Judge Rules Against Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard in Village Meeting Dispute

Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard has suffered a significant setback in her bid to regain control over village board meetings. A Cook County judge has ruled in favor of the village trustees, allowing them to continue holding meetings at a facility operated by the Dolton Park District rather than the village hall.

The dispute arose after a majority of the trustees decided to relocate the meetings to the park district facility to better accommodate larger and often boisterous audiences. This decision was made in part due to concerns over Henyard’s management style and what some have described as extravagant expenditures.

During a recent meeting at the park district facility, Henyard was met with loud disapproval from the public. She subsequently filed a legal complaint seeking to annul the resolutions made during these meetings and to have them held at the village hall instead. However, the judge’s ruling has affirmed that the trustees’ meetings comply with the Open Meetings Act.

The Illinois Attorney General‘s office had also weighed in, stating that the village hall cannot sufficiently accommodate the public, further supporting the trustees’ decision to use the park district facility.

Despite the ruling, the judge emphasized that Mayor Henyard retains the authority to oversee the meetings, which must now take place at the park district building).