RESOLUTION
BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT COLLINS-BELLAMY, MAJORITY LEADER RUBBO, MAJORITY WHIP ROBINSON, MINORITY LEADER BREEN, COUNCILMEMBERS PINEDA-ISAAC, DIAZ, AND HODGES:
A RESOLUTION BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF YONKERS ACKNOWLEDGING AND DENOUNCING THE CONTINUING BARRAGE OF UNFUNDED MANDATES IMPOSED ON THE CITY BY GOVERNOR HOCHUL AND THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND CALLING FOR THE IMMEDIATE REPEAL OF THE 2022 ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUS MANDATE TO GIVE MUNICIPALITIES LIKE YONKERS THE DISCRETION TO CHOOSE WHETHER OR NOT TO TRANSITION TO ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES BASED ON THEIR OWN UNIQUE TOPOGRAPHY, ROAD NETWORK AND FINANCES TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC BY PRESERVING HOME RULE, LOCAL GOVERNMENT DECISION MAKING AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
WHEREAS, In April 2022, as part of the adopted 2022-23 budget, the State Senate and Assembly enacted and the Governor implemented the unfunded mandate that all new school bus purchases or leases must be zero-emission electrical vehicles by July 1, 2027; and
WHEREAS, this unfunded mandate also coincided with the State's premature shut down of the Indian Point Power Plant, a major renewable source of electricity, without any provision for replacing its energy output resulting in the ever rising cost of energy to astronomical levels that has made it more and more costly and difficult for residents and Municipalities to comply with the significant burdens of this unfunded mandate; and
WHEREAS, more specifically, many State Senators, Assembly members, municipal officials and several school superintendents have cited serious financial, operational and practical concerns with this policy; and
WHEREAS, these concerns include:
High costs: Electric buses cost between $300,000 and $450,000, compared to $100,000-$150,000 for diesel buses and this does not include the unfunded costs of designing and creating an adequate charging infrastructure to power the buses especially in the permanently cash strapped Yonkers School System.
Infrastructure cha...
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