Taxpayer Cash for Helicopter Prom Shoot? Illinois Park Chief Under Fire!
Quintina Brown, the head honcho of the Markham Park District, is in hot water after accusations surfaced that she splurged taxpayer dollars on an $800 helicopter rental for her daughter’s prom photoshoot. Yes, you read that right—a helicopter!
The drama unfolded on May 8 when the chopper touched down at Roesner Park, allowing 17-year-old Quamyra to strike a pose in front of the flying beast. But hold on—this isn’t just a sweet mother-daughter moment; it’s a potential misuse of public funds.
City attorney Kelly Krauchun got her hands on an invoice from the helicopter company, which had a credit card number linked to Brown. The invoice bore the name “Markham Parks,” used the park district's address, and even had Brown’s signature scrawled across it.
“They told me that the deposit was charged to the card, and they have not been successful in getting the remaining $800 off the card, for whatever reason,” Krauchun revealed, raising eyebrows about how taxpayer money was being handled.
Markham Mayor Roger Agpawa didn’t mince words, stating that residents should be outraged if public funds were used for this extravagant booking. “This is reckless,” he declared, emphasizing the lack of oversight in the park district.
Brown, however, is standing her ground. “There was no misuse of funds at all,” she told NBC 5, claiming she used her own credit card. “This was going to be a memorable experience. I just wanted to provide that for her.”
But it gets juicier. Witnesses reported that the helicopter flew alarmingly low before landing near an active basketball court and playground, sending kids scattering in panic. Court documents labeled the incident as an “unpermitted landing and operation of a helicopter on park district property.”
Agpawa, who claims to have experience with helicopter landings, blasted the lack of safety measures taken during this stunt. “We want to make sure that things are safe. We had no notice, nothing,” he said, highlighting the absence of medical personnel or safety spotters.
Krauchun added that the chopper landed dangerously close to children playing basketball and residential homes. “It seems pretty self-evident that that’s not a good idea to land a helicopter on park district property,” she remarked.
Despite the chaos, Brown insists there were no children nearby when the helicopter landed and claims ignorance of any ordinance violations. Body camera footage captured her daughter posing in a stunning purple prom dress next to the helicopter.
The only official approval for this airborne photoshoot was a letter signed by Brown herself. Both she and the pilot now face citations for disorderly conduct and unauthorized landing on public property.
Even with the backlash swirling around her, Brown expressed no regrets about the stunt. “I did not think it was going to blow up as much as it did,” she lamented. “But I’m glad she was happy and able to do her photoshoot despite everything.”
Quamyra echoed her mother’s sentiments, expressing disappointment over the controversy. “I was a little sad because I didn’t know there was an issue with [the helicopter] being out here,” she said. “It was super amazing. I had such a great time.”
