New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday suggested some of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's powers granted to him during the pandemic should be rolled back and returned to local governments -- prompting a rebuke from the governor's office.
It's the latest disagreement in the on-again, off-again feud between the two men and comes as some Democrats in Albany have raised the possibility of clipping the governor's authority during the ongoing pandemic.
De Blasio in a news conference said "localities know what's best for them" in conducting the response to the pandemic.
"Let our local leaders, elected leaders and public health officials make decisions that work for them," he said. "The power has to go back to the localities. We've seen delay upon delay. Red tape, confusion, emanating from too many strict and incoherent rules coming from above when we could have just been getting things done.”
Cuomo's office, in a statement posted to Twitter attributed to spokesman Peter Ajemian, said any executive order issued by Cuomo could simply be overriden by the Legislature.
“The mayor doesn’t understand the law — any EO can be reversed by a simple resolution of the houses, which is in session," he said. "As far as the mayor saying he knows what he is doing, I respectfully suggest that every poll suggests the people of NYC strongly disagree."
But de Blasio's statement comes as lawmakers in Albany have signaled the possibility of reviewing the governor's pandemic authority, approved last year at the start of the crisis.
Sen. Liz Krueger in a statement earlier this month said she was to "re-evaluate the continued use of such broad emergency powers by the Executive.”