I hope that you begin to report on another Green Mandate coming out of Albany. The electric bus mandate requires all school districts, starting in 2027, purchase only electric buses. Their entire fleet must transition to zero-emission electric school buses by 2035. This is already a problem because your local school districts often take an 8-year loan on something as expensive as a bus.
The Empire Center of NY claims that the electric buses are $400,000 EACH for the larger buses that trasnport most students, compared to the $160,000 price for gas-diesel buses.
We can all do the math, depending on which school district in Westchester you live in and how many buses they currently have in operation. Many school districts contract out their bus service, but those companies will pass the costs along to the school district and yes the taxpayers.
How about Yonkers, where your papers are located Mr. Murphy, what will the cost be for 250 E-Buses at $400k a pop?
How will school districts be able to stay within the property tax cap when they are forced to purchase these E-Buses?
Also, for those areas of Westchester that are concerned about their electric bills, and the fears of blackouts, these buses will be using the same power grid that we use. And the school districts will have to pay additional millions to set up the charging stations for these buses.
For some school districts, this mandate is actually impossible, for others, it’s ridiculously costly and dangerous.
I’m actually someone who believes that we need to do more for our environment, and I’m willing to pay to do it, but within reason.
With all of the national and international news occupying our attention, I hope that you will start to dig into this issue. As a senior on fixed income, it is hard enough for me to stay in my house and pay my taxes.
The Empire Center also wrote that the total bill will be $8 billion across the state. If the Governor and the Democratic majorites in the Senate and Assembly really want to do this, they should pay for it. But in the end, I know the answer to the question in my headline. We the taxpayers will end of paying, I just wonder how much?
Henry Woodworth, Ossining
