Casino Debates Takeover York County

As York County prepares for a November referendum on the setting up of a casino, the rest of Southern Maine is witnessing its communities gearing up to take a stand.

 

The Board of Selectmen in the town of York have already come out in opposition to the idea of a casino. In Biddeford, where the idea of a casino has always found favor, officials are sticking to a wait and watch strategy. However, they intend to play a part as soon as a clearer picture is revealed after the referendum.

 

If the referendum comes out in favor of the casino, York County will see its casino license exclusively being held by a single individual. The license is said to be worth around $200 million and it will allow Shawn Scott or his firm to open and operate a casino in any of the communities situated in York County.

 

The local approval for the casino might come from a Town Council vote or a municipal referendum/town meeting in the smaller communities.

 

Revenue for Maine

 

Those backing the casino project state that it will generate millions in revenue for the state of Maine. The pro-casino campaign released an economic impact analysis report last week that indicated the creation of over 2000 jobs if the casino were to be set up.

 

The report also pointed out that around 2700 jobs would be created in the construction phase alone while increasing revenue from taxes to $248 million in the initial 5 years of operation.

 

A sure ‘no’

 

However, Stephen Burns, the York Town Manager, is pretty sure that his town would say no to the construction of a casino. The Board of Selectmen has already started debating the issue and if the past is any indicator, they will stick to opposing the casino.

 

In 2003, the selectmen carried out an anti-casino campaign with state funding, which was greatly supported by voters. In fact, an ordinance was passed preventing the construction of casinos on a permanent basis.

 

According to Burns, who drafted the ordinance, there was no controversy and that the selectmen have always been against the idea. When asked about the current discussions on the issue, he stated that no action had been taken due to the absence of one board member. However, Burns is sure that there will be a unanimous vote against the casino at the next meeting.

 

Burns also stated that the current proposal was “ludicrous”, in that, it supported licensing only for a single entity.