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Mahopac board approves advocacy letters opposing state electric-bus mandate and authorizes related materials
Summary
Trustees approved materials and web posting for ad hoc advocacy on federal funding and a state electric-bus mandate, approved an MOU with the Town of Carmel for athletic‑field use, and passed a first reading revising the public‑participation policy; the electric-bus mandate drew strong questions from the public about cost and infrastructure.
At its March 25 meeting the Mahopac Central School District board voted to publish advocacy materials urging lawmakers to preserve federal funding and to push back on a state electric-bus mandate that trustees and community members said would be financially burdensome.
Trustee Adam (identified by speakers during the motion) moved to approve the resident federal funding letter and New York State budget phone script; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. A subsequent motion to approve the electric-bus mandate advocacy materials and authorize the district clerk to place them on the Ad Hoc Advocacy webpage also passed by voice vote.
Trustee Adam and Trustee Jen (motion/second as shown in the meeting) led the motions; a voice vote was recorded for each item ("All in favor? Aye"). Trustee Adam Savino and the ad hoc committee chair outlined their rationale, saying the committee had prepared scripts, letters and materials and asked the public to contact legislators. "We need your help to get the word out once these materials are distributed," the ad hoc committee chair told attendees.
Public commenters pressed elected officials on the likely costs and logistics of converting to electric buses. Trustee Savino and other trustees said the committee's materials aim to stop or slow the state mandate, which the board said would require expensive vehicles (trustee comment referenced manufacturer pricing of roughly $400,000 per electric bus versus about $170,000 for current diesel buses) and charging infrastructure that would be costly to build. "We are trying to put the brakes on the mandate," one trustee said.
The board also approved an MOU with the Town of Carmel for the use of athletic fields and facilities covering July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026, and approved the first reading of revisions to Policy 12.30 (public participation at board meetings). Both measures passed by voice vote during new business.
These advocacy approvals are organizational actions by the board to distribute materials and do not themselves change district policy or procurement. Any future policy or procurement response to state rules about buses would require separate board action and likely detailed cost and infrastructure analysis.
