Mayor under fire for turning town's finances red despite claims of cleaning up.

More drama in Dolton.

Tiffany Henyard, the embattled "supermayor" of Dolton, continued her conflict with the village's board of trustees on Tuesday by holding a board meeting despite its postponement, according to Fox 32 Chicago.

Despite a report stating that the town's budget had gone into the red, Henyard, a Democrat, declared at the meeting that her administration had successfully cleaned up the suburban Illinois town, where she has been at odds with the board for months over allegations of excessive spending and corruption.

Although the appointments are likely not valid, she also appointed new village staffers at the meeting.

The trustees have postponed their regular board meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, until Sept. 12 to address several urgent matters, including finalizing the village budget, establishing a new bank account, and hiring a new auditor, a spokesperson for the trustees announced.

Beau Brindley, Henyard's attorney, contended that the postponement of the meeting violated Illinois law because proper notice was not given. Additionally, he stated that he believes the board's actions are hindering Henyard's ability to fulfill her responsibilities as mayor.

Despite having only two trustees present, Andrew Holmes and Stanley Brown, the mayor proceeded with the meeting.

At the meeting attended by about 20 members of the public, Henyard stated that the Board of Trustees did not appear, and neither did the clerk.

The latest public spat between the mayor and the board is part of an ongoing series.

The board's request for a federal investigation into Henyard's alleged misuse of funds and their hiring of former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to lead a special investigation into the mayor have been vetoed by Henyard.

In May, the board designated a mayor pro tempore to replace Henyard if she declined to fulfill her responsibilities.

The preliminary report from Lightfoot's investigation into Dolton's financial situation showed that the general fund balance was $5.61 million in 2022, but by May 2024, the balance had decreased to a deficit of $3.65 million.

Henyard's office was contacted by Planet Chronicle Digital for comment on the figures and for an explanation of why she held Tuesday's meeting, but no response was immediately received.

Lightfoot admitted that Henyard used the village credit card to make purchases at Amazon, Target, Walgreens, Wayfair, and other retailers. One astonishing revelation was that the beleaguered mayor had spent $33,000 on Amazon on January 5, 2023.

Although accusations of wrongdoing have been made against her, Henyard announced on Tuesday that she has improved the town.

By researching everyone, you'll comprehend the fight and why things are the way they are, as Henyard explained, because when we took over, we came and cleaned up the Village of Dolton.

"When we received a complaint, I instructed them to prioritize the care of the residents."

Henyard announced that she has "receipts" and will soon be holding a State of the Village address, urging residents to stay tuned.

On Tuesday, the mayor appointed a new village attorney and administrator, even though one was already serving as the administrator.

"Valeria Stubbs, a former village trustee, stated that she couldn't appoint one because Keith Freeman was still the village administrator, according to Fox 32. She added that the meeting should have been adjourned once she didn't have a quorum, as it was illegal."

On the same day that Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued a binding opinion stating that Dolton repeatedly violated the Open Meetings Act this summer, a clash occurred over Tuesday's meeting.

He discovered that Henyard and the village board did not hold their June 3 and July 1 meetings in a way that was "convenient and open to the public." As a result, he instructed Dolton to ensure that all future meetings are held in a manner that is accessible and open to the public, including providing ample space and avoiding any obstructions such as street closures or parking barricades.

Henyard’s accusations of financial misdeeds have prompted an ongoing FBI investigation.

Earlier this month, a federal grand jury indicted Lewis A. Lacey, the former deputy chief of police of Dolton and an ally of Henyard, on bankruptcy fraud charges. He is accused of hiding assets and income to evade paying creditors and settling a lawsuit.

In February, six individuals reportedly spoke to the FBI about Henyard's alleged misconduct, including business owners, a former village employee, and one or more public officials.

In April, the FBI served two federal subpoenas as part of an investigation, but Henyard was not served.

The employment records, personnel files, and disciplinary reports for 25 Dolton employees, including three police officers and Keith Freeman, who is the village administrator and Henyard's top aide, were requested. Freeman was later charged with bankruptcy fraud.

A subpoena was served on Freeman, requesting records of all companies linked to him and any connections to the village.

Planet Chronicle' Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.