After marching on City Hall, Harvey alders and residents stage walk-out

Clarification, 06/25/2024: This article was updated to clarify the name of the new technology used by Harvey City Council.

Months ago, Mayor Chris Clark had police remove two dissenting alderpersons from a City Council meeting. Now, they’re walking out on their own accord.

Because Alds. Colby Chapman (2nd) and Tracy Key (4th) exited, the mayor adjourned the June 10 meeting due to lack of quorum. The City Council hadn’t voted on a single agenda item.

The walkout started over a disagreement about a stormwater project on 153rd St. and Myrtle Ave. Chapman sought to “indefinitely” table an intergovernmental agreement with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. The mayor said it was necessary to “override” two pre-existing agreements with the District that assess sewer conditions pertaining to a water detention pond project on the block, contested by locals. 

The effort aims to reduce local flooding and dovetails with visions of a new public park, overseen by the city. However, it would displace longtime residents. In May, the District sent offer letters to acquire properties, with all but one family agreeing to relocate.

Tabling the item seemed unsuccessful, met with opposition from Clark. It also prompted verbal jabs between Chapman and Alderwoman Telanee Smith (3rd).

The walk-out followed a riotous public comment period as speakers questioned a new payment agreement for businesses located at property tax delinquent commercial properties and pushed for financial transparency. Harvey’s planning department will begin withholding business licenses from companies located at commercial properties that have unpaid taxes to Cook County—whether the business owns that property or not.

“The mayor’s administration is bullying their way through vast ordinances. [Mayor Clark] has majority of votes, so whichever mandate he wants approved will be granted,” said Pastor Johnathan M. Johnson of Holy Bible Missionary Baptist Church.

The meeting was marked by its heavy police presence—rare, but occurring more often—inside and outside of City Hall; the streets were filled with uniformed officers and squad cars. 

The city also debuted new technology, OpenMeeting Technologies, used by government bodies to streamline operations. 

The Council now displays agenda items with descriptions on large television screens for attendees to see and uses iPads to electronically record votes. Making a rare appearance at an October 2023 finance committee meeting, the mayor previously said he wanted to secure the services for transparency and operational efficiency.

‘Clark es criminal’

Two hours before the meeting, Black and Latino residents and business owners began marching from Transformation Community United Methodist Church, home to Chapman’s ward offices.

Several Harvey police vehicles followed the march, which ended at City Hall. Protest anthem “Get Up, Stand Up” by reggae singer Bob Marley blared from a nearby speaker. ‘Mayor Clark is worse than Tiffany Henyard,’ read one sign. In Spanish, another marcher’s sign called Clark a criminal.

In January, the Council approved an ordinance restricting business licenses for companies located at property tax-delinquent commercial properties. Chapman and aldermanic ally Key cast the only two dissenting votes. But the fines associated with property tax delinquency were not put forth to the Council for a vote.

“How are we making legislative decisions without the entire body of the Council?” Chapman said, “nor did our treasurer know. So who knew?”

Frustration over business licenses

Harvey has long required both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations to maintain a business license. Many churches hadn’t been. Johnson maintains as a tax exempt organization, that policy shouldn’t include churches.

“The government does not control the church,” Johnson said, but added, “Of course we want to be obedient and obey the laws of the land.” Holy Bible MBC paid the fees for a license, reiterating that he doesn’t agree with the mandate. “We can’t fight something and not be in compliance with something,” Johnson said. Other pastoral leaders have followed suit, he added.

A crowd of business owners, many Latino, and some non-English speaking, filled Council chambers. 

“We just want to make money,” said Benecia Gonzalez, owner of Harvey Auto Center. Her company’s business license is being withheld, as the commercial property Gonzalez owns has nearly $30,000 in unpaid property tax debt.

Clark listened as Gonzalez spoke. For others, like Johnson, he didn’t, ruffling through papers and consulting with corporation counsel, a regular practice. But some attendees audibly criticized Clark for not paying attention.

The mayor’s office released a “settlement agreement,” where business owners can pay “agreed and reduced” fines to continue operating without a license until that property is caught up. 

Fines are tiered. A business would pay either $20,000, two installments of $12,000, or $2,500 a month until payments total $30,000, under the agreement. The mayor, property owner, and business owner would then sign and return to city officials. Harvey will suspend its standard fines associated with operating without a business license if owners pay up.

City officials have not publicly stated what will happen with the funds collected.

A ‘CPA’ requirement

Evanston transplant Glynis James-Watson used public comment to ask that city officials release monthly finance reports. 

According to James-Watson, Clark showed up to Ald. Shirley Drewenski’s (1st) ward meeting, where she asked him about Harvey’s finance reports. Clark responded that City Treasurer Aisha Pickett “isn’t a licensed certified public accountant” to produce them, which she denied believing.

Illinois State does not require municipal treasurer’s to be licensed CPAs.

Pickett has publicly complained that the finance department refuses to give her access to critical documents to fulfill her office’s duties. Elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, she has only given the report a handful of times during her tenure.

Comptroller Louis Williams was slated to give his own report. However, he didn’t because it “wasn’t included in the packets” provided to the Council, he said, to audience groans.