Warning from Tiffany Henyard: Shutdown Possible Starting Wednesday

THORNTON TOWNSHIP, Ill. (WLS) — There could be service cuts and layoffs in Thornton Township as soon as Wednesday

Supervisor Tiffany Henyard is threatening a shutdown.

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A potential government shutdown looms due to a fifth cancellation of a Thornton Township meeting caused by insufficient attendance, specifically the absence of Trustees Carmen Carlisle and Chris Gonzalez.

Their aim is to block Supervisor Tiffany Henyard from appointing someone to a vacant trustee position, who could provide tie-breaking votes.

With the board unable to conduct business, Henyard said the township can’t renew its insurance and that’s forcing the shutdown.

“It’s sad because it really hurts me because I really care about the people,” Henyard said. “So the seniors, they utilize the transportation to go to dialysis, to the doctor, to the store, things of that nature. Then you have the after school program and that’s they youth. You pick people’s kids up from school and we keep them until seven o’clock at night… so we got to stop that.”

Henyard said a shutdown could mean potentially laying off more than a hundred township workers.

They’ve also had to cancel their annual holiday toy giveaway this weekend that helps hundreds of families.

But Gonzalez said Henyard, who’s under FBI scrutiny for her handling of township finances, and those in Dolton, where she’s mayor, could renew the insurance without convening a meeting. But it’s the insurers who’ve chosen not to renew the township
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All this comes as Henyard is suing Township Democrats for their caucus vote earlier this month that left her off the April ballot for supervisor.