Plan outlined for casinos revenue

The pittance described below will barely cover the increased public safety costs necessitated by Expanded Gambling.

Why is it that with the numerous reports available, states and municipalities can't project what a loser Slot Barns are?

Plan outlined for casinos revenue
GARY HUFFENBERGER
Staff Writer

Two candidates for Clinton County commissioner spoke at the Thursday Wilmington City Council meeting, with one outlining a plan for local distribution of revenues from state casinos once they begin operations.

Democratic candidate for commissioner Molly Dullea said she believes each local government in the county should receive a fair share of the casino revenues.

Dullea said she favors a per capita distribution of casino revenues to each incorporated city or village plus the townships, reserving 10 percent to the government of the county itself.

Basing her estimates on an Ohio Gaming Commission’s forecast that Clinton County would receive $1.2 million annually, she said the revenues “will go part of the way to replacing the loss of local government funds, previously received (from the state) but no longer distributed to local jurisdictions.”

Of the local governments’ shares, she said, “I am reserving 10 percent to the commissioners for the use of county government because all jurisdictions benefit from the county government.”

Based on 2010 census numbers and on the Ohio Gaming Commission forecast, Dullea said her plan would result, for example, in $317,000 to the City of Wilmington, $110,000 to the Village of Blanchester, $80,000 to Union Township (not including Wilmington), $6,600 to the Village of Port William, $13,000 to Wilson Township, and $122,000 to the Clinton County government.

Each of the four school districts in the county will receive its own designated share of the casinos revenues, Dullea said.

Republican candidate for commissioner Bob Johnson spoke as well. He emphasized his lifetime of public service, and said he sees a seat in the commissioners office as an extension of that.

Johnson said he retains a deep desire to be a public servant and that being elected to the three-person board of commissioners would be an opportunity “to once again serve people.”

In legislative action by city council, a gift from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and identification for an $8,000 web check system was accepted. It will be used at the Wilmington Police Department for finger print purposes.

Councilman Rob Jaehnig said he applauds acting Police Chief Duane Weyand “for another example of saving money.”

Council OK’d a supplemental appropriation of $70,351 from the sewer fund to the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund grant match account.

A second approved supplemental appropriation involves $100 from the police fund to a K-9 supplies account.

Four $500 transfers were approved to the city’s college reimbursement account, from the following accounts: uniforms, equipment parts and supplies, education and training, and incidentals.