MAYOR MAMDANI DECLARES LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY, SNOW DAY FOR NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO KEEP NEW YORKERS SAFE

 

All Non-Essential Vehicles Must Be Off New York City Streets from 9 p.m. Sunday to 12 p.m. Monday  

  

Emergency Declaration Takes Additional Steps to Protect New Yorkers During Major Snowstorm  

  

All Public School Buildings, Except Those Operating As Warming Centers, Will Be Closed on Monday in a Traditional ‘Snow Day’  

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today declared a local state of emergency ahead of a severe snowstorm expected to impact New York City. To ensure emergency responders and essential workers can move safely and quickly, city streets will be closed to non-essential vehicular traffic from 9 p.m. Sunday to 12 p.m. Monday.  

  

Limited exceptions apply to vehicles providing emergency services, public transportation, medical supplies, food, fuel, utility repairs and other critical services.  

  

Mayor Mamdani also announced that all New York City Public School buildings, except those operating as warming centers, will be closed on Monday, Feb. 23. There will be a traditional ‘snow day.’ No remote instruction will take place, and all after-school activities are cancelled.   

  

In coordination with the New York State Education Department, New York City has received a waiver from the 180-day instructional requirement to prioritize the safety of students, staff and families.   

  

The Emergency Weather Declaration also:  

•   Suspends Alternate Side Parking for Monday, Feb. 23.   

•   Directs the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to monitor and enforce against price gouging.  

•   Instructs New York City Emergency Management, the City of New York Fire Department, the New York City Police Department, the New York City Department of Sanitation, and the New York City Department of Transportation to take all necessary steps to protect public safety.   

  

The order takes effect immediately and remains in effect for five days, except where otherwise limited, and unless extended or revoked.   

  

City government has mobilized a coordinated, multi-agency response to clear roads, protect vulnerable New Yorkers, and maintain essential services.   

  

“The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority. As this blizzard moves in, our administration is mobilizing every tool at our disposal, around the clock, to keep our neighbors safe. This emergency declaration allows us to cut through red tape so emergency vehicles, sanitation crews, and essential workers can move quickly and do their jobs without delay,” said Mayor Mamdani. “Out of an abundance of caution, schools will be closed tomorrow. We’ve also opened warming centers in all five boroughs to make sure no one is left out in the cold. I’m urging every New Yorker to please stay home. Check in on your neighbors, especially seniors and those who may need extra support. This declaration strengthens our ability to back up our first responders as they put themselves on the line, and it protects working families from price gouging during this storm. In moments like this, we show who we are as a city — we take care of each other.”  

  

About the Local State of Emergency:  

  

The declaration establishes a temporary citywide travel restriction by closing NYC streets, highways, bridges and tunnels to vehicular traffic from 9 p.m. Sunday to 12 p.m. Monday. Most vehicle traffic – including but not limited to commercial trucks, electric bicycles, scooters, and mopeds – is prohibited during that period, except for authorized categories.   

  

Exempt vehicles include:  

•   Government and emergency response vehicles  

•   Public transit, including MTA buses and Access-A-Ride  

•   Vehicles delivering food, fuel and medical supplies  

•   Utility vehicles performing emergency repairs  

•   Transportation for essential workers traveling to workplaces, including health care facilities, pharmacies, grocery stores, gas stations, media outlets, hotels and laundromats  

•   Transportation to hospitals and court facilities  

•   Nonprofit and private organizations providing emergency relief   

  

City offices will be closed for in-person services on Monday. Essential employees must report to work; nonessential employees may telework. Violations of travel restrictions are punishable as a Class B misdemeanor.   

  

Warming Centers and Shelter Access  

  

The New York City Department of Social Services will deploy 22 warming busses citywide. Additional warming spaces are available at 11 NYC Health + Hospital facilities and 13 school locations. New Yorkers should contact 311 or visit a LinkNYC kiosk for the nearest site.  

  

Department of Homeless Services (DHS) continues to operate under enhanced Code Blue protocols. During Code Blue, shelters operate under an open-door policy. Outreach teams are connecting unsheltered New Yorkers to safe, warm space. During a Code Blue, 311 is routed to 911 so first responders can mobilize quickly to reach the person in need. New Yorkers should call 311 if they see anyone in need of assistance.  

  

New York City Health + Hospitals (H+H):  

  

•   NYC Health + Hospitals will also deploy WARM (Winter Access, Relief and Medical) ambulettes and mobile units starting today. The mobile warming outreach initiative will provide clinical consultations, as well as distribute essential supplies including blankets, warm clothing, socks, warm meals, and water. The units will also drive unsheltered New Yorkers to a warm place of their choosing (shelter, warming center, etc).  

•   NYC Health + Hospitals will be in constant communication to ensure adequate staffing and that patients know their options for care. For patient safety, the health care system has converted most in-person Monday clinic appointments to telehealth visits, as clinically appropriate.  It will also quickly reschedule any missed appointment.  

•   The City is directing all hospitals to exercise heightened caution when discharging patients, particularly vulnerable patients, during the cold weather. The City has also directed shelters and safe havens to monitor the areas around their buildings for any New Yorkers in need.  

  

Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH):  

  

•   The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is informing New Yorkers about how they can stay safe and warm, including by sharing recommendations on preparing for the winter storm, and what to do if you lose heat or hot water in your home.

•   All New Yorkers should take caution when using drugs or alcohol outside, as cold exposure increases risk. To best protect New Yorkers, the NYC Health Department is providing support to OnPoint so their Wellness Hubs remain open 24/7 through the blizzard to help community members seeking warmth and services.   

•   Older New Yorkers should stay indoors, avoid shoveling, and take steps to prevent slips and falls. Older adult centers will be closed on Monday.  

•   Infants, seniors, and people with paralysis or neuropathy are at increased risk of hypothermia and frostbite. Check on friends, relatives, and neighbors who may need assistance to ensure they are adequately protected from the cold. Recognize the signs and symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia:  

•   Hypothermia: symptoms include slurred speech, sluggishness, confusion, dizziness, shallow breathing, unusual behavior, and slow, irregular heartbeat.  

•   Frostbite: symptoms include gray, white or yellow discoloration, numbness, and waxy feeling skin.  

•   The City is also mandating that a path of at least 4 feet must be cleared across all sidewalks to accommodate wheelchairs.  

  

New York City Fire Department (FDNY):  

 

•   Starting Sunday at 6 p.m., there will be five firefighters on all Engine Companies, with additional staffing citywide.   

•   Four high-axle vehicles will be deployed, 1 in Staten Island, 1 in Queens, 1 in Brooklyn, and 1 in the Bronx.  

•   FDNY will deploy ten Rapid Response Vehicles (RRV) for Cold Calls, 2 per borough. Each RRV will be staffed with 1 officer and 2 Firefighters.   

•   Thawing apparatus deployed to all fires.   

•   All ambulances will be equipped with chains.   

•   Trainings will be canceled and scheduled members will be utilized in the field.   

•   Extra staffing will be added for EMS.  

  

New York City Police Department (NYPD):  

 

•   NYPD Highway Patrol will be escorting DSNY to help salt and plow streets.  

•   Tow truck task force is activated and trucks will be pre-staged across the city to assist any motorists who are stuck.  

•   Additional high-water rescue teams have been activated since moderate coastal flooding is expected.  

  

New York City Public Schools (NYCPS):  

  

•   NYCPS facilities teams are working around the clock to shovel and de-ice school buildings, ensure adequate heating and backup power protocols are in place, and confirm emergency supplies are ready.   

•   Clear and consistent communication with families remains a priority, with updates being shared in all NYCPS languages through letters, emails, SMS messages, social media, robocalls and website postings.  

  

Public Transit and Ferries:  

 

•   With the anticipated winter weather conditions, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) advises customers to check MTA.info or the MTA app for subway and bus service updates, and the TrainTime app for commuter rail information before traveling. Most subway lines will still operate local service, and scheduled track work has been suspended. Bus service may be adjusted based on road conditions.  

•   Crews across subways, railroads, and buses are working to keep service moving during the storm. Subway and railroad teams are monitoring switches and tracks, while clearing snow from platforms, stairs, and entrances.  

•   Longer accordion-style buses have been replaced with 40-foot standard buses equipped with chained wheels.  

•   Bus service will be adjusted based on road conditions around the city and service curtailments on a route-by-route basis are possible.  

•   From 7 p.m. Sunday to 10 .a.m. Monday, empty tractor-trailers and tandem trucks are prohibited on the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, Cross-Bay Bridge, Henry Hudson Bridge, Marine Parkway Bridge, Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, Throgs Neck Bridge, and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.  

•   Staten Island Ferry service will switch to an hourly schedule at midnight. Half hour service will be offered starting at 6 am.   

•   Scooter share service stopped this morning at 6 am.   

•   CitiBike service will halt at 8 pm.  

  

New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM):  

 

•   NYC Emergency Management activated the City’s Winter Weather Emergency Plan and issued a Hazardous Travel Advisory for Sunday, February 22 and Monday, February 23.  

•   NYCEM activated a hybrid Emergency Operations Center with agency partners, convened daily Winter Weather Steering Committee calls, and is staffing Con Edison Distribution Engineering Situation Room calls. NYCEM is issuing Citywide Impact Summaries every two hours to city agencies, while the Tow Truck Task Force operates under open line coordination.   

•   NYCEM, DSS, and City Hall are activating Warming Bus Operations, coordinating locations, signage, vendor deployment, and 311 updates. NYCEM is maintaining coordinated outreach with elected officials, private sector, health and medical, COOP partners, and community stakeholders.  

  

New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY):  

 

•   The Department of Sanitation has been responding to this storm since yesterday, and all collection trucks and salt spreaders are now affixed with plows and chains. The Department has been in full-force operations since 6am this morning, with 2600 Sanitation Workers now deployed on each successive 12-hour shift. 700 Salt Spreaders are loaded and thousands of plows are ready to roll.  

•   DSNY has called in hundreds of pieces of hired equipment and thousands of paid Emergency Snow Shovelers, far earlier than in prior snow events. New strategies and data tracking are being deployed to more quickly and efficiently address crosswalks, bus stops, and other pedestrian infrastructure.  

•   Property owners are reminded to clear a four-foot path to allow safe passage for wheelchairs and strollers after end of precipitation.  

•   The same sanitation workers fighting this storm also pick up your trash, and collection will be delayed following this storm. We are asking residents with Monday recycling to HOLD that material to the following week, as is common after some holidays.  

•   Staying off the roads tonight will allow New York's Strongest to work safer and faster in these extremely challenging conditions.  

  

Housing Preservation and Development (HPD):  

 

•   HPD has code inspectors and staff from the Emergency Repair Program team working overtime this weekend to respond to 311 complaints, conduct inspections, and coordinate emergency repairs when warranted.   

•   If New Yorkers have issues with the heat or hot water in their apartment, they should call their landlord. If they do not quickly respond, tenants should call 311 and a uniformed HPD inspector will come, conduct an inspection, issue violations and if warranted, coordinate emergency repairs.  

  

Department of Buildings (DOB):  

 

•   DOB issued a weather advisory to builders, contractors, crane operators, and property owners, reminding them of their responsibility to properly secure construction sites, buildings, and equipment ahead of the winter storm.     

•   The department will have inspectors out in the field over the weekend responding to weather-related incidents and performing random spot-check inspections of construction sites around the city.   

•   If sites are not secured, the department will take immediate enforcement action — issuing violations and Stop Work Orders, where necessary.  

  

New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA):  

 

•   NYCHA has mobilized additional resources this weekend, including extra teams deployed across elevator, heat and other technical teams for any skill trade repairs that may arise.  

•   NYCHA also has generators on standby that can be mobilized if needed.  

•   NYCHA residents in need of non-emergency assistance should call the Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771 or submit work tickets through the MyNYCHA application.   

  

Libraries:  

 

•   All locations of Brooklyn Public Library, The New York Public Library (which covers the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island), and Queens Public Library will be closed.   

•   E-books and other remote resources are available to New Yorkers 24/7 via bklynlibrary.org (http://bklynlibrary.org/), nypl.org (http://nypl.org/), and queenslibrary.org (http://queenslibrary.org/).  

  

NYC Ferry:  

  

•   NYC Ferry expects possible service impacts due to storm conditions including potential early closure on Sunday and a late start of service on Monday. Specific service impacts will be shared on the NYC Ferry app and ferry.nyc. Riders should check the website or app before traveling.  

•   As always, during times of inclement weather, please use extra precaution when traveling to and from landings.  

  

NYC Department of Correction:  

  

•   DOC activated our Emergency Operation center (EOC) to ensure communication is streamlined and updates are provided in real time to ensure all facilities have resources in advance and during the storm for both persons in our care and staff.  

•   The DOC maintenance staff is salting and brining roads and has snowplows on hand to operate as needed. In addition, a team of maintenance staff will be available to address any facility issues that arise on Rikers Island.   

•   The department has an ample supply of provisions onsite including nearly 6,000 blankets and over 20,000 thermal tops and bottoms on hand and ready to deploy as requested.  

•   Temperatures in housing areas are monitored regularly, and people in our care will have access to the Office of Constituent and Grievance Services to raise any issues.  

•   The department will notify people in custody about any services that are affected.  

•   Commissioner Richards will be on site on Rikers Island this evening to personally monitor conditions.  

 

Con Edison: 

 

•   Con Edison has mobilized additional crews, has mutual aid on standby, and will be working 24/7 to respond to any weather-related service issues.   

•   Con Edison has crews are also prepared to respond swiftly and safely to any weather-related service issues or outages that can result when road salt mixes with melting snow.   

•   Con Edison has deployed additional staffing of crews in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx to maintain service of our underground system.  We have secured Underground mutual aid contractors to assist as well in Brooklyn/Queens.  

•   Each operating region will have around the clock ICS coverage beginning Sunday at 6:00 PM through Monday.  

•   Con Edison remains in close coordination with New York City Emergency Management and the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services to support a unified response.   

•   Con Edison has opened a Situation Room and is holding twice a day calls to stay coordinated.   

•   The company prepares year‑round for extreme conditions through regular training, emergency response drills with local agencies, and continued investments to deliver resilient and reliable energy as extreme weather becomes more frequent.   

•   The company urges the public to prioritize safety by staying clear of downed wires, which may be live, and reporting them immediately to Con Edison or by calling 911.  

•   Customers can report outages and check restoration updates at conEd.com, through the Con Edison mobile app, or by calling 1‑800‑75‑CONED (1‑800‑752‑6633).  

Permits Filed for 2970 3rd Avenue in Melrose, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a five-story mixed-use building at 2970 3rd Avenue in Melrose, The Bronx. Located at the intersection of East 153rd Street and 3rd Avenue, the corner lot is near the 3rd Avenue-149 Street subway station, served by the 2 and 5 trains. Shimon Kleinman is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 60-foot-tall development will yield 77,957 square feet, with 59,133 square feet designated for community facility space and 18,824 square feet for commercial space. The building will be used as a school with retail on the ground floor.

De-Jan Lu of DJLU Architect is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits will likely not be needed as the lot is vacant. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

PacifiCorp Agrees to Pay $575M to Settle Claims for Damage Caused by Six Wildfires in California and Oregon

 

PacifiCorp has agreed to pay $575 million to resolve the United States’ claims for damages resulting from six wildfires in California and Oregon.

The two California fires are:

• The “Slater Fire,” which began on Sept. 8, 2020, on Slater Butte National Forest lands within the Klamath National Forest and burned 157,229 acres of federal land within the Klamath, Six River, and Rogue River Siskiyou National Forests; and
• The “McKinney Fire,” which began on July 29, 2022, on land next to the Klamath National Forest and burned 39,000 acres of federal land.

The four Oregon fires are:

• The “242 Fire,” which began on Sept. 7, 2020, near Chiloquin and burned 8,916 acres of federal land;
• The “Archie Creek Fire,” which began on Sept. 8, 2020, near French Creek in the Umpqua National Forest and burned 67,000 acres of federal land;
• The “Echo Mountain Complex Fire,” which began on Sept. 7, 2020, near Otis, Oregon, and burned approximately 2,500 acres, including federal land; and
• The “South Obenchain Fire,” which began on Sept. 8, 2020, east of Eagle Point and burned 14,780 acres of federal land.

The settlement resolves the United States’ claims that PacifiCorp’s electrical lines negligently started all six fires. The settlement monies will help repay the United States for the substantial costs it incurred fighting the fires, which is critical because the U.S. Forest Service now spends more than half of its budget on wildfire suppression annually. Settlement funds will also be distributed to the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to restore some of the 290,000 acres of public land that were burned.

“The United States and PacifiCorp have reached a settlement that ensures fair compensation to the American taxpayer for fire-related damages,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This agreement strikes a balance by addressing the government’s significant fire-suppression costs and loss of natural resources without preventing PacifiCorp from offering electricity at fair prices.”

“This settlement served the Department’s longstanding policy of holding individuals and corporations responsible for damages caused by wildfires. Every fire impacting federal lands, no matter the size, is a priority,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant of the Eastern District of California.

“Wildfires remain a recurring threat to our natural resources, the safety of our communities, and their economic well-being. The costs of land losses and fire responses are substantial,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford. “Recouping the costs associated with these wildfires is a priority for our office, and this settlement achieves that.”

This settlement is the result of a joint effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for Oregon and the Eastern District of California, the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara Amin and Kelli L. Taylor for the Eastern District of California and Alexis Lien for the District of Oregon handled the cases for the U.S. Attorney’s Offices.

The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. PacifiCorp continues to deny liability for these fires.

Russian National Pleads Guilty To Making False Statements To The FBI Regarding Her Relationship To Russian Intelligence Service And Naturalization Fraud

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced that NOMMA ZARUBINA, a Russian citizen, pled guilty to making false statements to the FBI relating to her relationship with the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (“FSB”), and to naturalization fraud for lying about her involvement in prostitution-related offenses.  ZARUBINA pled guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2026.  

“While Nomma Zarubina was trying to cultivate relationships with American law enforcement, civil society organizations, and others, she was lying to the FBI about her ties to the Russian Federation,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “This plea demonstrates our commitment to protecting the integrity of the naturalization process and reinforces that those who lie to federal authorities will incur serious consequences.” 

“After years of lies, Nomma Zarubina finally confessed to her repeated denial to FBI special agents of her contacts and relationship with Russian intelligence services, as well as to her failure to disclose her involvement in an interstate prostitution network in an effort to secure U.S. citizenship,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “Zarubina’s intentional concealment of her misconduct and her lies about her affiliation with Russian intelligence were an affront to law enforcement’s national security efforts.  The FBI continues to defend our homeland from those who seek to impede federal investigations and deceive U.S. authorities.”

As alleged in public court filings, statements at public court proceedings, and the charging documents in the case:

The FSB is Russia’s principal security agency and is the successor agency to the Soviet Union’s Committee for State Security, otherwise known as the KGB.  The FSB is believed to engage in, among other things, intelligence gathering and other covert operations abroad, including in the United States.  The FSB and particular FSB officers have been sanctioned in the United States by both the U.S. Department of the Treasury and U.S. Department of State.

ZARUBINA began meeting with the FBI in or around October 2020 in connection with the FBI’s ongoing investigation into Elena Branson, a Russian national who had a close relationship with ZARUBINA and who was later charged in March 2022 for acting as an unregistered foreign agent.  During an April 2021 meeting with the FBI, ZARUBINA told interviewing agents, in substance and in part, that she had recently traveled to Russia but did not have any contact with Russian intelligence services.  Then, in September 2023, ZARUBINA told the FBI, in substance and in part, that she had been interviewed once by the FSB on her way back to Russia from the United States, but that she had not been interviewed by the FSB or Russian intelligence services on any other occasions.

ZARUBINA’s statements to the FBI in 2021 and 2023 about her contacts with Russian intelligence services, specifically the FSB, were false. Indeed, in June and July 2024, ZARUBINA admitted to the FBI that she had previously lied to federal law enforcement officers about her relationship with the FSB, stating, in substance and in part, that: in or around December 2020, while in Russia, ZARUBINA met with an officer whom she understood was from the FSB, agreed to help the FSB with “network marketing,” and was given the FSB code name “Alyssa”; between in or about December 2020 and in or about June 2022, ZARUBINA met with the FSB officer several times and communicated with the FSB officer on numerous occasions using encrypted messaging applications; and the FSB officer instructed ZARUBINA to share contact information of journalists in the United States, to attend the 2021 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, and to look into a particular individual in the United States, which ZARUBINA agreed to do.

In addition, between at least 2018 and 2024, while residing in the United States, ZARUBINA participated in a scheme to transport women between New York and New Jersey to engage in prostitution at a massage parlor business in East Brunswick, New Jersey.  Notwithstanding her involvement in that conduct, in July 2022, ZARUBINA falsely stated in response to a question in her application for naturalization in the United States that she had never “procured anyone for prostitution.”

Finally, after being indicted and while on bail in the instant case, ZARUBINA sought to unlawfully influence a witness by sending numerous unsolicited and harassing messages to one of the FBI agents involved in her case.  ZARUBINA’s obstructive conduct continued for several months, including after being admonished by the Court to stop contacting the agent, and resulted in the revocation of her bail.

ZARUBINA, 35, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to one count of making false statements to the FBI, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of naturalization fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the Counterintelligence Division of its New York Field Office, and also thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, for its assistance.

This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. 

Statement from Governor Kathy Hochul

“Nurses are the backbone of our health care system. I am grateful that NYSNA has overwhelmingly ratified an agreement with New York Presbyterian recognizing the exceptionally difficult work our nurses do day in and out. This will allow them to return to work next week.

“Throughout this process, I have made clear that my top priority is protecting patients and providing continuity of care. With these agreements now ratified and nurses going back to work, I am confident we can continue to build on the progress made under this administration.”

 

Office of the New York State Comptroller - This Week: New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislators Caucus Weekend Recap

 

New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislators Caucus Weekend Recap

The 55th Annual Legislative Conference, sponsored by the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislators, was dedicated to empowering and educating diverse communities. Comptroller DiNapoli co-hosted the MWBE Networking Reception with Senator James Sanders and Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, and honored NYS NAACP President L. Joy Williams and Brooklyn D.A. Eric Gonzalez. Comptroller DiNapoli also stopped at the many booths, workshops, and events throughout the weekend and spoke to numerous groups, that included union members, students and seniors.

Watch Recap

State's Tuition Assistance Program Not Keeping Up With Inflation and Tuition Costs

A new report from Comptroller DiNapoli finds that New York’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), the state’s primary need-based grant program for college students, has not kept pace with inflation or rising tuition costs since the 2008-09 academic year. Undergraduate TAP recipients dropped by 77,000 (21%), with steep declines among two-year programs (45%), private-sector schools (40%), and lowest-income households (38%).

“TAP has helped generations of New Yorkers attend college, but it’s falling behind the realities of today’s costs,” DiNapoli said. “Updating award criteria so that TAP continues to be a useful support for families is needed to help New York retain talent and ensure students have the resources they need to succeed.”

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Stronger Oversight Needed for Social Adult Day Care Programs

An audit of the Department of Health's oversight of Social Adult Day Care programs found questionable Medicaid payments, safety risks and compliance problems, according to Comptroller DiNapoli. On Feb. 9, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrest of two Queens men. They were charged with allegedly defrauding Medicare and Medicaid of $120 million by paying illegal kickbacks and bribes and submitting claims for services that were never provided. DiNapoli’s office had referred its audit findings and worked with law enforcement on the investigation.

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Comptroller DiNapoli Releases Report on FY 2027 Executive Budget

Comptroller DiNapoli’s report examining the proposed State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2027 Executive Budget warns that the trajectory of projected state spending is estimated to increase at a rate faster than expected revenues, creating cumulative outyear budget gaps estimated by the Division of Budget to total $27.5 billion through SFY 2030. Actions taken in Washington, including reductions in federal aid, create increased fiscal strains that are likely to affect the state’s economy, finances and safety net.

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New Banking Development District to Support Community Banking in the Butternut Valley

Comptroller DiNapoli and Acting Superintendent of the Department of Financial Services Kaitlin Asrow announced the approval of the Butternut Valley Banking Development District (BDD) as a participant in the BDD program and deposited $35 million in New York State funds to Sidney Federal Credit Union’s Morris Branch. The BDD program was created to encourage and incentivize qualified banks and credit unions to open or maintain bank branches in underserved areas.

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Comptroller DiNapoli's Statement on New York City's Fiscal Year 2027 Preliminary Budget

“The $127 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 preliminary budget marks a substantial shift in the city’s approach to budgeting, incorporating chronically underbudgeted expenses and new spending risks. I commend Mayor Mamdani for recognizing the fiscal risks ahead and I urge caution in tracking revenue and making swift adjustments if needed.”

Read Full Statement

M U N I C I P A L  &  S C H O O L   A U D I T S

• Newburgh Enlarged City School District – Financial Management
• Caneadea Fire District – Treasurer’s Records and Reports
• Town of Palermo – Transparency of Fiscal Activities
• Beekmantown Fire District No. 1 – Investment Program
• Beekmantown Fire District No. 1 – Board Oversight
• Village of Churchville – Financial Management

A L S O   I N   T H E   N E W S 

DiNapoli Warns of $27.5B Budget Gap in Proposed ’27 Executive Budget 

Hochul's budget removes $4 billion from comptroller oversight, DiNapoli says 

Starbucks' investor group urges shareholders to replace directors over labor row 

Report: New York's Tuition Assistance Program not keeping up with inflation, tuition costs 

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