Blooming Grove, NY - Town Suing Village Of Kiryas Joel, For Grand Rabbi's Funeral Expenses

Blooming Grove, NY - The Town Board agreed to sue its Hasidic Jewish neighbors to recoup $1,200 the town spent on police overtime for traffic control at Satmar Grand Rebbe Moses Teitelbaum's funeral April 25 in Kiryas Joel.

"You just can't keep bleeding people," Blooming Grove Supervisor Charlie Bohan said. "I don't believe the surrounding communities can continue to support things in that village that has nothing to do with our community. People are just sick of it."

In this dispute, the town initially wrote the village seeking a "neighborly" resolution for its $1,200.
But Kiryas Joel replied that it had no obligation to pay. It indicated it would be willing to consult with the state Comptroller's Office for an opinion, "If the Comptroller's Office says we owe them, then we would absolutely comply," the village said. "If they say we cannot spend municipal dollars like this, then we will not pay them a dime."

The argued Blooming Grove is wrong to bill his village. The funeral, attended by an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 faithful, was not a planned event sponsored by the village like a holiday parade. Kiryas Joel responded to an emergency and spent $25,000 to $30,000, they said.
Bohan disagreed, saying authorities had planned as far back as October for the grand rebbe's funeral, which many thought would attract up to 125,000 mourners and cripple Orange County roads.

All this wrangling for $1,200? "It's not necessarily the amount, it's the principle of the thing," Bohan said.
Town Councilman Brandon Nielsen, who voted to pursue legal action, said it's important to set a precedent. "(Fighting it) sends a serious message to Kiryas Joel that other municipalities will not be taken advantage of," he said.