Relief is on the way for North Syracuse schools.

Governor Cuomo signed a bill forgiving nearly $20 million in penalties, just before the deadline. The fines stem from paperwork that wasn't filed properly on several capital projects, dating back more than two decades.

Governor Cuomo says the legislature addressed these penalties through payment provisions over the past two years. But, North Syracuse's penalty was so high, the problem wasn't fully solved.

Cuomo says even after it was reduced from $30 million to $20 million, it was still the highest penalty in the state by far. The governor says if forced to pay, the district could potentially have depleted its cash reserves.

That's why Cuomo says he decided to approve the bill even though it's outside the normal budget process.