By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
All Portage County residents should vote on a proposal to put a casino in the village of Plover or elsewhere in the county, Stevens Point Mayor Gary Wescott says. The Lac du Flambeau band of the Chippewa tribe has proposed a casino-convention center in the village.
A casino will have a long impact on the county, Wescott said, so "the County Board needs to seek input from all county residents."
Instead the county is waiting for Plover residents to make their decision in a hastily called referendum for Sept. 12. The village board will then vote on Sept. 13 and the County Board on Sept. 14. The tribe hopes to decide where to locate the casino by Oct. 1.
Wescott says the county should wait until November and hold a countywide referendum. "A November referendum will ensure the largest number of Portage County residents will vote instead of the 15 percent in Plover," he said. Plover represents about 15 percent of the county's population.
Voting quickly isn't advantageous for the public to study the issue, he said, adding that there's plenty of good research available that the public needs time to read.
The county also needs dialog and debate on the issue, he said. "The worst public policy is in secret and in haste, and that's what's going on here."
In 1991, Stevens Point residents opposed a casino proposal at the Holiday Inn, and the city hasn't been mentioned as a site for the latest proposal, he said, adding he learned about it only after the media reported the possibility. "There's been no contact between the city and county on this matter."
Wescott questioned the financial impact of a casino. Studies he's seen indicate that for every $1 in revenues, municipalities had costs from $3 to $7.
And the impact on the locality has been felt in other ways, he said, pointing out that three new loan programs are available from the government for businesses that have been adversely impacted by local casinos.
A casino is going to impact more than just Plover, he said. "Is this really what 67,000 people of this county want? The decision will have to be left up to all the people of Portage County who will have to deal with it in the years to come."
A 1995 study shows 80 percent of Wisconsin casino revenues came from state residents, not outsiders, he said, and municipalities will be incurring costs for restructuring or redeveloping facilities, police, fire, medical services and mental health facilities.
With all the speed to get the proposal approved, Wescott said he also feels the governor's office will not approve any proposal without greater input from the people. In addition to village and county approval, a tribe needs approval from the governor and the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. Tribal spokespersons have indicated the timetable has been speeded up because Gov. Thompson may take a position in Washington if George W. Bush is elected president and Lt. Gov. Scott McCallum opposes an expansion of gambling.
A fact sheet released by Plover last week said the hotel-convention center complex would have a minimum of 300 rooms, about triple the size of the band's Lake of the Torches Casino in Lac du Flambeau. The convention center would be 55,000 to 60,000 square feet to serve 1,500 to 2,000.
The fact sheet doesn't include any information about the casino, but Lake of the Torches has 705 slot machines and 16 blackjack tables. However, a copy of the proposal from the Lac du Flambeau handed out at the Portage County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, Aug. 22, says the gaming facility will have 2,500 machines and 40 to 60 blackjack tables.
More than 1,200 people would be employed full-time at the complex, the release says, with wages ranging from $4.25 per hour plus tips to $20 per hour plus benefits. The Lac du Flambeau proposal said another 300 part-time employees would also be hired.
The fact sheet says the tribe would pay $4 million for 20 years to be divided between the village and county and property taxes would exceed a total of $1.4 million, including $250,000 for the village.
The Holiday Inn Convention & Expo Center in Stevens Point has more than 300 rooms and would be similar in size to the proposed hotel-convention center, which paid about $344,000 in property taxes for 1999.
In addition, the hotel/motel tax is estimated to generate $209,000 to $234,000 annually to Plover, and the tribe would pay utility connection fees for service charges and make payments in lieu of taxes and community gifts in support of community services.