Share:
House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 22, 2018 09:22 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Robert W. Godshall |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) Limousine Assessments |
| Soon, I will be introducing legislation to amend Title 53, Chapter 57 (Taxicabs and Limousines in First Class Cities) to change the regulatory assessment mechanism imposed by the PPA on certificated limousine operators from a per-vehicle assessment to a percentage of a limousine operator’s gross revenues generated from the provisioning of limousine service in the City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia International Airport. All other taxis, transportation network companies and even limousines operating outside of Philadelphia pay a regulatory assessment based on their gross revenues. My legislation will ensure all ground transportations operators are assessed by a realistic and substantiated regulatory assessment mechanism, which in turn ensures a stable and predictable assessment ratemaking process for all taxis, TNCs and limousines operating within the Commonwealth. Additionally, my legislation reinserts language that was struck by Act 64 of 2013 to require the PPA to maintain separate accounts for the regulation of taxicab medallions and limousines. I believe keeping the regulatory accounts separate will increase transparency in terms of the Philadelphia Taxicab and Limousine Regulatory Fund expenditures by ensuring the regulatory funds of one entity are not comingled or used for the regulation of the other. Finally, my legislation requires the Office of the Auditor General to investigate and audit the Philadelphia Taxicab and Limousine Regulatory Fund during fiscal years 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17. Last December, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale announced the results of two separate audits of the PPA that revealed a myriad of problems festering under the complete control of the former executive director and the identification of more than $77.9 million in revenue the School District of Philadelphia potentially missed out on between 2012 and 2017. These results coupled with the PPA’s recent assertions to members of the General Assembly that its taxi, limousine and TNCs regulatory budgets are insufficient to safeguard the riding public properly, I believe it is only appropriate to audit the Philadelphia Taxicab and Limousine Regulatory Fund both pre and post Act 164 of 2016 to determine the facts and improve the PPA’s accountability. Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation. |
Introduced as HB2473