Bus consolidation foes ignore history, facts: Editorial
Listening to opponents of letting the City of Poughkeepsie bus service get folded into Dutchess County’s operations, you would think the city has unlimited financial resources, rather than being in a substantial financial hole as a result of incompetent budgeting practices.
You would think the city bus system is solvent and has an easier time staying compliant with various federal laws than the county system.
You would think consolidating overlapping services makes little sense and could never, over time, actually provide relief to taxpayers and end the duplication of government reporting requirements.
You would think the city would be better off plowing more time and money into the existing routes — even going so far as to raise bus fares on those who could least afford it.
You would think city bus ridership is up and the service is adequately staffed.
You would think the state, which has made the city eligible for certain funds because Poughkeepsie is financially stressed, hasn’t supported consolidating local services, nor made money available for this particular transition.
And you would be dead wrong on every one of those points.
Unquestionably, ending the city bus service and allowing the county to fill in the gaps comes with some trepidation. But the city is facing a more than $10 million deficit, and it stands to save considerable sums of money — in the hundreds of thousands of dollars annually — if it goes through with the consolidation.
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The city’s latest budget included a massive tax hike to start dealing with the financial shortfall, but finding efficiencies in government has to be part of the equation. And, due to its location, the city is in unique position to partner with the county. To that end, the city budget approved late last year included funding Poughkeepsie’s bus operations for only half of this year. After that, Dutchess County was expected to expand its busing system to serve the city, but some Common Council members continue to balk at that prospect, afraid of the city giving up any power and concerned about the reconfiguration of routes.
Yet, for years, they have offered no other realistic way forward, displaying absolutely no leadership by saying “no” without offering a workable alternative. Fortunately, other members of the Common Council are offering more prudent approaches, and it is hoped their view carries the day.
“I don’t believe the city is prepared to invest what it would take to make our transit system properly functional,” wrote Poughkeepsie Common Councilman Matthew McNamara in a recent Valley Views. “It’s not just the funding for the second half of the year — that’s a Band-Aid on a wound that’s bleeding out of control. We would need substantial investment to make the transit system work better, including hiring new drivers and (importantly) transit management staff, upgrading our equipment, etc. That is not something the city can take on at this time, but Dutchess County is willing to.”
City of Pougkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison is among those sharing that view, adding that the change will provide longer service hours, including service on Sundays, and stabilize fares. The mayor also says the Common Council has had more than three years to study and fix the city’s transit system and has “failed.”
That, too, is true. In the long run, should they prevail, opponents of consolidation would be hurting the city’s chances for a stronger economic recovery that will help everyone in the city. Of that, there should be no doubt. A review of the facts, and an understanding of recent history, leads to no other logical conclusion.