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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State Rep. Jesse White |
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County legislators announce public meetings on slots revenue
CECIL, March 18 - State Reps. Jesse White, Tim Solobay, Bill DeWeese and Sen. Barry Stout today announced the dates of three public meetings to discuss possible improvements to the local share distribution of slots revenue from The Meadows Racetrack & Casino.
The meetings will be held March 26 at the Chartiers Township municipal building; April 10 at the Somerset Township municipal building; and April 18 at the East Bethlehem volunteer fire department. All three meetings will begin at 7 p.m.
White, who is the legislative appointee to the Washington County Economic Roundtable which oversees slots revenue requests, said although Washington County is extremely fortunate to receive the local share revenue, he and his colleagues are examining ways to improve the distribution process.
“After spending months involved in the review process, I understand that we need to address some of these big concerns," White said. "There should be an open and ongoing effort to maximize the use of our money while at the same time making sure all of the voices are heard.”
"While I plan to approach these meetings with an open mind, my first legislative priority will be to continue to do everything possible to enhance the economic climate of Southwestern Pennsylvania and to maximize job opportunities for our future generations," Stout said.
“Slot machines are off to a fantastic start, and I don’t think anyone anticipated just how popular this game of chance would be, and how much money it would generate for local municipalities,” Solobay said. “We need to find a way to see that not only the host community, but that all the communities in the county where slots parlors are located are benefiting from slots proceeds.”
“First and foremost, the gaming law was designed to provide property tax cuts for every homeowner and that will be a reality later this year," DeWeese said. "Following that same thought, we would like to examine the feasibility of every municipality receiving a portion of the local economic development dollars provided in the law."
White stressed that the purpose of these meetings is to elicit positive, constructive criticism on how to make the process more efficient for the future. He said areas that will be covered include property tax relief, municipal infrastructure and sewage projects, finding ways small municipalities have access to projects and municipal representation on the review panel.
“We’re interested in solutions on how we can move forward with this process, not relive the past,” White said.
Earlier this year, 26 projects totaling about $8 million were approved by the Economic Roundtable and Washington County commissioners, who sent the requests to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for funding.
Over $80 million worth of requests were not funded, leading several municipalities around the county to consider filing a lawsuit over the distribution process. The legislative delegation hopes the meetings will lead to positive changes that would address any concerns and eliminate the need for litigation.
White encouraged residents to come and offer input, or submit input in writing. He said suggestions will be put in a report to be submitted to the county commissioners for consideration before this year’s review process.
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