Latest news with #DailySouthtown
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard does not have document demanded in FOIA lawsuit, attorney says
Attorneys for former Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard say they will file an affidavit explaining she does not have records required as part of an ongoing lawsuit. Henyard was required to appear in court Friday at the Daley Center in Chicago to produce documents requested last year by the nonprofit Edgar County Watchdogs that are public via the Freedom of Information Act. Cook County Judge Kate Moreland filed an order holding her in contempt May 23 for repeated violations of court orders. Though Henyard was called to testify, Henyard's attorney, Beau Brindley, told Moreland she would not take the stand due to an ongoing federal investigation into possible misconduct during her tenure as Dolton's mayor. Brindley confirmed after the hearing he is representing Henyard in the federal investigation. 'She does not have these documents,' Brindley said. 'The one document they're asking for, she doesn't remember what it is. She doesn't possess it.' The Edgar County Watchdogs sued Dolton in February 2024 after failing to receive documents requested the month prior. The lawsuit claims the groups made two separate requests Jan. 5, 2024, neither of which received a response from Henyard's office. Attorneys for the Edgar County Watchdogs said Friday the village helped fulfill the first request, copies of all credit card statements since Oct. 1, 2023. However, they still not received copy of a document Henyard showed at a January public meeting while stating trustees canceled the credit card, stating the document was proof. 'We don't believe that someone can just burn a piece of paper or get rid of … the document, and the Watchdogs aren't going to stop until they get it,' attorney Edward Coach Winehouse said after the hearing. Judge Moreland affirmed Friday that Henyard would be fined $1,000 per day as of May 30 until she produced the records responsive to the group's request or filed the affidavit. Brindley said the affidavit would be filed by Monday. After the hearing, Brindley told the Daily Southtown the case represents a 'pretty unfair focus on Mayor Henyard, who has been out of office for awhile now.' 'This is about one piece of paper at a board meeting that she had like a year ago, and they seem to suggest that she's going to still have it,' Brindley said. 'She doesn't even know what it is, and the fact that they've gone to all this trouble and a contempt hearing and everything else is just silly.' Edgar County Watchdogs claim in the lawsuit the only response to their Jan. 5 FOIA requests came from Village Clerk Alison Key, informing them the village administrator at the time, Keith Freeman, instructed staff not to reply to requests that she entered. 'Hopefully, you will get what you are requesting,' Key wrote the day the request was received. Henyard's tenure as mayor, which ended last month, showed a pattern of ignored or denied public records requests. The Daily Southtown reported last year the Illinois attorney general's office received more than 50 related complaints between January 2021 and April 2024 regarding ignored or denied FOIA requests. The attorney general's office also received more than 30 similar complaints from Thornton Township from January 2022 and August 2024, when Henyard was supervisor. The Daily Southtown sought records from Dolton in May 2023, and followed up again in August of that year. While the Freedom of Information Act requests were acknowledged as received, there was no response. In May 2024, lawyers for the Daily Southtown sent a letter to Dolton officials, including Henyard, outlining the lack of response and requesting the village adhere to the law and turn over records. It too was ignored. In February 2024, the attorney general's office issued a binding opinion ordering Dolton to produce records requested by WGN. The village did not, and WGN eventually won a court ruling demanding the documents be turned over. ostevens@
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Former Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard does not have document demanded in FOIA lawsuit, attorney says
Attorneys for former Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard say they will file an affidavit explaining she does not have records required as part of an ongoing lawsuit. Henyard was required to appear in court Friday at the Daley Center in Chicago to produce documents requested last year by the nonprofit Edgar County Watchdogs that are public via the Freedom of Information Act. Cook County Judge Kate Moreland filed an order holding her in contempt May 23 for repeated violations of court orders. Though Henyard was called to testify, Henyard's attorney, Beau Brindley, told Moreland she would not take the stand due to an ongoing federal investigation into possible misconduct during her tenure as Dolton's mayor. Brindley confirmed after the hearing he is representing Henyard in the federal investigation. 'She does not have these documents,' Brindley said. 'The one document they're asking for, she doesn't remember what it is. She doesn't possess it.' The Edgar County Watchdogs sued Dolton in February 2024 after failing to receive documents requested the month prior. The lawsuit claims the groups made two separate requests Jan. 5, 2024, neither of which received a response from Henyard's office. Attorneys for the Edgar County Watchdogs said Friday the village helped fulfill the first request, copies of all credit card statements since Oct. 1, 2023. However, they still not received copy of a document Henyard showed at a January public meeting while stating trustees canceled the credit card, stating the document was proof. 'We don't believe that someone can just burn a piece of paper or get rid of … the document, and the Watchdogs aren't going to stop until they get it,' attorney Edward Coach Winehouse said after the hearing. Judge Moreland affirmed Friday that Henyard would be fined $1,000 per day as of May 30 until she produced the records responsive to the group's request or filed the affidavit. Brindley said the affidavit would be filed by Monday. After the hearing, Brindley told the Daily Southtown the case represents a 'pretty unfair focus on Mayor Henyard, who has been out of office for awhile now.' 'This is about one piece of paper at a board meeting that she had like a year ago, and they seem to suggest that she's going to still have it,' Brindley said. 'She doesn't even know what it is, and the fact that they've gone to all this trouble and a contempt hearing and everything else is just silly.' Edgar County Watchdogs claim in the lawsuit the only response to their Jan. 5 FOIA requests came from Village Clerk Alison Key, informing them the village administrator at the time, Keith Freeman, instructed staff not to reply to requests that she entered. 'Hopefully, you will get what you are requesting,' Key wrote the day the request was received. Henyard's tenure as mayor, which ended last month, showed a pattern of ignored or denied public records requests. The Daily Southtown reported last year the Illinois attorney general's office received more than 50 related complaints between January 2021 and April 2024 regarding ignored or denied FOIA requests. The attorney general's office also received more than 30 similar complaints from Thornton Township from January 2022 and August 2024, when Henyard was supervisor. The Daily Southtown sought records from Dolton in May 2023, and followed up again in August of that year. While the Freedom of Information Act requests were acknowledged as received, there was no response. In May 2024, lawyers for the Daily Southtown sent a letter to Dolton officials, including Henyard, outlining the lack of response and requesting the village adhere to the law and turn over records. It too was ignored. In February 2024, the attorney general's office issued a binding opinion ordering Dolton to produce records requested by WGN. The village did not, and WGN eventually won a court ruling demanding the documents be turned over.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Editorial: When school boards ride in limousines and students lack the basics
With inflation straining families and tax bills rising year after year, it's no surprise that public spending draws more scrutiny. The recent revelations about conference travel spending by Country Club Hills District 160 are a reminder that even small examples of waste can undermine public trust — especially when students are being left behind. District 160 spent $25,000 last year on conference travel for board members — including limousines, four-star hotels and upscale dining — even as just 18% of students are proficient in reading, 8% of students are proficient in math, and parents report classrooms without spelling lists or winter heat. Attending conferences is fairly normal, but high-cost travel, even if it may represent only a fraction of the overall district budget, is grating for folks who watch their property taxes go up year after year. Taxpayers are left wondering: Was this essential? About 70% of that school district is considered low-income, and the median household income is $77,463, which is over $4,000 lower than the statewide level. District 160 serves just 993 students. Yet, board members spent thousands on high-end hotels and limousine services, according to the Daily Southtown. Spending in 2024 includes $3,804 on limousine rides to and from O'Hare International Airport, which ranged from $348 to $438 each, with door-to-door service for individual board members. District 160 board members spent over $16,800 on a conference in Dallas, including hotel costs at a four-star hotel and upscale dining, according to a Chicago Tribune report. Meanwhile, parents in the district are wondering why basic needs aren't being met, including addressing student outcomes and building issues. 'My fifth grader cannot show me how to do exponents. For the last three months, we've been going back and forth with time tables and multiplication. She can't add three digit numbers. She don't know division,' parent Latisha Hearon told the Daily Southtown. 'My third grader, I'm literally in the classroom asking the teacher what is going on with spelling words. I haven't seen the spelling list all year.' Another parent expressed frustration over a school building being without heat for several days after students returned from time off over the Thanksgiving holiday. Parents have every right to ask these questions and raise these concerns, and when students are falling behind, parents are right to demand answers about where the money is going. And especially as families are feeling squeezed by their property taxes, the rising costs of good and services, and now as they stare down the seemingly endless prospect of tax hikes at the state and local level, every penny counts. When classrooms go cold in November, families don't want to hear that public dollars were spent on luxury airport rides. This isn't just a one-district problem. Other Illinois school boards have also drawn scrutiny for spending large sums to attend conferences. An Illinois Watchdog investigation from before the pandemic showed that several suburban districts were spending big to attend the 2018 Illinois Association of School Boards' annual conference in Chicago. Algonquin Community School District 300 sent 17 people and spent $17,050 total, with the majority of the cost on hotel and registration. Crystal Lake District 47 sent 11 people and spent $12,213, including over $1,100 on parking. Huntley District 15 sent 13 people and spent $16,561, with most of the cost on hotel and registration. Bloomington District 87 spent more than $18,000 over the course of the three-day event, with all seven school board members in attendance — some accompanied by their spouses. When a business has important needs to meet or is facing a funding pinch, they cut back on nonessential costs. School districts should employ the same principle, making sure resources are focused where they'll do the most good. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@
Chicago Tribune
02-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: When school boards ride in limousines and students lack the basics
With inflation straining families and tax bills rising year after year, it's no surprise that public spending draws more scrutiny. The recent revelations about conference travel spending by Country Club Hills District 160 are a reminder that even small examples of waste can undermine public trust — especially when students are being left behind. District 160 spent $25,000 last year on conference travel for board members — including limousines, four-star hotels and upscale dining — even as just 18% of students are proficient in reading, 8% of students are proficient in math, and parents report classrooms without spelling lists or winter heat. Attending conferences is fairly normal, but high-cost travel, even if it may represent only a fraction of the overall district budget, is grating for folks who watch their property taxes go up year after year. Taxpayers are left wondering: Was this essential? About 70% of that school district is considered low-income, and the median household income is $77,463, which is over $4,000 lower than the statewide level. District 160 serves just 993 students. Yet, board members spent thousands on high-end hotels and limousine services, according to the Daily Southtown. Spending in 2024 includes $3,804 on limousine rides to and from O'Hare International Airport, which ranged from $348 to $438 each, with door-to-door service for individual board members. District 160 board members spent over $16,800 on a conference in Dallas, including hotel costs at a four-star hotel and upscale dining, according to a Chicago Tribune report. Meanwhile, parents in the district are wondering why basic needs aren't being met, including addressing student outcomes and building issues. 'My fifth grader cannot show me how to do exponents. For the last three months, we've been going back and forth with time tables and multiplication. She can't add three digit numbers. She don't know division,' parent Latisha Hearon told the Daily Southtown. 'My third grader, I'm literally in the classroom asking the teacher what is going on with spelling words. I haven't seen the spelling list all year.' Another parent expressed frustration over a school building being without heat for several days after students returned from time off over the Thanksgiving holiday. Parents have every right to ask these questions and raise these concerns, and when students are falling behind, parents are right to demand answers about where the money is going. And especially as families are feeling squeezed by their property taxes, the rising costs of good and services, and now as they stare down the seemingly endless prospect of tax hikes at the state and local level, every penny counts. When classrooms go cold in November, families don't want to hear that public dollars were spent on luxury airport rides. This isn't just a one-district problem. Other Illinois school boards have also drawn scrutiny for spending large sums to attend conferences. An Illinois Watchdog investigation from before the pandemic showed that several suburban districts were spending big to attend the 2018 Illinois Association of School Boards' annual conference in Chicago. Algonquin Community School District 300 sent 17 people and spent $17,050 total, with the majority of the cost on hotel and registration. Crystal Lake District 47 sent 11 people and spent $12,213, including over $1,100 on parking. Huntley District 15 sent 13 people and spent $16,561, with most of the cost on hotel and registration. Bloomington District 87 spent more than $18,000 over the course of the three-day event, with all seven school board members in attendance — some accompanied by their spouses. When a business has important needs to meet or is facing a funding pinch, they cut back on nonessential costs. School districts should employ the same principle, making sure resources are focused where they'll do the most good.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dolton Mayor Jason House won't rule out public purchase of Pope Leo XIV's childhood home
Despite Pope Leo XIV's childhood home being recently listed for auction, Dolton Mayor Jason House said Friday he has not ruled out taking public ownership of the property via eminent domain. 'I'm interested in a peaceful transfer,' House, who was sworn in as mayor May 5, told the Daily Southtown. He said he is excited for the property's potential as an attraction and historical landmark, and is prioritizing ensuring it is 'honored in the proper way.' House said it's too early to say how much the village would be willing to pay for the 1,050-square-foot home on 141st Place or whether it should be converted into a museum or historical landmark. He said he plans to speak with the homeowner early next week to discuss the property. Homer Glen-based home rehabber Pawel Radzik paid $66,000 for the modest, three-bedroom, ranch-style brick house without knowing just a year later its former occupant would be named the leader of the Catholic church. Real estate broker Steve Budzik said Friday Radzik listed the home in January for $219,000 but pulled it after the pope's election generated a high volume of interest. Budzik said he heard rumors circulating about interest in public ownership before he and Radzik decided to list the home for auction. 'I don't know if that's — I don't know the word I would use — a justifiable means of getting the property,' Budzik said. 'So that's again why we did an auction.' While the auction is set to close on June 18, Budzik emphasized the seller can choose to accept an offer, which are entered privately through Paramount auction house, at any time. 'The auction gives everybody a fair chance at putting in a bid,' Budzik explained. 'And even with eminent domain, I think the question is, what's the value?' Budzik believes for a home with such an important historical connection, the just compensation required in exchange for the property is 'totally subjective.' Excitement surrounding the unassuming Dolton home was hard to avoid Friday afternoon. Neighbors and visitors parked on side streets to stand on the sidewalk facing the building, taking videos and photos with their phones as an energetic Budzik led news reporters inside the renovated space. Donna Sagna and her mother, Peggy, said they are Catholics who lived next door to the house for eight years before learning of Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV. As they projected church music on a speaker in their backyard, the younger Sagna said she had begun holding prayer vigils to honor their local connection to the religious leader. Sagna and Amarcia Garcia, a former Dolton resident who visited the home with her own mother, both said individually they hoped 212 East 141st Place would be preserved as a museum, bringing tourism and attention to the community. 'It'd be good for Dolton, to bring more positivity, more people and more revenue,' Garcia said. Budzik said he understands the interest in creating a museum, and 'there's still possibly some interest' in that on the part of the seller, who through Budzik declined to speak with the Daily Southtown. But, at the end of the day, 'he really wants to see where the auction goes,' Budzik said. 'The next person, who is obviously going to love it, can do whatever they want with it,' Budzik said. ostevens@
