Dispute between mayor, trustee heats up village hall

Spring Valley Village Hall felt more like a boxing ring after the mayor and a trustee traded verbal jabs in what was only round one of an ongoing political fight.The dispute became extremely heated between

News 12 Staff

May 28, 2014, 6:57 PM

Updated 3,790 days ago

Share:

Spring Valley Village Hall felt more like a boxing ring after the mayor and a trustee traded verbal jabs in what was only round one of an ongoing political fight.The dispute became extremely heated between Mayor George Darden and Village Trustee Demeza Delhomme. Delhomme claims the mayor approached him and began yelling at him, even calling his daughter a drug addict in front of other workers.
The dispute carried through several offices and Delhomme says a staff member had to get between them before things got physical. Delhomme filed harassment charges against the mayor. Police confirmed the dispute, saying it is being investigated.
Delhomme accuses the mayor of instigating the entire fight to deflect attention away from a federal investigation concerning Section 8 housing. Darden says that is untrue and the investigation has nothing to do with him, it has to do with Section 8 tenants.
?Delhomme is trying to get attention,? claims Darden. ?Nobody is talking to him on the board and he is now going to the media with these accusations.? Tuesday, federal investigators seized computer records from the village's Section 8 office.The Department of Housing and Urban Development generally investigates claims of public corruption or fraud by landlords, tenants and public officials.