After nearly a year of seeking receipts for Mayor Thaddeus Jones’s expenses, all seven Calumet City aldermen voted to pursue legal action for documentation of $76,000 in spending. Third Ward Alderman DeAndre Tillman expressed frustration, stating, “We’re just asking questions… It didn’t have to come to this.”
Jones incurred $44,000 on a city credit card during the Congressional Black Caucus’s conference in Washington last September. Though the mayor no longer has the credit card, the City Council still lacks the receipts, even after hiring legal counsel in December.
Tillman explains his deeper investigation began when Jones promised to reimburse $25,000 spent in Washington, but the reimbursement check came from a local business with existing city debt. “No council member was happy… it felt like a blatant lie,” Tillman added, questioning potential undisclosed spending.
Jones claims he sent the requested receipts in July, accusing the City Council’s vote of political motives. He insists all receipts for 2024 and 2025, plus justification statements for missing documents, were provided. “They got the receipts,” Jones emphasized, stating the issue is prolonged for media attention.
The City Council approved previous expenses, which Jones believes implicates them too. Aldermen dispute many spending items as unauthorized.
On Sept. 8, aldermen plan to hire an independent firm for litigation against Jones. Calumet City faces budget deficits of $2.8 to $4.7 million since 2023 and secured a 5-year bond to cover $8 million in overdue bills after laying off 46 employees.
Second Ward Alderman Monet Wilson acknowledges lawsuit costs but believes accountability for city spending concerns taxpayers and aldermen alike. Wilson notes that every dollar of taxpayer money should be accountable, especially amidst storm damages and unaddressed infrastructure needs.
While Jones argues against wasteful spending causing budget deficits, Wilson insists on transparency and accountability. She clarifies that allegations against Jones aren’t criminal but stress the need for checks and balances.
Jones contests the authority of the City Council to retain their own legal representation, leading to a lawsuit against Evergreen Park-based firm Odelson, Murphey, Frazier & McGrath. The firm’s dismissal request was denied, with a hearing set for Sept. 3 at the Richard Daley Center.
Jones asserts, “The Council don’t have the authority to investigate me, and they don’t have the legal authority to make the motion that they made.”
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