Ex-Mayor Lori Lightfoot unveiled findings on Dolton's $9 million funds plunge, Amazon splurges, and eyebrow-raising overtime pay under Mayor Tiffany Henyard, who now faces a federal criminal probe and demands to resign.

Lightfoot's probe has pulled back the curtain on a spending spree that would make even Jeff Bezos blush. Henyard's tenure in Dolton hasn't just been marred by a staggering $9 million plunge into the red but also extravagant Amazon hauls, with one purchase alone ringing up at $33,000. Meanwhile, local police officers seem to have struck gold in overtime, leading residents and authorities to demand Henyard pack her bags—preferably one of the many bought on the taxpayers' dime.

Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's preliminary findings into the financial misadventures of Dolton, Illinois' leadership reveal allegations of excessive spending, uncontrolled overtime pay, and a financial black hole. The village's general fund, once a lush $5.61 million in April 2022, now resembles a barren wasteland with a deficit of $3.65 million by May 2024. Rumor has it gold miners from the 1800s are taking notes.

At the center of this financial maelstrom is Mayor Tiffany Henyard, who is no stranger to the 'Buy Now' button. Henyard wielded the village credit card with the precision of a seasoned online shopper, running up bills at Amazon, Target, and Walgreens. On January 5, 2023, she made a single Amazon purchase totaling $33,000, raising eyebrows and questions about what, exactly, one might need from the world's mega-retailer for that sum. Rumors of a fleet of Alexa devices taking over Dolton remain unconfirmed.

But the fiscal freewheeling didn't stop with Henyard's digital shopping sprees. The probe discovered the village indulged in a $43,000 Amazon shopping bonanza in just one day. It's safe to say that Dolton wasn't just paying for two-day shipping but perhaps an entire fleet of Prime delivery drones.

Beyond shopping, the village's financial woes deepen as details emerge about the police department's overtime pay. Two officers managed to pad their earnings to enviable levels: one, with an annual salary of $87,295, racked up $114,800 in overtime pay, while another, earning $73,515, scored an additional $102,077 in overtime. Unless these officers were moonlighting as professional wrestlers, something smelled fishy, and it wasn't just the police station's tuna salad lunch special.

Understandably, Dolton's residents and local trustees have had enough. Village trustees voted to cut off access to the village credit cards for Henyard and other officials. It appears the village had finally decided to change its Amazon password from 'password123' to 'NoMoreSpending!'.

Adding to the laundry list of fiscal misconduct, the investigation spotlighted unauthorized out-of-state trips funded by taxpayers, spanning destinations such as Washington, DC, Austin, TX, New York City, Atlanta, and Las Vegas. It’s unclear if any of those trips included stops at boutique stores for monogrammed apology letters.

The spending binge has had a devastating impact on Dolton's ability to meet its financial obligations. By March 2023, balancing the village's checkbook became akin to performing financial gymnastics. Meanwhile, the average monthly expenses in the village ballooned by nearly 30% since fiscal year 2022, making even the hardiest budget analyst break out in a cold sweat.

Henyard’s troubles don’t end with transactions and overtime. Allegations surfaced that she used local police as personal bodyguards, essentially drafting them into a makeshift secret service. In one particularly egregious case, an employee complained of being sexually assaulted by a Henyard supporter during a taxpayer-funded jaunt to Las Vegas. The whistleblower, instead of receiving support, got the boot. Vegas rules, it seems, don’t stay in Vegas.

As if her track record with public funds wasn’t enough, Henyard's cancer charity is now under scrutiny as well. Federal authorities have stepped in, issuing subpoenas for business records and deepening the criminal probe into her activities. Perhaps her spending should have come with a 'Handle with Care' label.

Calls for Henyard's resignation have grown louder, with residents decrying the apparent misuse of funds and lack of fiscal accountability. As Dolton grapples with its multi-million-dollar deficit, the problem of financial stewardship under Henyard remains a glaring point of contention. Packing up may not be optional for Henyard, as the invitation to resign starts to look more like a mandate.

In these turbulent times, one thing is clear: Dolton’s finances need an immediate overhaul, and Mayor Henyard could be facing more than just shopping cart shame.