Considerations over spending transparency through Manager Tiffany Henyard led the Thornton Township Board Thursday to disclaim bills to sure distributors who finished paintings for the township.
A few of the bills debated all the way through the particular board assembly, known as nearest a last-minute cancellation of Tuesday’s scheduled assembly, had been for garden mowing products and services for seniors and media content material founding for township occasions.
“We don’t want services to stop, not our intention whatsoever, but we have to get a hold on some of this spending,” Trustee Christopher Gonzalez mentioned.
Gonzalez has puzzled Henyard’s offer with sure distributors, particularly the ones tasked with offering media products and services comparable to images and videography at occasions, for the reason that Dolton mayor used to be appointed township manager in 2022. On the other hand, he mentioned Thursday marked probably the most first cases the place maximum alternative trustees voted with him to forgo bills till additional information is supplied.
“I think if anybody does work they should get paid, but I just think the process is all messed up,” Trustee Carmen Carlisle mentioned. “The board never knows anything before it’s time to vote … I’m sending questions all the time, and sometimes my questions get answered and sometimes they don’t.”
Trustees sought to take away 26 fees from the invoice fee package deal, together with the ones for products and services from a number of communications, leisure and superstar companies. The schedule didn’t display the person fee quantities or the whole invoice, and the township’s spokesperson didn’t reply in an instant to calls for remark.
Henyard, as manager, comes to a decision the phrases of agreements with carrier suppliers with out enter from the board. However Gonzalez mentioned the board is tasked with approving bills, which steadily are introduced on the final negligible with out right kind rationalization and feature no longer but been funded as a part of later moment’s finances.
“You can’t make a good decision based on that,” Gonzalez mentioned. “So we’re asking, let us see the invoice, you know, let’s see a statement and a complete one.”
Henyard requested contractors to provide an explanation for to the board the products and services and the possible have an effect on of no longer being paid. Next listening to from garden assist consultants concerning the utility in their products and services for senior citizens, the board amend its movement to permit that exact fee.
Henyard persevered to press the board to approve the overall invoice listing, at one level calling trustees’ court cases of no longer being equipped ample data forward of presen a “bald-faced lie.”
“It’s unfair for people not to get paid and you guys come to a board meeting and think that’s OK,” Henyard mentioned. “Y’all got no logic, reason for why you’re not paying these bills, but just to create chaos and create this false narrative.”
Gonzalez driven again towards Henyard’s remarks, announcing the manager must decide to offering extra proceed data to permit trustees to construct truthful choices for the taxpayers. He mentioned the board plans to assure carrier suppliers are compensated forward of the later scheduled assembly on July 16, however mentioned trustees will proceed to chase away towards expenses till the method improves.
“We’re doing what we feel we’re supposed to do,” Gonzalez mentioned Friday. “It’s kind of up to her — is this going to be smoother or not? Because all we’re doing is asking questions and things like that, and that’s well within our right and our job.”
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
