A group of concerned local citizens urged the Town of Shawangunk to join them in auditing the results of the 2022 election in New York State.

Several spokespersons for a group called the New York Citizens Audit asked the Town Board at its July 6 meeting to pass a resolution that would produce an independent audit of voting results in 2022.

The group claimed that an open-source audit of the 2020 general election conducted by the New York Citizens Audit uncovered “massive inaccuracies that violate both federal and state laws.”

The volunteer group alleged that there were more than one million felony violations of state election law in voting in 2020 and a total of 95 state and federal legislative races were impacted by ineligible 740,396 votes.

“None of these violations were addressed prior to the administration and certification of the 2022 General Election, and there prevails a spirit of extreme contention and zero trust between people of differing political ideologies across New York, which is destructive to our families, our way of life, and the fabric of the United States,” according to a proposed resolution presented to the Town Board.

Wallkill resident Roni DeSantis was among the residents who urged that the board join the group in calling for an independent audit of state elections.

Although several board members asked questions about the requested audit, the Town Board didn’t take any action on the group’s request for town support.

“I’m for what you want to do,” Councilman Robert Miller said. “But I’m just a little critical of thinking you can do every single town, county and state election.”

In other news, at the urging of Police Chief Gerald Marlatt the board agreed to keep two police vehicles off the road and attempt to sell them.

One police vehicle (a 2016 Ford Explorer) with over 150,000 miles had a blown engine and the other was in poor shape with mold contamination inside the vehicle after being used by the Dog Control Officer, Marlatt said.

Marlatt said the town could pool the money gained by selling the two vehicles with other monies to get a much-needed new vehicle.

The board decided to put Marlatt’s recommendation for a new police car on the agenda for the July 20 meeting.

“I’ll get the estimate together (for a new vehicle) for the next meeting,” Marlatt said.

The board voted 4-0 to surplus the two vehicles that Marlatt had requested remain out of service.

County legislator Ken Ronk said the town will receive a $100,000 parks grant from the county.

The fifth annual Parkview House Car and Bike Show in the hamlet of Wallkill was approved by the board from noon to 4 p.m. on Aug. 12.

The board scheduled a public hearing for Aug. 3 on a zoning certification law.

A public hearing was also scheduled for Aug. 3 to consider the creation of a Pine Bush Area Ambulance Corps district.

The board voted 4-0 to approve a game night sponsored by the Town of Shawangunk Democrats for the third Wednesday of each month at the Walker Valley Schoolhouse Community Center.