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Taxi fee increases and enforcement gaps prompt public outcry; fee ordinance continued for more review
Summary
Acting Taxi Commission director explained fee increases meant to balance a stand‑alone budget pending merger with the MTA; taxi medallion holders and drivers testified about sudden fee jumps, missing accounting, and insufficient enforcement; the committee continued the fee ordinance for one week for further reconciliation and review.
The committee heard a lengthy and contested discussion about a Taxi Commission fee ordinance that would raise medallion and license fees to fund the commission’s stand‑alone operations should a contemplated merger with the MTA not occur on schedule.
Acting Taxi Commission Executive Director Jordana Thigpen told the committee the fee ordinance was designed to fund the Taxi Commission on a no‑merger basis and that prior assumptions about a July 1 merger led staff to develop budgets that now require adjustments. Thigpen and budget analysts said the fee schedule is intended to produce a balanced stand‑alone budget and that drivers were not asked to pay the largest portion of increases; she cited litigation and the need to plan for legal work orders as reasons some reserve funds are being held.
Medallion holders and taxi drivers provided extensive public comment, complaining about apparent fee schedule inconsistencies (citations in the record referenced medallion fees of $515 last year, an approved $658 figure, and a proposed $957 figure), demanding itemized accounting for prior expenditures, and urging that resources be spent on enforcement against fraud and illegal town cars rather than on disputed items. Several speakers pointed to a specific city attorney work order and pending litigation (Sloan v. Taxi Commission) as drivers of higher legal costs and requested clarification of reserve balances (Thigpen said approximately $256,000 in unappropriated fund balance exists but that not all of it is available to cover future deficits). The Taxi Commission said their budget included contingency planning for a major federal ADA lawsuit and medallion revocation cases.
Supervisor Ellsberg moved and the committee agreed to continue consideration of the taxi fee ordinance for one week so staff can reconcile differences between the commission's vote on fees and materials submitted to the committee, and to allow time to consider technical adjustments (including an additional investigator position funded from salary savings). No final fee increases were adopted at the meeting.
