This Fresno County city allowed businesses to reopen early. Now it may lose coronavirus aid
California’s Office of Emergency Services director is asking the city of Coalinga in Fresno County to rescind a local resolution to keep businesses open or risk being ineligible for state coronavirus relief funding.
Mark Ghilarducci, the CalOES director, sent a letter to the Coalinga city manager on Thursday asking her to rescind the resolution, which currently make the city ineligible for more than $200,000 in state aid.
Ghilarducci said in his letter that the resolution is inconsistent with the state’s public health directives and threatens the public health and safety of the city’s’ residents.
“It is our goal to ensure that every eligible jurisdiction in California, including the city of Coalinga, receives this funding,” he said.
The Coalinga City Council in May passed a resolution on a 4-1 vote to allow all businesses to reopen at the discretion of owners.
Meanwhile California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his new roadmap to move the state forward into reopening its economy, allowing only “low-risk” businesses to reopen with safety measures to protect workers.
Ghilarducci noted in his letter that Coalinga Mayor Ron Lander wrote to residents on May 26 that the city’s resolution was intended to serve as temporary guidelines until Fresno County received the green light to reopen its economy. While Fresno County did get the go-ahead from the state, it’s also been on the state’s targeted watch list fort 45 days while COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths surge.
Nevertheless, Coalinga’s resolution remains in place, Ghilarducci said.
Coalinga councilmember: ‘We’re going to sue’ Newsom
Councilmember Adam Adkisson, who proposed the measure, said despite the letter, he doesn’t want to rescind the resolution. But, he’s not sure what the rest of the council will decide.
Last month, the state budget that was signed by the governor made funding contingent on following federal and state stay-at-home requirements.
Adkisson argued Newsom does not have the authority to withhold federal money from cities.
“If he wants to play this game, we’re going to sue him,” Adkisson said. “Coalinga can do a much better job protecting Coalinga than California can do.”
He also pointed out that while bigger cities such as Fresno received CARES Act money, smaller cities such as Coalinga did not.
The latest Fresno County data shows 135 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Coalinga. Adkisson said the only other city with a better transmission rate per person is Clovis.
Lander did not respond to an email seeking comment.
This story was originally published July 23, 2020 at 6:48 PM.