Jason House resoundingly defeated independent Casundra Hopson-Jordan in the race for Dolton mayor Tuesday, putting the eight-year trustee at the helm of a south suburb that has faced steady political turmoil for the last several years.
With 94% of precincts reporting, House garnered 95% of the vote, compared to 4.6% for Hopson-Jordan. House’s margin of victory topped his win over embattled incumbent Mayor Tiffany Henyard in the Feb. 25 primary, when her empty election night party foretold the results before precincts began reporting. House won nearly 88% of the vote in February.
After his win in February, House told a Sun-Times reporter his priorities were rebuilding trust between local government and town residents, in addition to trying to attract business to the area. He said two businesses were “shovel ready,” and that he had been working to introduce businesses to the area as a trustee so he could hit the ground running as mayor.
Just days before his win was solidified Tuesday, House said he had been in contact with several more businesses about breaking ground on developments in Dolton, including a possible mixed-use housing development. His wishlist for the town includes retail stores and sit-down restaurants — development would help shift the tax burden to the suburb’s commercial sector and provide relief for homeowners.
“We have a community that can support those kinds of businesses,” House told a Sun-Times reporter last week. “Economic development is going to be key.”
He said many residents have been waiting for the administration to stabilize. Henyard was elected mayor after serving as a trustee for eight years, and endured a number of investigations during her tenure.
A federal probe into a $200,000 payment to a controversial contractor whose owner was sentenced to five years in federal prison on bribery charges last August was paired with an investigation conducted by former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, which determined that Henyard mismanaged the village’s finances through “excessive” spending — among others.
She also faced a mayoral recall effort that garnered about 56% of the vote, but was later thrown out by the Illinois Appellate Court.
Reactivating the town website and removing recent restrictions on resident visits to Village Hall have all been part of House’s attempts to bridge the divide between residents and government as a trustee, though he said continued financial transparency and having an open dialogue with residents would be key to his success.
“Absolutely [trust] will be a hurdle, it’s a challenge for any elected official,” House said. “Because of what Dolton has been through, we have a heightened level of distrust. … Now my charge is to make it so everyone is comfortable to let yesterday be yesterday.”
But beyond the eroded trust between the residents and government of Dolton, the town still faces issues in its everyday governance. Financial health and aging infrastructure — which House said he wants to replace rather than continue maintaining between breaks — are among his priorities, along with flood prevention.
Brinee Jarju, a six-year Dolton resident, largely agreed with House’s assessment of the suburb’s needs.
She said she wants to see not only more businesses and safe places for kids to enjoy themselves, but also accommodations for all students so parents don’t have to go outside the village for assistance.
“I wish the schools had more things here,” Jarju said. “Not just a pool or vocational center, but kids with all different disabilities. We have to go outside Dolton for that now.”
Though she voted for House, she still held reservations about the town’s future and his ability to govern.
“They get in office, they get comfy, but we live out here,” Jarju said. “These are people’s dreams and homes. They don’t want to be dealing with all this drama. … Just do what needs to be done. I see a lot of talking but no action.”
Hopson-Jordan said she ran because she was sick of seeing politicians fail to act on their pledges.
“The village has suffered enough. If you promise people the moon, deliver the stars,” said Hopson-Jordan. “Now that Miss Henyard is out of the picture, he’s in the spotlight. There’s no place to hide, he’ll either rise or fall.”
