The owners of a chain of bars and video gaming establishments have sued the village of Dolton and the village’s embattled Mayor Tiffany Henyard, saying the village has blocked the renewal of their liquor license for their Dolton location because they have not donated to Henyard’s campaign fund.
The owners of Lacey’s Place filed a complaint in Cook County Circuit Court, accusing Henyard and the village of violating their due process rights by refusing to take any action on their liquor license renewal request.
Lacey’s Place is the name under which Lacey’s Place LLC operates more than three dozen video gaming establishments in southwest suburban Dolton and elsewhere in Chicago’s suburbs and downstate Illinois.
According to the complaint, Lacey’s Place has held a valid liquor license for its Dolton establishment for years without issue.
According to the complaint, Lacey’s moved to renew their license before it was scheduled to expire at the end of April.
However, at the time, village officials refused to take action on that renewal request, asserting no new Dolton liquor licenses would be issued while the village conducts what village officials allegedly described as a “tax audit.”
According to the complaint, village officials told Lacey’s the village would allow them to continue operating under their expired license until the “tax audit” could be completed.
However, the village has not yet announced the conclusion of that audit, and that has left Dolton’s liquor-serving establishments, like Lacey’s, in limbo, facing the threat of closure.
According to the complaint, this is because Lacey’s and other establishments in Dolton who can’t secure a local liquor license face the threat of losing their license from the state of Illinois, as well. Establishments cannot obtain a state liquor license unless they first can present a valid local license to state regulators.
According to the complaint, Lacey’s state liquor license for its Dolton establishment was due to expire on July 31. The complaint includes an exhibit email thread between legal counsel for Lacey’s and state regulators, in which state officials indicate they are aware of Dolton’s refusal to issue new or renewed local liquor licenses, but they instead encourage Lacey’s Place to pursue a court order allowing them to remain open.
Lacey’s then filed suit.
In the complaint, however, Lacey’s asserts the village is using its “tax audit” as a pretense to deny or outright ignore liquor license renewal requests, but only enforced against individuals and businesses who have not donated to support Henyard’s election campaign.
Neither the complaint nor a motion for temporary restraining order filed by Lacey’s Place provides any more information or details concerning why Lacey’s Place believes this to be the case. Instead, it presents that accusation only “on information and belief.”
In its complaint and emergency motions, Lacey’s asserts its Dolton location could go out of business, if they do not soon receive a new liquor license.
Dolton has not yet responded to the complaint in Cook County court. Instead, the village through its lawyers at the Del Galdo Law Firm, of Berwyn, have sought to transfer the matter to Chicago federal court, asserting the case belongs there, because Lacey’s has accused the village of violating its due process rights under the U.S. and Illinois state constitutions.
Lacey’s Place is represented by attorney Steven M. Laduzinsky, of Laduzinsky & Associates, of Chicago.
The accusations against Henyard and her administration serve as yet another allegation of public corruption brought against Henyard in open court.
Other village officials in Dolton have accused Henyard of misusing village police for her own personal security, and of violating state law for refusing to fulfill lawful public information requests.
Members of the Dolton village board of trustees have accused Henyard of financial mismanagement, asserting she has regularly racked up charges of $50,000 per month on a village credit card, with little explanation for the charges.
Columnist Ted Slowik in the Daily Southtown has asserted it is believed Henyard has commingled “township and village funds and paying for gasoline for residents, continually throwing catered parties and spending big bucks on hair, makeup, photography and graphic design for promotions like billboards that misspelled Thornton Township.”
A report published by Illinois Answers and Fox32 has further asserted Henyard “funnelled thousands of dollars in taxpayer money to a private foundation that bears her name,” but officially led by Thornton Township and Dolton village employees. The foundation ostensibly supports survivors of cancer. The report further accuses Henyard of authorizing thousands more in specious expenses for a group bicycle ride in Springfield, and for two ice rinks that were never authorized by the village board.
Slowik has asserted Henyard is “wasting public funds in plain sight on frivolous endeavors,” leaving taxpayers holding the bill, while fighting with those trying to keep tabs.
Henyard has also staved off an attempt to recall her from office, thanks to a win in court.
Henyard was elected mayor of Dolton in 2021. She was later also elected by the Thornton Township board to the position of township supervisor in a process the The Lansing Journal described as “an unprecedented series of nominations and votes,” that resulted in Henyard’s selection with just 10 minutes remaining before a legal deadline.
As mayor, Henyard earns $46,000 per year. As township supervisor, she receives $200,000 annually.