Garden City Park Fire and Water District Commissioner Alan Cooper told Blank Slate Media the district did not deny anyone’s right to vote in the recent commissioner election.

On Dec. 13, Rob Mirabile defeated Joe Wendling by one vote in a race to fill the seat left vacant by Commissioner Kenneth Borchers. The district said a total of 303 votes were cast in the election.

Wendling told Blank Slate Media he was contesting the results and that four people who live in the district were denied their right to vote in a ruling by the commissioners.

The district is currently unaware of any appeal or challenge that was made regarding the election.

Cooper said in a statement the election was conducted by the Nassau County Board of Elections, not the district itself.

“Any potential voters that do not appear on the voter registration list that is given to the water/fire district by the Nassau County Board of Elections, are referred to the Board of Elections for verification,” Cooper said.

Cooper, who was elected last year, clarified that three people, not four, were referred to the county, which declared them ineligible to vote and that the commissioners did not and don’t have the power to deny anyone from voting.

The district covers parts of Garden City Park, Manhasset Hills, parts of New Hyde Park, parts of Mineola, parts of North Hills, parts of Roslyn, parts of Williston Park, parts of Albertson and parts of Garden City.

Mirabile first became chief of the Garden City Park Fire Department in 1991 when he joined Hillside Heights Engine Co. 3. Professionally, he works with the Department of Public Safety at Adelphi University, operates the food truck Roscoe’s Roadside serving old-fashioned hot dogs and is a content creator on YouTube for Axle’s Garage.

Professionally, Wendling is a private investigator for the New Hyde Park-Garden City Park School District, the same role he held for Herricks over a decade ago.