Vacant seat could be deciding factor to pass Thornton Township tax levy before new deadline

The Cook County Clerk’s Office has given Thornton Township through the end of January to pass and file a property tax levy, the HWH confirmed Tuesday.

A taxing district has until the end of year to do so, but the township failed to do so last month. Now, they’ve received an extension from the clerk through the end of January, to be applied retroactively for the 2024 tax levy.

Currently, there are only four voting members: Supervisor Tiffany Henyard and trustees Darlene Gray Everett, Chris Gonzalez, and Carmen Carlisle. The aforementioned two are allies, as are the latter two. Even with a quorum, opposition between the two groups effectively guarantees board gridlock on action items.

But a vacant seat could be the deciding factor on whether a levy is approved and filed before the township’s new deadline.

Political polarization and agenda-setting

In the seven months since its May 2024 deadline, the township’s board has failed to pass a budget appropriations ordinance. That would detail how the township would use the property tax revenue.

November 2024 marked the perfect storm. By then, the board was all at once entering a new budget season, nearing a deadline to approve the tax levy, embroiled in a boycott, and wrestling with an impending insurance lapse set to trigger a de facto service shutdown — all while preparing to consider a vacancy appointment.

At a special meeting Dec. 17, 2024, the board’s agenda included levy ordinances for the general fund, general assistance fund, and road and bridge fund, as well as operating budgets. Gonzalez and Carlisle did not attend.

Gonzalez and Carlisle called a special meeting on Dec. 20, 2024, held at the Dolton Park District. It marked the first meeting in weeks where the board established a quorum. 

Gonzalez moved to approve the levy, but Henyard objected to approving the levy because the township doesn’t have a budget. “You can make the motion, if you want,” Henyard said. “You have to come back for another board meeting, and you have to have a budget in place in order to —,” cut off by Gonzalez.

“How are they going to levy taxes, and they didn’t tell you how they gon’ spend the money, at all,” Henyard said, speaking directly to attendees.

Legal counsel did provide clarity and recommendation. “As a general rule, the budget appropriation ordinance should be adopted before the levy,” attorney Tiffany Nelson-Jaworski said. But the township “could be putting itself into another bad situation,” she went on, if it didn’t pass the levy even without the “prerequisite.”

“If we can’t get both done, at least pass the levy,” Nelson-Jaworski advised, indicating that the levy and budget could both be later amended. Both the levy and budget failed, however, the vote a 2-2 tie.

Before the year’s end, on Dec. 30, 2024, Henyard called a special meeting, held at Harvey City Hall. 

That meeting would mark the last time before the township’s original end-of-year deadline to approve a tax levy that both the request and a corresponding budget were included on the agenda. Gonzalez and Carlisle did not attend. Without a quorum, that once again left the township unable to conduct business.

Finally, with a county extension approved, Gonzalez and Carlisle called a special meeting last week, Jan. 6, 2025, at the South Holland Public Library.

The agenda only included the tax levy, along with property and auto insurance policies; it did not include any items to approve a budget. Henyard and Everett were absent; there wasn’t a quorum to conduct business.

The board’s future

There was a 60-day window, according to state law, to fill a seat vacated by Gerald “Jerry” Jones. But the ongoing trustee boycott has thwarted Henyard’s attempt to fill Jones’ seat. 

Now, as the clock’s run out, electors will nominate and confirm someone at a special meeting Jan. 21 at 6:00 PM, at South Suburban College, in accordance with state law.

With less than two weeks from their confirmation and an odd number of voting members, that person could tip the scales, becoming a decisive vote on key items — such as passing a property tax revenue request before the Jan. 31 deadline.

But just as a new trustee would take their seat, two trustees could be out the door: Gonzalez and Carlisle may be at-risk of board removal over their absences at regular meetings.

According to Nelson-Jaworski’s interpretation of the township code, a trustee could be subject to removal if they miss five regularly scheduled meetings, she said last month. To date, Carlisle and Gonzalez have missed four.  Henyard has now filed a legal complaint, seeking a judge to order Gonzalez and Carlisle to appear at meetings.

The next regular meeting will be held tonight at 6:00 P.M. It will be held at Thornton Township hall in South Holland.