Thornton Township stops bus service for senior citizens amid government shutdown

THORNTON TOWNSHIP, Ill. (WLS) -- Bus service for senior citizens ended Friday in south suburban Thornton Township.

The government there remains shut down over disagreements between Supervisor Tiffany Henyard and two township trustees. Residents who rely on the bus service feel stuck in the middle.

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"It's a hardship on seniors, they rely on this service," said resident Tya Robinson.

Robinson called for a ride to a doctor's appointment from the senior citizen bus service and was told they are no longer offering it.

READ MORE: Thornton Township special meeting fails to reach quorum; Henyard calls for 2 trustees to resign

"I don't think people should wait until It becomes life threatening, the services threatening someone's life, they can't get to chemo or dialysis. It's not just a service it's a lifeline," she said.

Keith Price, Henyard's assistant, said two trustees' refusal to attend meetings prevented approval of bus insurance that led to the sudden shutdown.

"I think that someone should step in - the States Attorney, the Attorney General. Someone should sanction them and remove them from office," Price said.

Trustees Chris Gonzalez and Carmen Carlisle had refused to attend recent meetings over concerns about transparency and Henyard's handling of township business. Gonzalez told ABC7 a disruption in senior bus service could have been addressed if they were given appropriate information.

"This is something the township was doing long before any of the chaos that's going on now and this is something that will continue, it's going to continue, we will get it up and running as soon as possible," he said.

Carlisle was not available for interview Friday, but told ABC7 she is trying to call an emergency meeting to approve the insurance and restart bus service.