"It's kind of hurtful to even mention the potential of layoffs. I don't want that. I want our people to work. It's the holiday season," Henyard said.
The threat of a shutdown comes as a Thornton Township meeting, for the fifth time in recent weeks, had to be canceled because of a lack of a quorum. It was the result of Trustees Carmen Carlisle and Chris Gonzalez not showing up.
Their aim is to block Henyard from appointing someone who could provide tie-breaking votes to a vacant trustee position.
"The misspending of funds. You know, we've been working hard to keep tabs on things like that, so if she gets this, a third vote, it's going to right back to all that other stuff that was going on previously," Gonzalez said.
With the board unable to conduct business, Henyard says, the township cannot renew its insurance, and that is forcing the potential shutdown.
"We already spoke to the lawyers, and then we will start making preparations today, so tomorrow will be the first day probably when our buildings will get shut down," Henyard said. "The seniors, they utilize the transportation to go to dialysis, to the doctor, to the store, things of that nature."
The township has also had to cancel its annual holiday toy giveaway this weekend that helps hundreds of families.
But Gonzalez said Henyard, who is under FBI scrutiny for her handling of township finances, and those in Dolton, where she is mayor, could renew the insurance without convening a meeting. He said the insurers have chosen not to renew the township's insurance.
"It all comes down to the dysfunction of this administration," Gonzalez said.
All this comes as Henyard's allies were successful in getting some of her challengers kicked off the April 1 general election ballot earlier Tuesday.
"Just for the record, the written decision is that Mr. Nate fields name will not appear on the ballot," said electoral board attorney Tiffany Nelson-Jaworski.
Thornton Township resident Michael Smith was behind many the objections earlier Tuesday.
"Based on those things alone, this document should be overruled," Smith said.
After a short hearing, the electoral board voted to remove Nate Fields Jr.'s name from the ballot. He was running for supervisor.
"I don't think this is fair. I think we're making a big mistake right now," Fields said.
Fields is vowing to appeal the decision, which was based on the board's belief that he missed key procedural steps in the filing process.
"The one particular statement of candidacy wasn't binded properly to the rest the petition packet," said Thornton Township Food Pantry Director Keith Price.
The meeting began Tuesday morning and took place at the township's headquarters in south suburban South Holland.
At least one other supervisor candidate got kicked off the ballot because he did not have enough nominating signatures.
SEE ALSO | Supporters cry foul after Tiffany Henyard denied place on Thornton Township supervisor ballot
Meanwhile, Henyard is working to get herself on the ballot after losing in a rare Democratic caucus vote a few weeks ago to represent the party. State Sen. Napleon Harris ended up being nominated as the Democratic challenger.
Since then, Henyard has filed multiple lawsuits against both the Thornton Township Democratic Party and Harris, alleging neither she nor her supporters were allowed in the meeting, which impacted the results and violated township code.
Harris and the Thornton Township Democratic Party say they followed state statutes and party rules. Henyard says the attacks against her are about control.
"Right now, I have the largest township in the state of Illinois. I run 17 different cities, including my own, Dolton, and people want to control it. And right now, they cannot do that with Tiffany Henyard. I'm no puppet to anybody," Henyard said.
Henyard is still facing FBI scrutiny for her handling of finances as township supervisor and as mayor of Dolton but has denied any wrongdoing.