Financial issues in south suburban Dolton are continuing to swell as village officials are reportedly struggling to pay their bills.
“Checks have been cut, but week to week, vendors are saying they have not been paid yet,” Trustee Tammy Brown said.
Failure to pay one debt has led to legal action, as hundreds of thousands of dollars in one of the village’s bank accounts are now off-limits to the village.
“We were able to serve a document to the bank that requires them by law to freeze twice the amount of the judgment …approximately $440,000,” Attorney Pat Walsh with Geneva-based Griffin, Williams, McMahon & Walsh said.
Walsh represents David Graham, who was a detective in Dolton for 17 years. Graham previously won a whistleblower lawsuit against the village in 2019.
After numerous failed appeals, Dolton officials settled with Graham, agreeing to pay approximately $220,000 in attorney fees and costs.
Walsh said the action taken last week on Dolton’s bank account is due to failure to pay the judgment.
“The village agreed in a settlement agreement to pay these fees, the court awarded these fees and now they are just not paying it,” Walsh said. “She, the mayor, has money to go to Vegas – but not to pay the village’s judgments – and that is not right. It is a shame that the residents there have to be victimized by this kind of behavior.”
Brown said it is unclear why the judgement has not been paid.
“That check was cut some time ago, but never given to that vendor. It is unclear why it has not gone out,” Brown said.
NBC Chicago reached out to Mayor Tiffany Henyard’s administration numerous times for comment, but have yet to hear back. The matter is set to return to court on July 23.