Yep- Bad Idea

That's right....a casino would be a bad idea for generating revenue for the city, creating jobs and giving people a REAL reason (not the arts, not CS) to go downtown. I would imagine there would be a significant amount of traffic in the downtown area.....much more than the arts or CS will attract) with a casino.

Today's Journal....

County receives more than $300K from casino revenues

Butler County received $322,974 Tuesday for its first quarter distribution of Ohio’s gross casino revenue.

Payouts to the state’s 88 counties and cities with more than 80,000 residents are based on population. The Ohio Department of Taxation will make distributions quarterly. Warren County was slated to receive $187,596.43 in the first quarter and Preble County, $36,734.54.

The cash is welcome addition to the county’s coffers, but it will only help fill the gaps created by state cuts and shortfalls that are part of a still struggling economy, local officials said.

Commissioner Charles “Chuck” Furmon said the money will help county make ends meet.

“Right now we have to look at getting our bills paid and keeping our heads above water,” Furmon said. He noted budgeting for casino revenue is difficult because there are many unknowns, such as how much money the facilities will make.

“It really is an unknown right now,” Furmon said.

Pete Landrum, director of the county’s office of management, is tasked with forecasting the unknown.

“Right now we really, really don’t know about this year or even 2013, Landrum said. He noted only two of the casinos are operational with two others scheduled to be up and running by the end of 2013.

“We are being conservative, trying to err on the side of caution,” he added.

Currently the state has two casinos located in the cities of Cleveland and Toledo. The Columbus casino is anticipated to open in the fall and the Cincinnati casino plans to open in the spring of 2013, according to the Ohio Department of Taxation.

Landrum said he has forecasted the county to receive a $1.3 million this year and $4 million in 2013 from casino revenue.

Commission President Don Dixon said the money should go straight to paying down the county’s millions in general fund debit.

“There is no question. It has to go to pay down the debt,” Dixon said. “When we get the check, we write a check to pay down the $100 million in general fund debt. We have to get that off our backs.”

Still want to bring in the masses with arts or a school?

Vet

TonyB wrote: Vet, It's obvious you haven't read the law passed for the operation of casinos in the state of Ohio. Only 7 are allowed in the state and those locations have already been decided. Middletown cannot just unilaterally decide to put a casino downtown. It would be against the law. That's why you hear no talk about it.

TonyB,

TonyB wrote: Vet,It's obvious you haven't read the law passed for the operation of casinos in the state of Ohio. Only 7 are allowed in the state and those locations have already been decided. Middletown cannot just unilaterally decide to put a casino downtown. It would be against the law. That's why you hear no talk about it.

No, I haven't read the law on this Tony. Don't usually have time to read every tidbit of info. thrown my way. You're probably right on the 7 locations. But when they were deciding the 7 locations, I didn't see Middletown throwing their hat in the ring either. By the way, when did this town care about doing something they wanted to do and worry about the law? You hear no talk about a casino because the Middletown "leaders" have already decided they want the arts and a small college to pull the people downtown (which won't work by the way). No thinking outside the box from the people running this city. Nice safe little Mayberry community with little to no growth.