Voters to get a say on proposed cut of profits

Voters won't be choosing 'yes' or 'no' on the casino -- just the revenue sharing.
WARREN -- Lordstown voters will decide in November if they like the deal struck between the village and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe for revenue sharing from a proposed casino and resort.
The Trumbull County Board of Elections accepted 216 valid petition signatures Thursday on a referendum to get the measure on the ballot. The petition circulators needed only 131 valid signatures to succeed.
"They feel that they could get a better agreement," village Clerk Judith Hall said of the petitioners, noting the tribe isn't necessarily obligated to come back and make another offer later. "My opinion, with the economy the way it is, is take what you can get and run."
Sharing the revenue
The Eastern Shawnees propose a $125 million to $250 million gambling resort that could be built on 137 acres in Lordstown and North Jackson. The Oklahoma-based tribe says it would create jobs and share a percentage of revenue from the casino.
Village council approved an emergency ordinance April 4 authorizing an intergovernmental agreement with the tribe. The public will now have a vote on that ordinance and the terms it contains.
The agreement provides 2 percent of the casino's revenues to go to the village and county after seven years; it would be 1 percent for the first seven years as the operation gets financed and established. Eventually, that 2 percent could mean up to about $4 million a year from the casino operation, officials have said.
Village voters will not be voting "for" or "against" the casino, the village clerk explained.
Ordinance passed
The petition was circulated by Michele L. Krisher of 1405 Tait Road, Martin H. Jones of 2786 Hallock Young Road, and Frances A. Hall of 5184 Highland Ave. Their petition makes no claim on whether casino gambling would be good or bad for the village.
Council voted 4-2 to pass the ordinance. Council members Richard Biggs and Karen Jones voted no -- saying they felt there were too many loopholes in the agreement. Biggs also stressed that many people attended council meetings to object to the ordinance.
The agreement with the village says the operation would create between 2,500 and 3,500 jobs in three phases of the project: gaming facility and food service; hotel operation; and entertainment. The agreement would go into effect only if the state approves Class 3 (table games) gambling, which is currently illegal in Ohio.