Dolton, Illinois, faces a contentious situation following Mayor Tiffany Henyard's appointment of Ronald Burge Sr. as the new police chief, stirring allegations of illegality by village trustees. According to NBC Chicago, trustees claim the appointment was made without the Village Board's consent, prompting them to seek legal counsel on the matter.
Burge, who previously served in the Dixmoor Police Department and competed against Henyard in Dolton's 2021 mayoral race, steps into the role amid a background of controversy, not only due to Henyard currently being under federal investigation for alleged misuse of municipal funds but also owing to the trustees' staunch opposition, the trustees have been in contact with an attorney regarding this very issue they deem as a breach of proper protocol. Henyard's office has not responded to requests for comment, which adds to the community's tension and raises more questions regarding due process and governance in the village.
Board of Trustees member Kiana Belcher, in an interview obtained by WGN News, spoke on Burge's appointment, stating, "It’s an illegal appointment. We have an ordinance that says she’s supposed to go through the board."
The controversy surrounding Burge's appointment is also compounded by the history of his police certification, with state records indicating it listed as inactive, Burge has notably served as chief in other local police departments and left Dixmoor's force in 2019—trustees assert his hiring in Dolton isn’t legitimate with Belcher telling WGN News, "He will not get paid by the Village of Dolton." Despite this commotion, attempts to reach representatives for Mayor Henyard have not yielded a response, and a WGN reporter's attempt to talk directly with Burge Sr. ended fruitlessly when he was reportedly not present within the department.
