NYC, Schools To Lose Funding If Flouting Lockdown, Cuomo Says

BROOKLYN, NY — New York City could lose millions in state funding if it doesn't get enforcement in coronavirus lockdown zones under control, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The governor said Wednesday that he will pull funding from local governments in state-designated "red zones" facing coronavirus clusters if they do not effectively enforce his executive order, which put a temporary limit on gatherings and closed schools and businesses last week.

The funding threat will apply to New York City, Orange County, Rockland County, the Town of Ramapo and the Village of Spring Valley, Cuomo said.

"I don’t like to [withhold funding] — budgets are tough all across the board," he said. "I don’t know how else to actually do the enforcement they need to do. Hopefully that will motivate them, because nothing else I have done has motivated them."

Schools that do not follow the lockdown rules will also lose their funding, Cuomo said, starting with buildings that have stayed open over the last week despite the lockdown measures.

"We know there were violations where yeshivas were operating, we know there were violations where religious gatherings were happening that exceeded the guidelines," Cuomo said, pointing specifically to WABC and Gothamist reports out of Brooklyn.

He added that there have also been violations in Rockland and Orange counties.

The schools that have already violated the closure will be served with a notice Wednesday mandating they close and notifying them that their funding is being withheld until "the matter is resolved to our satisfaction"

A letter will be sent to all schools in the red zones letting them know about the threat of losing funding, Cuomo said.

Cuomo specifically pointed to Orthodox Jewish communities that have flouted the rules despite "dozens" of calls from his administration. The days after his executive order were met with at-times violent protests in Brooklyn.

"This is no longer a question of public education — it’s enforcement," he said. "I’ve made it very clear to members of this community what the rules are, what the science is."

When asked what state aid would be withheld from local governments that do not effectively enforce the restrictions, Cuomo said it will be at the state's discretion.

"We have the authority to impound all funds to a locality," he said. "How much will we penalize them? It depends, and it will be to our discretion."

About 17 percent of New York City's $85 billion in revenue comes from the state, according to a 2017 estimate.