Putnam County committee pre-files resolution opposing New York State electric school bus mandate

The Putnam County Audit & Administration Committee on March 30 agreed to pre-file a resolution opposing New York State''s electric school bus mandate, with proponents citing steep upfront costs and insufficient local charging infrastructure.

Legislator Gouldman introduced the item, saying the mandate is unaffordable for many school districts and that "the effort to move toward clean energy does not have to be abandoned, but it needs to be done in a reasonable manner." Chairwoman Crowley and several legislators supported pre-filing the resolution; the motion to pre-file was made by Chairwoman Crowley, seconded by Legislator Russo and approved by the committee.

The debate included contrasting views on available funding. Legislator Montgomery said there is "significant State and Federal funding available to help cover both buses and infrastructure" and urged the committee to explore rebate programs and regional coordination rather than closing the door on transition planning. Legislator D'Angelo said grant programs exist but added that "there will still be an additional burden on taxpayers," and called the mandate "ridiculous." Legislator Sayegh cited research presented at a Patterns for Progress event suggesting the local economic impact could be large while climate effects locally may be small.

Public commenters and school board members told the committee the expected costs and operational challenges would be substantial. Sam Oliverio, a Putnam Valley resident and Putnam Valley School Board member, said electric buses cost about $475,000 each compared with roughly $225,000 for hybrids and $85,000 for diesel buses, and warned that extreme heat or cold can degrade battery performance: "a heatwave of over 90 degrees over a few days can burst the batteries in these buses and a few days of temperatures under 20 degrees will pull 40% of the energy from the batteries before they even start." He said available grants would be "miniscule" compared with local costs and voiced support for hybrid vehicles.

Chris Harrigan, a Mahopac School Board member, said studies estimate startup costs for a district similar to Yorktown at about $30 million to $40 million. Scott Seaman of the Brewster School Board said Brewster''s estimated cost with state incentives would be about $36 million and noted Carmel Central''s estimate at about $38 million; he told the committee that roughly 10,000 school buses across the state could need replacement, at an estimated total cost of about $3.5 billion.

Committee members asked for more local data. Chairwoman Crowley said she would send a letter to Putnam County school districts requesting detailed cost information. Legislator Birmingham recused himself from the electric-bus discussion, explaining he is bond counsel for some school districts.

The committee voted to pre-file the resolution opposing the state mandate; the item will next be considered at the full Legislature. The committee adjourned at 7:48 p.m.