Spring Valley Mayor Demeza Delhomme, no stranger to brash, grandiose statements, once again roused controversy when it was revealed he declared he was “King of the Village.”
The clip, which was filmed June 8 but went viral on social media this week, showed Delhomme engaged in a heated argument with the village trustees over his proposal to purchase a $23,000 piece of equipment for the Department of Public Works.
When Trustee Vilair Fonvil challenges him by asking to speak to the director of the Village’s DPW, Delhomme proclaims that the director works for him, calls himself “king,” and proclaim the trustees’ job is to go along with mayoral decisions. “You heard it from the king! The king get it from the soldiers…You vote and you get your tail out of here!”
Delhomme, who served as a trustee under former mayor Noramie Jasmin before her arrest on charges of taking bribes, has locked horns with county officials during his tenure as well as various village personalities, most notably a coalition of trustees [Fonvil, Emilia White and Asher Grossman] who have attempted to prevent his initiatives and pushed for his removal.
The mayor has also been challenged for his sometimes bizarre decisions, including a stand-down of snowplows during a January 2014 blizzard and his arrest for contempt after he refused to re-open the village’s day camp, as per a court decision.
The latest statements regarding his supposed kingship have added to the growing legend of his ego.
Local attorney Tony Gerard has brought a lawsuit in state court on behalf of local citizens seeking Delhomme’s dismissal on grounds of incompetence and abuse of power.
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