Incoming Council Chair Tells Feds Poughkeepsie Will Restore Buses

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — The at-large councilwoman-elect of the Poughkeepsie Common Council has written a letter to the Federal Transit Administration saying that the council is committed to restoring the city’s bus service. The letter, from Ann Finney who is slated to become the chairwoman of the Common Council in January, was a surprise to both the current chairwoman, Natasha Cherry, and Mayor Rob Rolison.

Rolison said he’s never seen a letter sent by an incoming council member speaking on behalf of the incoming council in his political history, the Poughkeepsie Journal said.

The city has been required by the FTA to turn over its bus assets to Dutchess County, which has taken over running the bus system.

If the city doesn’t, then it will have to pay $1.9 million penalty to the federal government.

In Finney’s letter, which was posted on Facebook by Councilman Matthew McNamara, she said the “incoming Common Council is prepared to fund the immediate resumption of transit service, and the immediate return to transit service, of all federally invested transit assets. The incoming Council reflects a veto-proof majority on this point.”

For more, read the Poughkeepsie Journal here.

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