Louisa Ingrassia, Wallkill Town Clerk, seeks reelection.

Having been Wallkill​ town clerk for the past 10 years, Louisa Ingrassia is seeking⁢ another two-year term⁢ to continue‌ serving the town that generations of‌ her family call home.

She has ⁢worked ⁣in the town government ⁤for nearly three decades and plans​ to serve as long as she⁣ can, as it is in the “Ingrassia blood” to work hard, get involved, and help people, she said.

Her late mother, Dorothy Ingrassia, retired at the age of 80 as the town tax receiver.

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Her father, Louis Ingrassia Sr., who had a career as a produce farmer, ⁣served the community as a volunteer firefighter, school board member, and former state assemblyman before passing away in 2007.

The couple raised ‍five children on​ the family farm on Ingrassia Road, named after​ Ms. Ingrassia’s ⁣farmer grandfather, and taught them “to be ⁣there ‍for everyone and never ⁣ask for anything in⁣ return,” Ms. Ingrassia said. “You help, and you don’t worry about getting paid or being known.”

That spirit serves her ‍well‌ in her role as a town clerk, Ms.‍ Ingrassia said.

As a frontline‍ face for various town services, ⁣residents ask Ms. Ingrassia all⁢ kinds of questions, many falling outside‌ her job descriptions.

“I can’t tell you how⁢ many times we⁢ Google and find answers for them,” said Ms. Ingrassia, who has a team of two full-time deputies and one part-time ⁣worker.

“Yes, we all are compensated, but there are a lot of ⁤things that we do here not because somebody⁢ says ​that ‍is part of⁤ your job but because we want to help people.”

She became a‍ marriage officiant a​ few years ago and has enjoyed performing marriage ceremonies free of charge for Wallkill residents.

Town Clerk Responsibilities

As a town ⁤clerk, Ms. Ingrassia’s major responsibility is filing vital records with county and state agencies, a workload that has​ grown exponentially ⁢since the opening of Orange Regional Medical Center—⁤ now known ‌as Garnet ⁣Health—in⁢ 2011.

Last year,‌ her ‍office processed about 2,000⁢ birth certificates and 1,000 death certificates, Ms. Ingrassia said, adding that a new hire is sorely needed to catch ‌up with the⁢ mounting workload.

Another responsibility of hers ⁣is the recordkeeping of town government documents, such as town board and planning board agendas, minutes, ⁢and resolutions.

To this date, she sits in weekly town work sessions with a⁤ pad and pen‌ and ​jots down key points as discussions ⁢unfold, though occasionally, she brings a recorder.

She ⁤said the town was looking at purchasing software to help with meeting minutes as well ‍as creating an online public ‌portal for accessing town documents.

The⁤ latter will greatly reduce​ the Freedom of Information Law inquiries processed by her office, which has received nearly 600 such requests so far this year, ⁣according to Ms. Ingrassia.

“I’m lucky​ that over the years, the supervisors and the town boards ‌have been generous with funding‍ for software such as that to make our job easier,” she said.

Recognition and Next Generation

In 2017, Ms.⁤ Ingrassia was awarded the New York State Town Clerk of​ the ⁣Year for her personal and professional commitment ⁣to the local ​government and ⁤community.

“That was the biggest thrill of my life—out of 932 or so town clerks, they picked me,” she said.

More than 100 letters were sent in support of Ms. Ingrassia to ⁢the Clerk of the Year Committee at the New York State Town‍ Clerk‍ Association, including one from a local funeral director who commended her responsive and responsible work attitude.

Ms. Ingrassia was also a former president of the Orange Sullivan Town Clerks Association.

Her brother, Louis Ingrassia Jr., works in the town government and rose through the ranks from a laborer to the‌ public works commissioner and highway superintendent.

Ms. Ingrassia and her siblings tried to ‍pass down the Ingrassia⁣ traditions to the next generation; of her two ‍nieces and nephews, one is working as a‍ schoolteacher, another is to become a veterinarian, and a third is to teach special education in⁢ Middletown.

“Even though only two of them bear the Ingrassia last name, we always say that they​ all have Ingrassia blood,” Ms. Ingrassia said.