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Lepore-Hagan calls on Gov. Kasich to address $500K racino payment
By ROBERT CONNELLY
AUSTINTOWN
State Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan of Youngstown, D-58th, had strong comments for Gov. John Kasich and the lack of discussion on the annual $500,000 racino payment issue Monday.
“As of today, more than 950 days after he signed House Bill 386, he has utterly failed to abide by the law he not only signed twice, but helped write,” she said in a news release.
House Bill 386 is the original racino bill that paved the way for the seven facilities in Ohio and was signed by Republican Kasich in June 2012. The next year, House Bill 59 was signed to clarify the two earlier $1 million payments for Austintown and Dayton as well as to clarify other language.
“I am eager to work with and support the governor whether he decides to finally abide by the law and secure the payments via negotiations with the track owners or decides to appropriate the funds via legislation,” she said.
Rob Nichols, spokesman for the governor’s office, said he had seen Lepore-Hagan’s comments Monday afternoon.
“If the representative has a plan that meets the criteria identified in the governor’s veto message, she should immediately approach the administration with those details. But to date, all we’ve seen is public-records requests and this press release,” he said.
Talk surrounding the annual $500,000 payments, outlined in a memorandum of understanding within both HB 386 and HB 59, said that six of the seven racino communities would be entitled to the annual payment. Scioto Downs in the Columbus-area would not because its county also receives a host fee from Penn National Gaming Inc.-owned Hollywood Casino Columbus. A last-minute amendment was added to House Bill 494 in December, spearheaded by state Sen. Bill Beagle of Tipp City, R-5th, along with area lawmakers state Rep. Ronald V. Gerberry of Austintown, D-59th, and Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Boardman, D-33rd.
In the line-item veto of that amendment, Kasich wanted the track operators to fully pay the amount and for all six racino communities to get the funding. The amendment limited the funding to Austintown and Dayton, where Penn National opened Hollywood Gaming racinos in 2014, and said that 50 percent of the three-year payment would come from a track-relocation fund.
That fund has payments from Penn National totaling $150 million over the next 10 years for moving tracks from Toledo and Grove City, Ohio, to Dayton and Austintown, respectively.
Austintown Trustee Ken Carano said at Monday’s township trustee meeting that a summit will happen among the communities that have expressed interest in teaming up in the coming weeks. He specifically said he was most encouraged by Anderson Township and Turtlecreek Township. Those communities host Miami Valley Gaming and Belterra Park Gaming and Entertainment Center, respectively.
Anderson Township Administrator Vicky Earhart said Monday that she continues to reach out to her local legislators and is looking forward to the racino summit.
“Everyone appears to be in agreement that Dayton and Austintown are entitled to payments, and now, we need to work on the details. Last week, I had a productive meeting with representatives from the governor’s office to outline possible solutions to resolve the funding issue in a timely manner,” said Beagle in an email Monday.