State assures neighboring towns they won’t be shut out of Taunton casino planning
Posted: Thursday, July 12, 2012
Local communities will have numerous attempts to get mitigation money for a proposed Taunton tribal casino, the head of the state’s gaming commission said at a regional meeting Thursday at the Lakeville Council on Aging.
Stephen Crosby, chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, met with officials from several area communities, including Norton and Rehoboth, to update them on their options regarding the casino project proposed by the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe.
The casino is proposed for the intersection of routes 140 and 24 in Taunton.
[Wait until Massachusetts taxpayers figure out what this will cost them.]
The tribe came to a compact agreement with Gov. Deval Patrick on Wednesday that would send 21.5 percent of all gaming revenue to the state, with a portion of that money earmarked for surrounding communities.
To move forward, the compact must be approved by the Legislature and the federal government, which must also take the Taunton land into trust for the tribe.
The gaming commission did not have any role in negotiating the compact and Crosby said Thursday that he had only been briefed on the pact Wednesday.
Crosby said that the process is different for communities abutting a tribal casino than a commercial casino, in which developers are required to negotiate neighboring community mitigation agreements before a proposal is submitted to the state.
Still, Crosby said, neighboring communities will not be shut out.
“It’s not the same process, but it’s a quite comprehensive process,” he said.
The commissioner’s comments came after officials from every community had the opportunity to share with him their concerns, which dealt with traffic, a potential drain on public school resources and increased public safety demands through mutual aid.
Crosby told the officials that the compact calls for the tribe to pay for a comprehensive environmental study, which would address issues like traffic, public safety, schools and natural resources.
He said the gaming commission will form an advisory committee comprised of representatives of neighboring communities and regional planning officials to divide up the mitigation money.
Crosby told the local representatives, which included selectmen, town managers, planning officials and state representatives, that the best thing they can do to ensure their needs are met is to band together.
“Taken together, you’ve got a lot of muscle,” he said.
He added that the tribe’s license would be up for renewal after 15 years, so the casino would want to keep its neighbors happy. [That is unenforceable.]
“Over the long haul, they will need to be reasonable,” he said.
With the tribe still needing several levels of federal approval, Crosby said local officials should not feel like their backs are against the wall.
“This is not going to happen quickly,” he said. “There is time to take a deep breath.”
http://www.thesunchronicle.com/news/local_news/state-assures-neighboring-towns-they-won-t-be-shut-out/article_56f57728-cc96-11e1-bb02-0019bb2963f4.html
PARTY LINES: Casino compact signed, questions still linger
Taunton —
The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe took another step toward building a casino in Taunton when it reached a compact with Gov. Deval Patrick this past week.
The compact is required to pursue a casino under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The law also requires that the Mashpee have the federal government hold land in trust, giving them sovereignty over it. A land in trust application is currently pending with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
A pair of Supreme Court rulings cast some uncertainty over the future. The 2009 “Carcieri” ruling states that an American Indian tribe cannot have land taken in trust if it wasn’t under federal jurisdiction at the time of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. Leaders of the Mashpee, who were federally recognized in 2007, have said they don’t view the ruling as an obstacle.
The 2012 “Patchak” decision opens the door to potential legal challenges to a land-in-trust approval by expanding the number of third parties with standing to file suit.
Under state law, the Gaming Commission has the authority after Aug. 1 to solicit commercial bids for a casino in southeastern Massachusetts if it determines the Mashpee don’t have a reasonable chance of getting land taken in trust.
The Gaming Commission can also solicit commercial bids if the state legislature doesn’t approve the compact before July 31.
The compact is required to pursue a casino under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The law also requires that the Mashpee have the federal government hold land in trust, giving them sovereignty over it. A land in trust application is currently pending with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
A pair of Supreme Court rulings cast some uncertainty over the future. The 2009 “Carcieri” ruling states that an American Indian tribe cannot have land taken in trust if it wasn’t under federal jurisdiction at the time of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. Leaders of the Mashpee, who were federally recognized in 2007, have said they don’t view the ruling as an obstacle.
The 2012 “Patchak” decision opens the door to potential legal challenges to a land-in-trust approval by expanding the number of third parties with standing to file suit.
Under state law, the Gaming Commission has the authority after Aug. 1 to solicit commercial bids for a casino in southeastern Massachusetts if it determines the Mashpee don’t have a reasonable chance of getting land taken in trust.
The Gaming Commission can also solicit commercial bids if the state legislature doesn’t approve the compact before July 31.
Read more: http://www.tauntongazette.com/news/x1425378627/PARTY-LINES-Casino-compact-signed-questions-still-linger#ixzz20grbHw9j
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