Demeza Stirs Further Controversy

This week Spring Valley Mayor Demeza Delhomme again managed to attract widespread criticism, this time for his handling of Tuesday’s winter storm.

Though he now denies it, it was widely reported in Rockland political circles and in local media venues that at 2 p.m. on Tuesday Mayor Delhomme ordered his DPW plow operators to go home. A reason for this alleged instruction was never made clear.

As a result of the lack of activity from the Spring Valley DPW, the Town of Ramapo and the County of Rockland, as well as other authorities, made clear that Spring Valley’s roads would be cleared and the bill sent to the village if nothing got moving. County Executive Ed Day said, “To be very clear…no one in this county will be short changed under my administration.” Day thanked Highway superintendents Vezzetti and Sharon, along with Ramapo supervisor St. Lawrence, for helping to rectify the matter.

On the radio Wednesday, Mayor Delhomme said he did not send the employees home, but merely said they could take a midday break, and that the situation was a misunderstanding. He pledged to “turn Spring Valley around” and said to give him a year before judging him.

However, many former supporters in the political community and the general population have already grown wary of Mayor Delhomme’s style and decision-making, and not even two months into his first term it would appear he has some work to do to repair his reputation.