POUGHKEEPSIE – The City
of Poughkeepsie’s fleet of six buses is officially on loan to Dutchess
County. The county legislature approved an intermunicipal agreement during
their final meeting of the year Monday night.
The city is leasing the buses to the county for one dollar per year, beginning
January 1, 2018, and continuing “until the end of useful life of
the mass transit equipment provided.”
The buses will become part of the county fleet. The county will establish
new routes within the city.
The county legislature approved the agreement, with one dissent, from
Democrat Joel Tyner.
“This is going to be a lawsuit, okay,” Tyner claimed. “Request
for proposal, independent bidding. The federal Transportation Administration;
I’m in touch with people who know this issue that FTA rules and
regulations and the law requires independent bidding, RFP.”
Republican Majority Leader James Miccio said everything is clearly in
order with the lease agreement.
“This is a contract that was put together by the City of Poughkeepsie
the common council, they requested that we act on this, this evening so
that they can put this to bed before the end of the year,” Miccio
said.
Tyner also was the lone objector on adopting the county tax levy for
2018. He said he could not support that because, he claims, the 2018 budget
is “immoral”. He was the only legislator to vote against adopting
the budget.
