Zuccarelli, describing the Zuccarelli administration using the phrase, “white is right”.

Dolton village trustee (2013–2021)
Henyard served as a village trustee of Dolton, having first won election in the 2013 plurality-at-large election. Supporters dubbed Henyard the "People's Trustee". She was re-elected in 2017.

Henyard became a sharp critic of Mayor Riley Rogers. She was one of only two trustees to vote against overturning Rogers' veto on the city's budget appropriation for the 2018–19 fiscal year. With the board of trustees successfully overriding the veto in a 4–2 vote, ten village employees were immediately laid off from their positions. In 2018, she joined several other village trustees in launching a legal challenge to block ballot measures championed by Rogers from appearing on the ballot. The challenge was unsuccessful. However, the separate ballot measures on whether to reduce the size of the board of trustees and whether to place term limits on board membership both failed before voters.

As a trustee, Henyard started the city's "Block by Block" program, which allowed people to purchase vacant houses for $5,000 in aims of allowing the city to begin again collecting tax revenue from those properties.

In August 2019, CBS 2 Chicago (WBBM-TV) reported that a residence which Henyard owned as a landlord and for which she received Section 8 housing subsidies had a severe mold problem, as well as issues with water leakage. In November 2019, the same channel reported that the residence's mold situation had become severe enough that it was deemed uninhabitable and its tenant was forced to move out, but that Henyard had continued to receive Section 8 Housing subsidies. Her tenant accused her of failing to remedy the mold problem, and media scrutiny raised more concerns over the prior inspection history of the property.

2021 mayoral campaign
Henyard had indicated her interest in running for mayor as early as 2018. She announced her candidacy in October 2020. At a 2021 event advertised to be the kickoff for her mayoral campaign, Henyard gave away free gasoline. Legal experts told CBS 2 Chicago that the move was legally questionable, and might be seen as vote buying. Henyard's campaign denied accusations of vote buying. Tony Valukas, who had been the Reagan-era U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, contributed $5,000 to Henyard's campaign committee and endorsed one the of the trustee candidates that she herself had co-endorsed for election. During the campaign, Mayor Rogers suffered a stroke. Henyard publicly wished him well.

Henyard ran on a reform platform that criticized Rogers' mayoralty. Touting herself as a "change" candidate, she declared that she would bring a government of, "love, transparency and accountability".

Henyard was elected as mayor of Dolton in 2021. She defeated incumbent mayor Riley Rogers in a four-way primary for the Democratic nomination. She received more than 34% of the vote against Rogers, Andrew Holmes (a village trustee and community activist), and Robert Shaw (a politician who was the brother of the deceased past Dolton mayor William Shaw). She went on to defeat independent candidate Ronnie Burge in the April general election, winning approximately 82% of the vote. Burge was the current police chief of nearby Dixmoor, Illinois, and had formerly been Dolton's police chief.

Henyard ran with a slate that she dubbed the "Dream Team". From this slate, two of the three trustee candidates were elected (Kiana Belcher and incumbent Jason House), as was village clerk candidate Alison Key. Her relationship with these individuals would sour. By April 2022 (roughly a year after the election), the three were joining most of the village board in pursuing legal action against Henyard.

Mayoral tenure (2021–present)
Henyard was sworn in as mayor on May 8, 2021, becoming the first female mayor of the village, as well as the youngest in its history (being 37 years old).

In February 2024, Fox 32 Chicago (WFLD) reported that numerous individuals in Dolton had confirmed to them that they were interviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as part of an evident probe into Henyard's activities as mayor. The Chicago Tribune soon after reported that an unnamed law enforcement official had confirmed to them that a FBI investigation into Henyard existed. The Dolton Board of Trustees' legislative counsel, Burt Odelson, noted in April 2024 that the village government was a defendant in almost forty active lawsuits related to Henyard's conduct.

On April 19 2024, the FBI entered the Dolton City Hall to serve subpoenas for records related to the alleged corruption by members of the town government.

Relationship with the village board of trustees
Within the first half-year of her tenure Henyard faced criticism from trustees. Areas of criticism have included her use of municipal funds; and a lack of government transparency. Within her first year as mayor, the village board filed a lawsuit against Henyard which alleged that she had conflicts of interest. In response, she has accused select members of the village board of causing upheaval and locked trustees out of their offices, canceling board meetings. The trustees then held meetings without her presence and censured her in October 2021.

In February 2024, the board of trustees adopted a resolution addressed to the Cook County state's attorney, United States attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Cook County sheriff, and the Illinois State Board of Elections calling for an investigation into Henyard. Henyard vetoed the resolution. Her veto was overridden on April 8.

Trustees for the City of Dolton have claimed that the city is headed towards a multi-million dollar deficit as result of reckless spending under Mayor Henyard.

Accusations of retaliation and civil rights violations
Numerous village residents, employees, and business owners have accused Henyard of using her position to retaliate against perceived political opposition, including alleged use by Henyard of the village police force to harass businesses whose owners had not supported her and extort business owners for campaign contributions from business owners. She has also been accused of firing several village employees for political reasons.

In early 2024, Redeemed Christian Church of God Resurrection Power Assembly filed a lawsuit against Henyard and the Village of Dolton alleging that the village had discriminated against them. The suit asserts that the village did not act in accordance with the its zoning codes when it prevented the church from renovating a building it had acquired.

Illinois Department of Human Rights investigation
In March 2024, after reviewing files obtained through a Freedom of Information request, NBC Chicago (WMAQ-TV) made public that the Illinois Department of Human Rights is investigating a matter against Henyard, the Village of Dolton, and Thornton Township in which Henyard's former assistant alleged to have been sexually assaulted by a village trustee and subsequently retaliated against by Henyard. The investigation stems from two separate complaints about the matter. Both complainants asked the Illinois Department of Human Rights to help them to receive back pay, front pay, attorney's fees, and punitive damages. Henyard has alleged that these allegations are false and are from "disgruntled" employees.

Spending
By 2022, Henyard faced allegations of spending village funds without proper approval from the board of trustees or the village clerk. Trustees and Henyard argued at council meetings over city spending. In January 2024, city trustee Brittney Norwood expressed worry that Dolton was headed towards bankruptcy due to the spending, noting that it had $7 million in debt. Village trustees have expressed concern about the village's debt, and that it was not meeting its financial obligations.

In February 2024, the village board of trustees, in a 4–2 vote, overrode Henyard's veto of their budget for the 2024–25 fiscal year, which included budget cuts. Henyard alleged that the cuts in the budget would bankrupt Dolton. In February 2024, the village was warned by a lender that thirteen vehicles used by the police department are at risk of repossession. Henyard argued that the village board trustees had refused to permit payment on the vehicles, which Village Trustee Jason House refuted countering that such payments had been approved by the board months earlier.

Appointment and hiring actions
One of Henyard's first actions after becoming mayor was hiring Robert Collins to serve as Dolton's police chief. Collins had previously served in the position, but had resigned the previous year. She retained Steven McCain as the city's fire chief. In October 2023, Henyard fired Collins. In early 2024, Collins filed a wrongful termination lawsuit alleging that his dismissal had come without cause and without approval from the village board, and that it had been motivated as retribution for the mayor's perception of his wife and a number of his personal acquaintances as being political adversaries.

In October 2021, the board of trustees voted to require Henyard to make any hiring or firing of village employees subject to the board's advice and consent. Village trustees have accused Henyard of disregarding this and continuing to make staffing changes without their advice and consent.

Policing
In 2021, the fatal shooting by a police officer brought civil unrest in Dolton and criticism of Henyard by protesters.

Security detail
In September 2023, Fox 32 Chicago published an investigative report on Henyard's use of a police security detail, noting that this practice cost Dolton citizens hundreds of thousands annually.

Critics of Henyard on the board of trustees have characterized Henyard's redirection of police resources towards her own security detail as being to the detriment of public safety in Dolton. In October 2021, the board of trustees voted to attempt to require her to pay the city back for her police protection. In February 2024, Black Enterprise reported that Henyard's security detail had already cost the village approximately $1 million. In March 2024, Fox 32 Chicago reported on work records it received via a Freedom of Information Request which showed her security detail being paid for a substantial number of work hours and overtime hours, with one officer having previously been paid for 303 hours in a two-week period.

Other actions
In early 2024, Samysha Williams, who had been a candidate in the 2023 Dolton village trustee elections, filed to sue Henyard and Henyard's campaign committee for libel and defamation. In the same lawsuit, the individual alleged that she had been wrongfully terminated in 2022 from her job with the village while taking family leave.

Recall attempt
In April 2022, the Dolton Village Board added two questions aimed at recalling Henyard to a ballot on June 28, 2022, the same time as primaries for the 2022 Illinois elections. The first question would have established a recall mechanism, and the second would have recalled Henyard. In June 2022, Judge Paul Karkula directed the Cook County Clerk to disregard votes cast on the referenda, however the Illinois Appellate Court granted a partial stay of the ruling, directing the clerk to tally ballots. Both questions passed, with 56.5% of voters voting to establish the recall mechanism and 56.1% of voters voting to recall Henyard. Henyard said that these results were due to her supporters not voting due to the chaotic nature of the court cases. The Illinois Appellate Court ruled on October 6, 2022, that the referenda were illegal, and issued a permanent injunction against the certification of them.

Appointment to the office
Following the death of incumbent Frank Zuccarelli, Henyard was appointed and sworn in as the supervisor of the Thornton Township on March 3, 2022. She was appointed by the Thornton Township Board in a vote that took place close to a legal deadline for the board to fill the position, after which they would have ceded the appointment decision to a town hall-style meeting of township electors. Henyard was the last of nine nominations for the position. Thornton Township is one of 29 civil townships in Cook County, Illinois, and Dolton is one of 17 communities comprising the township. It is one of the largest townships in Illinois, and employs more than 170 individuals, some full-time and others part-time. It contains several of the state's most impoverished communities. Henyard is the youngest person, the first woman, and the first African American supervisor of Thornton Township.

Spending and finances
Henyard has alleged that she inherited a problematic financial situation in the township. When she took office, allegedly the township's payrolls were compensating "ghost employees" who did little work and the township had a $5 million budget deficit. She has asserted that she has addressed that deficit.

Assistance programs
Henyard has continued the Zuccarelli Assistance Program (ZAP), renaming it the Henyard Assistance Program (HAP). This program gives teenagers above the age of sixteen summer jobs mowing the lawns of senior citizens.

In February 2024, with Henyard's backing, the township board earmarked $1 million dollars for assistance to those behind on their rents and mortgages through the township's general assistance department. Henyard described the program as providing a maximum of $3,000 in aid to individuals at least two months behind on such payments, but not those already in the process of being evicted. Sources of funding for the program were not explicitly identified.

In both April 2023 and March 2024, Henyard and the township board presented voters with ballot referendums on whether create a 0.15% township property tax that would have been earmarked for mental health services. It was estimated that the tax would generate $3 million annually. In April 2023, voters rejected the proposal by a vote of 51% to 49%. Ahead of the March 2024 vote, mayors from eleven out of the seventeen municipalities in the township co-signed an open letter urging for residents to vote against the referendum. The mayors cited what they say was a lack of details from Henyard on how the funds would be spent. In that vote, voters again rejected the proposal, this time by a double-digit margin.

Salary, and decrease for future supervisors
Henyard's annual salary as supervisor is $224,000, equal to her predecessor's since 2017. At Henyard's urging, in December 2023 the township adopted a resolution that will result in a future 90% decrease to the supervisor's salary. However, this decrease is only to come into effect for the next supervisor, meaning that the supervisor salary will remain the same as long as her tenure continues. While Henyard will retain a salary $224,000 so long as she (as the incumbent) continues to hold the office of township supervisor, any successor will be paid a $25,000 salary in the same office. Similar salary decreases were passed for future township trustees, also retaining current salaries for incumbents so long as they continue to hold office.

Municipal attorney Burt Odelson, who stands in political opposition to Henyard, called the move, "so illegal in so many ways" and "violates so many tenets of the law." Odelson called it, "maybe the worst attempt to try to dissuade people from running [for office as challengers] ". He argued that equal protection requires salaries to be "identity blind", meaning that they cannot change based upon who holds the office.

Accusations of retaliation
In August 2023, Henyard was accused of having locked the township assessor, a political adversary, out of the assessor's own office in an apparent act of retaliation. In late-February 2024, reporters were barred from attending a public township Black History Month event, being told that they would need to sign a non-disclosure agreement in order to be granted admission.

In 2024, a lawsuit was filed against Henyard and the township by a former township employee alleging that they had faced retribution for their refusal to compile a document for Henyard detailing "dirt" on township employees and their decision to take a leave of absence which they were entitled to under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The plaintiff alleges that, after the end of her leave, she was refused entry into the township building and forced to complete her work in her car. The plaintiff alleges that her employment was terminated after complaining about six weeks of pay she had not received.

Tiffany Henyard Cares nonprofit
Henyard founded Tiffany Henyard Cares, a charitable nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to assist individuals with cancer. CARES is a backronym for "Cancer and Remission Empowering Survivors". Henyard's nonprofit has received significant promotion on her government websites and government social media accounts. Several officers of the organization also worked for the city government.

In May 2023, an investigative report by Fox 32 Chicago made allegations of misconduct regarding municipal government interaction with the foundation. The report noted that thousands of taxpayer dollars had been spent on a group bicycle ride to the state capitol in Springfield, Illinois to support a bill related to breast cancer, despite the fact that the state legislature was not in session at the time and that the cited bill was never formally filed. A January 2024 investigation by WGN-TV's investigative journalism team reported that the township spent $10,248 on hotels that were on the route of a 2022 protest traveling between Dolton and Springfield, Illinois that was sponsored by the nonprofit, and there have been instances where township trustees were requested to approve large sums of funding to be directed to the charity.

In January 2024, it was reported that the nonprofit had not been filing the required basic financial reports that charities and non-profits are required to. After the charity failed to meet the February 16 deadline to do so, the Illinois Attorney General's Office ordered it to cease soliciting donations, and threatened to take action to recover money that had been paid to its board members and staff. The Illinois Attorney General's Office also noted that the nonprofit is not in good standing nor registered with the state.

In March 2024, a representative of the nonprofit responded to the Illinois Attorney General's Office, but provided an incomplete filings that lacked key records on its finances. The incomplete filing illustrated that nearly all of the nonprofit's funding came from township and village taxpayer money.

Personal life
Henyard is a single mother.

Henyard previously owned a restaurant named "Good Burger", originally located in Calumet City and then on the campus of South Suburban College.

Awards and recognition
At a local "Martin Luther King Jr. Business Brunch" in 2024, Henyard received the "Martin Luther King Service Award".

Electoral history

 * 2013 Dolton village trustee


 * 2019 Dolton village trustee


 * 2021 Dolton mayoral