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Dec. 16, 2017

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• EDITION •

City taxi owner calls for rate increase

Higher wages needed to attract drivers By Elizabeth Izzo STA FF W RITER

PLATTSBURGH | The owner of a local taxi company requested last week that the Common Council increase Plattsburgh’s fare limit for cabs operating in city limits. Plattsburgh City Taxi Owner Perry Buck asked the council to raise the maximum ride rate limit within the city. The current rate ranges from $5.50 to $9.25 depending on the number of passengers, length of the trip and time of travel. Buck wants to see an increase of $1.50 per fare. With minimum wage on a staggered schedule of increases in the state, the current city rate makes it difficult to pay drivers a competitive wage, he said. “I’ve been losing a lot of drivers in recent years

Perry Buck, owner of Plattsburgh City Taxi, asked the Plattsburgh Common Council last week to consider increasing taxi rates for companies operating in city limits. File photo who are leaving to take other jobs,” he said. “We’re just trying to keep pace with minimum wage.” The minimum wage in New York state — with the exception of New York City, Long Island and Westchester County — is currently set at $9.70 and is expected to increase to $10.40 at the end of the year. The rate is scheduled to rise to $15 in New York City by the end of 2018, but the rate of increase will be slower upstate, where the rate will rise to $12.50 by the end of 2020

when the effects will be analyzed by the state Budget Division and Department of Labor. Councilwoman Rachelle Armstrong said Plattsburgh City Clerk Sylvia Parrotte was researching the issue and a meeting would be arranged with owners of local cab companies soon. “It’s in the works. We appreciate you raising a very valid issue,” she said. “We can’t wait six months,” Buck remarked. “We’re talking weeks, not months,” Mayor Colin Read said. Plattsburgh City Taxi is one of the largest and oldest cab companies in the city, operating 24 hours a day with a 20-car operation. No fare limit exists in Clinton County outside of the City of Plattsburgh. According to the City Clerk’s office, the last time rates were increased in the city was 2012.

UBER, LYFT MOVE IN

When asked by Read if the company had been affected by the recent arrival of ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft, Buck said

that he hadn’t noticed that big of a change. “Our company hasn’t,” he said. “Our numbers are pretty solid.” Plattsburgh City Taxi’s base rate is $5.50 and has been for six years, according to Buck, while Uber and Lyft’s are slightly higher. “I’m sure (Uber and Lyft) did their homework before moving to this area,” he said. “They’re a little more expensive than we are. That may be a reason for why we haven’t seen it.” A new state law regulating ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft took effect in June, opening the door for the apps to operate in upstate New York. With uberX, Uber’s minimum fare is $7.35 with a $2.15 booking fee. For uberXL, a car option for larger groups, the minimum fare is $10.50 with a $2.30 booking fee, according to uber.com. Lyft charges a minimum fare of $5.20 with a $2.15 service fee for all rides. For Lyft Plus, that rate increases to a minimum fare of $8.20 with a $2.30 service fee, according to lyft.com. ■

Millions lost Spreading Holiday Magic in revenue for local water systems, says comptroller

» pg. 4

Systemic flaws include leaky infrastructure and lack of oversight By Pete DeMola EDITOR

PLATTSBURGH | A report by the state Comptroller’s Office has revealed local governments hemorrhage millions in revenue from flaws in municipal water systems, including water loss, inaccurate meters and improper billing. The report analyzed the results of audits conducted by the comptroller’s office of 161 local government and seven public authority water systems during the past half-decade. “Across New York, my audits have revealed infrastructure problems, poor budget practices and a lack of long-term planning are straining municipal finances and increasing costs for taxpayers,” said Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. “If these problems aren’t addressed, the issues plaguing water systems will only get worse.” DiNapoli also cited weak internal control and improper

Beekmantown student Emily Estes, 16, spearheaded a local charity effort called “Teens for the Marines and Toys for Tots” over five years ago. Estes last Tuesday held a screening of “Polar Express” at Cumberland 12 in Plattsburgh to benefit her toy drive. Nearly 350 residents turned out to support the cause. Photo by Elizabeth Izzo planning as problem areas. Scores of local governments across the region have been dinged in past audits for oversight of their wastewater systems, including St. Armand, Westport, Chesterfield, Essex, Jay, Chazy, Black Brook, Champlain and Ausable. The report used Chazy as an example of improper billing.

“The town lacked effective water billing, collection and enforcement procedures,” the study reported. “There was no review to ensure that all water customers were properly billed. Some customers were not billed in accordance with rates, and delinquent customer accounts did not always include late payment penalties.” » Water Report Cont. on pg. 7

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