Taxi fares in the City of Peekskill have not increased since 2008, but many other expenses such as gas, maintenance, and insurance have.

That is why a group of City of Peekskill licensed taxi drivers requested an increase at Monday’s Common Council meeting.

The requests include raising fares starting and ending within city limits from $6 to $8 between 5 a.m. to midnight and $7 to $9 between midnight and 5 a.m., as well as raising fares for additional passengers from $1 to $2.

Edwin Quezada, a licensed veteran taxi driver, told the Herald the increased fare would help drivers pay for insurances, repairs, and cars.

“It’s like any other job, I think that we deserve a little raise on our salary,” Quezada said. “And that’ll help a lot definitely. We’re raising families.”

Drivers also seek to increase the current senior fare of $3 to $5, with Quezada explaining that it can take drivers twice as long due to helping seniors with walkers, wheelchairs, and groceries. He added increasing the senior fare could actually increase the availability of rides for seniors, as some companies currently pass on picking up seniors due to the lower fare.

Matilda Walter Smith, a taxi driver with Express Taxi, told the Herald an increase in taxi fares has been a long time coming and that drivers struggle with prices of gas, maintenance and insurance.

“We renew the license with the police, and then we renew with the City of Peekskill, Westchester county. We renew all of it,” Smith said. “It’s not like all the money goes to our pocket, therefore we need a lot of raise.”

Quezada also asked the council if they could implement policies to reduce the number of illegal taxis in Peekskill, which operate without a valid taxi license. Quezada said he believed the $250 penalty those drivers receive was too little considering taxi drivers pay about $1,000 in licenses a year, as well as $6,000 to $7,000 per year per car for commercial insurance and other operating costs.

He emphasized that those illegal drivers also do not have commercial insurance and will not cover all damages for a customer in the event of an accident.

Councilwoman Kathleen Talbot said this was a police department issue.

According to Quezada, illegal taxis look like a regular car, with no writing or name of a taxi company, or license plate that says taxi.

All present council members said they would be in favor of an increased fare. Councilman Ramon Fernandez, who is a taxi driver, recused himself from the discussion and Mayor Vivian McKenzie was not present due to attending the New York Conference of Mayors in Albany.

City Manager Matt Alexander said the city should consider reviewing the fare increase with the fee increases it levies, noting that the city has been increasing taxi drivers fees while not paying attention to their fares.

City modifying engineering plan on Lower South Street

The Water & Sewer Department is modifying one of its original engineering designs for the Lower South Street Sewer Project after one option was rejected by the county.

In 2021, the Common Council authorized Hudson Engineering Inc. to design a new pumping station and piping on Lower South Street. The project is funded by a $750,000 grant and sewer funds of $2,250,000.

However, Superintendent David Rambo said that during the review process last November, the Westchester County Department of Health rejected an option of adding a new sewer pipe to the “already overcrowded” South Water Street. 

“The problem that the county had was that we have too many pipes already in Water Street,” Rambo said. “It’s bombarded. There’s water mains, there’s Con Edison gas mains, and… sewer mains.”

As a result, Hudson Engineering submitted a proposal last month for design and survey services to transport sewer from the new pumping station under the railroad tracks at Hudson Avenue and flow north through Riverfront Park, then cross back under the railroad tracks near the County Pumping Station, Rambo said. 

The proposed new route would take a large upside down U-shape, in order to avoid S. Water Street.

The costs for the survey, preliminary design phase, and meetings total to $42,3000. According to Rambo there is money in the budget’s sewer maintenance capital projects to cover the added expense.

City comptroller request amendments to 2024 Fiscal Year budget

City of Peekskill Comptroller Toni Tracy requested authorization from the Common Council to amend the 2024 Fiscal Year budget to distribute available funds where needed to fund expense lines.

“I’ve been doing an extensive review of the 2024 budget and the year end closing process… we do have available balances with 2024’s budget to use for some other lines that we see shortages in,” Tracy said.

Those amendments included police overtime reimbursement, personnel services for several city officials, equipment, and street repair materials. A full list of the amendments can be accessed here.

“We have had a couple of last minute invoices come through that we do need to invoice back to 2024, so we’ll have to see how those affect it, but this should be the majority of what needs to be adjusted,” Tracy said.

According to City Manager Alexander, they are also looking at 2025 and getting ready for how they will judge the budgeted to actual variances.