A proposal to hire half a dozen fire safety inspectors in Spring Valley was denied Monday night.

Spring Valley Mayor Demeza Delhomme called an emergency meeting to the Village Board and requested more than $600,000 to hire full-time and part-time fire safety inspectors.

The mayor insists the request came on the heels of two recent fires in the village. One was a two-story home housing eight families on Johnson Street. The second was a single-family home illegally converted into a yeshiva school and dorm.

Three of the village trustees voted down the mayor's plan. They say they believe that the only reason Delhomme wants to hire inspectors is to distract from the fact that he recently suspended the chief building inspector after an argument over the city's new mail opening policy.

Mayor Delhomme says despite the plan being denied, he will find a way to bring on the safety inspectors. It's not clear when or if he could legally do that.

The village trustees say they will take the mayor to court if he makes any new hires without their approval.