Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard said Monday that Keith Freeman, the village’s administrator, has been fired, although trustees said the mayor lacked the legal authority to do so and did not move to support her decision.
Trustees also voted to eliminate a handful of village jobs amid what they described as a “financial disaster” for the village and placed police Deputy Chief Lewis Lacey on administrative leave for an undefined period.
Freeman, the top aide to Henyard as Thornton Township supervisor, was dismissed from the township position last month.
Henyard said at Monday’s Dolton meeting that Freeman had been fired, but did not give a reason for his dismissal. When she asked trustees to make a motion to support her decision, the five trustees present were silent.
Trustee Kiana Belcher made a motion to adjourn the meeting, and Henyard ruled the trustee was out of order, then said “Keith Freeman is fired from the village of Dolton.”
Moments later, apparently talking to TV cameras or the camera recording the village’s livestream of the meeting, Henyard said “Keith Freeman, I know you’re watching, you no longer work for the village of Dolton.”
That came after trustees voted 5-0 to adjourn and began to step away from their desks.
After the meeting, Trustee Jason House said trustees did not speak up when Henyard asked for a motion on Freeman’s firing, saying they had been advised by their attorneys not to do so.
The four trustees who represent a majority on the Village Board — Belcher, Tammie Brown, House and Brittney Norwood — are represented by their own legislative attornies, Odelson, Murphey, Frazier & McGrath.
House said Henyard did not have the legal authority to fire Freeman because the board needs to vote on hiring and firing.
“If she could do it unilaterally she would have. She doesn’t have the legal authorization,” he said.
House said the law firm said the village could be open to a lawsuit by Freeman if the board voted to fire him.
“They (attorneys) don’t think, timing wise, it was the right thing to do,” he said.
Regarding Lacey being placed on leave, House said trustees received some information about the deputy chief that needs to be investigated, and that “we would expect it to be enforced.”
Trustees also reluctantly voted to transfer funds from a tax increment financing district to the general fund to pay bills.
Belcher said the total was a little more than $1 million, and included money for things such as retroactive pay for police officers and village insurance.
Trustees said they had recently got more information about village finances during a meeting with Dolton’s accountant and information gathered by former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, hired by trustees to do her own probe of Lightfoot and her administration.
House said Lightfoot will speak publicly about her findings so far during a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Dolton Park District’s Lester Long Fieldhouse, 14700 Evers St.
“This village is bleeding,” Trustee Brittney Norwood said. “If residents knew the truth they’d hit the roof.”
Layoffs approved in a 4-1 vote include a public works supervisor, building and permits clerk, a part-time housing director and two part-time laborers in the Public Works Department.
Henyard called the layoffs “political retaliation” on the trustees’ part, and said “this is targeting and they will be sued for doing so.”
The mayor said those employees being let go “will still be employed in the village of Dolton.”
House said that after meeting with the village’s accountant, trustees have a clearer understanding of the village’s financial condition.
“We are in dire need” and “there’s a lot more we have to do,” he said.
mnolan@southtownstar.com