[MNJohnnie]

Blanco could have & should have commandeered the buses, cuz she also had that authority.

' They do NOT have to "Commandeer" what the City of NO all ready owed.

[GoLightly]

The city government didn't/doesn't own the school buses. Those are/were owned by the city's schools, which fall under another governing authority within the city. School systems are governed by school boards & school boards are given separate taxing authority from the cities they are in.

I'd bet the municipal bus fleet is/was owned by the city & it would have been unnecessary for anyone to commandeer them, as they would have been at the Mayor's disposal.