As part of a “Green Screen” process to interview all candidates for local office (School Board, Town Board, Village Council) online interviews with four candidates were completed this month, three incumbents and one newcomer, running for three slots in this year’s School Board election.

The four candidates answered several sustainability-related questions and, when asked of more environmentally-friendly alternative fuel vehicles for the district’s school bus fleet, all agreed that Autogas is the best option available today.

“We should absolutely think about buying more alternative fuel buses. We already have purchased more than 10 Autogas buses. LPG is a stepping-stone to electric buses. We have begun to see that the LPG buses require less maintenance than diesel buses. They run cleaner and have fewer parts,” said Bob Howe, who has been 27 years on the school board.

“We have been trying to buy alternative fuel vehicles for the past few years. The decision has to be budget driven. Maintenance and longevity have to be factors. We have been pleased with the Autogas buses we own,” commented Dory Masefield, who has been six years on the board.

“LPG-fuelled school buses are a safe, fiscally prudent alternative. While the initial purchase price is higher, we must consider the total cost to maintain the buses over 15 years or so and the fuel savings throughout the buses’ lifetime. The fuel savings and reduced maintenance costs may make this a wise choice,” added John Garcia, who has been three years on the board.

“Our number one goal is child safety. We have an aging bus fleet. We want to reduce pollution and maintenance costs. We need to purchase more alternative fuel buses to reduce cost and cut pollution,” concluded Luis Abramson, seeking to join the school board.

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10 June 2020