BLOOMINGBURG — Embattled developer Shalom Lamm has found himself in yet another controversy, one that is not new to him - alleged voter fraud related to the September 30 referendum to dissolve the village .

Last Thursday, the Sullivan County Board of Elections ruled that 62 of the 69 voter registrations that were challenged by residents seeking dissolution lacked proof of residency. It is believed that the rejected voters were against the dissolution and supporters of Lamm's projects, which have faced court battles and organized opposition.

After the September 30 referendum, the approximately 200 votes cast were immediately sequestered as opponents challenged the validity of a good portion of the registrations.

Sullivan County Supreme Court Judge Stephen Schick ruled that more than 120 sealed votes will be opened Dec. 1. The dissolution vote is up in the air until they are opened and ruled on by Schick.

After the March village elections which brought new leadership to Bloomingburg, a similar challenge was mounted, and the Board of Elections threw out more than 100 contested ballots in the mayoral race. The Board, as in the current case, found that the voters were not properly registered. After pleading his case in the mayoral election, Lamm dropped his challenge.

According to Village of Bloomingburg Attorney Steven N. Mogel, in the village election case, “testimony was taken before that was very suggestive of voter fraud, but no criminal charges were brought.”

He continued, “Voter fraud is a crime, but, of course, that's up to the authorities to decide whether or not to prosecute. I'm certain there will be some proceedings that will come re: the voter challenges and it's certainly anybodies guess how it will turn out. The county Board of Elections is really the respondent here. I assume I will be involved to some degree.”

The vote to dissolve Bloomingburg was replete with sign-carrying residents and heavy media coverage.

In July, this small village on the border with Sullivan County dissolved the planning and zoning boards with the Town of Mamakating taking over the those jurisdictions.

The logic was that Bloomingburg was not ready to take on such formidable decisions and the town had the knowledge and wherewithal to handle the weighty issues more efficiently.

The petition for dissolution was initiated by the Rural Community Coalition, a group that seeks to keep the integrity of small town life in Bloomingburg and surrounding communities.

Already, the Mamakating Planning Board is faced with the hard decision of whether or not Seven Peaks will come to fruition, one of Lamm's proposed projects.

That project calls for a 49-lot residential subdivision on 653 acres.

Lamm could not be reached for comment and one of his attorneys, Teressa Bakner said, “I have no comment,” when asked to speak about the current voter registration charges.