DOLTON, Ill. – Village trustees say 56% of Dolton voters want their mayor removed from office in a controversial recall vote.

Mayor Tiffany Henyard filed a lawsuit back in Spring that called the proposed recall vote unconstitutional. A Cook County judge ordered the County Clerk to disregard the results of Tuesday’s recall referendum results. But at the 11th hour, an appellate court reversed the decision until the entire matter could be decided in court later this Summer. 

“I don’t find anything in the statutes or the Constitution that prohibits us from doing this,” said Attorney Burt Odelson, who represents the five trustees of the Village of Dolton.

The group voted last December to put the mayoral recall questions on the June 28 primary ballot.  

“The first proposition, carried by 432 votes, establishing the mechanism, the second proposition recalling her passed by 411 votes, so certainly can’t say anyone was confused,” Odelson said.

But that’s what Henyard is alleging. Dolton’s mayor filed a lawsuit in April, saying the appeals court reversal confused voters.

In a written statement, Henyard said in part, “Many of my supporters did not vote because they were under the impression the votes would not be counted…sadly because the vote was allowed to happen our community is more divided than ever.”

Residents WGN News spoke with weighed in on the controversy.

“I don’t like that at all. That is troublesome to me because if that’s the case, we could’ve done it for any of the races,” Catrice Grant said.

Added Dolton resident Norton Williams: “I think it’s just the old system trying to show its face to keep things the way it was.”