Embattled Illinois mayor declares 'I am your Rosa Parks' amid leadership feud
Embattled Thornton Township supervisor Tiffany Henyard contested the caucus that ousted her from the top of the ticket.
Controversial Dolton, Illinois "super mayor" and Thornton Township supervisor Tiffany Henyard compared herself to multiple historical figures amid a struggle to maintain power.
Within the Thornton Township in Illinois, an ongoing insurance dispute between supervisor Henyard and local board members Carmen Carlisle and Chris Gonzalez has escalated into a government shutdown. As a result, many services are unavailable due to a lack of liability insurance, including access to pay bills amid the gridlocked government.
ABC7 reported that the core of the feud is that the two trustees "say they're boycotting to prevent Henyard from appointing a tie-breaking trustee."
"Our hesitation is that if there's a person in there that will just say yes to everything, it will set us back," Carlisle said.
When Henyard was asked in an interview by the local news outlet whether she indeed would have the power to appoint such a person, she disputed the trustees' claims.
"I do not. I do not have sole power to appoint anybody," Henyard said. "When you gonna say, 'Hey, it's neglect.' You're neglecting your duties as an elected official."
The area is still reeling from a controversial Democratic caucus where State Sen. Napoleon Harris replaced Henyard at the top of the ticket.
Henyard reacted to the shakeup by declaring, "We didn’t have our opportunity to be heard," and that "On Dec. 3, 2024, your right to vote was hijacked by your committeeman, Sen. Napoleon Harris."
Harris disputed this narrative when he spoke to ABC7.
"No one was denied entry, everything was done above board," he said. "We need to respect the rule of law."
EMBATTLED DOLTON MAYOR TIFFANY HENYARD ACCUSED OF 'POLITICALLY TARGETING' TOWN'S OWN PARK DISTRICT
Henyard disputed the shakeup again by declaring to the same news outlet, "I am history. I am the 21st Century History," Henyard said. "I am your Rosa Parks, your Harriet Tubmans. [sic] I am that person. Somebody has to say never, never ever give up."
The town’s shutdown is taking a toll on local residents like Tom Olejniczak, who showed up early on Wednesday morning to hand in paperwork for an assistance program.
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"OK, here I am, and they disappeared now," Olejniczak observed. "So now what? What do you do now?"
