PC PUBULIC AFFAIRS SCORES SIGNIFICANT VICTORIES FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL BUS INDUSTRY

June 24, 2011 — Albany, NY, after securing a resounding victory on a number of fronts during this year’s state budget process for the New York School Bus Contractors Association and New York Bus Distributors Association, the PC Public Affairs lobbying team immediately jumped into action to address a number of concerning proposals contained in Governor Cuomo’s property tax cap and mandate relief bill.

The Governor introduced his property tax cap bill in January, but it wasn’t until after the state’s budget was passed in April that state legislators and staff began working toward an agreement on capping property taxes and bringing mandate relief to local governments and school districts.

After careful review of the Governor’s property tax cap and mandate relief bill, PC Public Affairs lobbying team identified a number of issues that would have potentially harmed New York’s school children and the school bus contractor industry. One of the most concerning, was Governor Cuomo’s proposal to repeal section 2023 of the Education Law. His proposal would have forced schools districts to stop certain school bus services in the event their budgets failed to gain voter approval – forcing many children to find other means of transportation or even walking to school.

Once negotiations began on the tax cap bill, it was clear there were also a number of proposals coming out of the legislature that could potentially harm the school bus contractor industry for years to come. From transportation contract piggybacking to unrealistic school bus ridership restrictions, there was an all out assault on pupil transportation and private contractors.

“The pupil transportation industry has unjustly had a target on its back for the last four years,” said Andre Claridge, Managing Partner, PC Public Affairs. “Years of fiscal mismanagement and overspending by previous Governors and legislatures created a situation where many Albany politicians and bureaucrats are desperate to find revenue to support their big-government spending initiatives. So rather than turn to an industry that saves state and local taxpayers over $200 million every year, they instead turn to the same failed government systems that have made New York State one of the highest taxed states in the nation.”

“Our job is to ensure the voice of New York’s school bus contractors, distributors and manufacturers are heard and that the laws coming out of Albany do not negatively impact the school bus industry, said Claridge. “We were fully engaged throughout the entire negotiation process surrounding the property tax cap and mandate relief bill. We worked hard to block harmful initiatives like contract piggybacking and a provision in the Governor’s bill that would have forced schools to stop providing busing services until their budgets received voter approval.”

Summary of government affairs results pertaining to the new Property Tax Cap and Mandate Relief Law signed by Governor Cuomo on June 24, 2011:

Governor Cuomo’s property tax cap and mandate relief proposal repealed Sec. 2023 of the Education Law forcing schools to stop school bus services if a school budget failed to gain voter approval. Lobbying efforts were successful in stopping Governor Cuomo from repealing Sec. 2023 of the Education Law ensuring that school bus services remain an ordinary and contingent expense and continue even if a school budget fails to gain voter approval.
Lobbying efforts blocked a piggybacking initiative being pushed by Senator LaValle and Assemblyman Thiele that would have allowed school districts to share transportation services for students living on shared transportation routes by entering into a joint contract with another school district and that school district’s transportation contractor without going out to bid.
An amended version of Senator Martins’ bill that sought to clarify the law regarding pupil transportation ridership was included in the tax cap law. The new law provides for a 10% ridership cushion and also provides for a backup plan for emergency situations to ensure there are enough seats and buses available. Nothing exempts schools from providing transportation to those children that need it. The government affairs team worked with Senator Martins and Senate Education Committee staff to ensure the law would not negatively impact the school bus industry.
The legislative team was successful in getting school district expenditures for transportation leasing and transportation capital debt service exempted from the tax cap. The Governor’s bill originally included them as expenditures that could be subjected to the tax cap.

#####

« Back to News