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Austintown, racino communities to receive two $500,000 racino payments
By ROBERT CONNELLY
COLUMBUS
Austintown and the other five racino host communities in Ohio are getting $500,000 payments for the next two years.
Republican Gov. John Kasich did not line-veto language for the payments Tuesday night.
The $500,000 payment will have half of the money coming from the state’s track relocation fund while the operator within that racino community pays the other half.
It also means that “these payments are made in full, complete, and total satisfaction of any payment contemplated or required by any version of the provision,” the legislation states.
Those payments are due by Dec. 31 this year and Dec. 31, 2016. Ohio Senate Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni of Boardman, D-33rd, said that language will need to be clarified over the coming weeks before the fall session.
“I have to get some legal determination on whether this officially closes the door on a future payment,” Schiavoni said Tuesday.
“[Does] this truly close the door or is there a possibility of getting an annual payment to those host communities?”
Schiavoni said for that reason, among others, he voted no on the state budget.
Penn National Gaming Inc. will pay $150 million over 10 years into that track-relocation fund for moving tracks from Toledo to Dayton and Grove City, Ohio, to Austintown.
“We’re happy to be a part of the Austintown community, and we always felt that our host communities deserved to receive the money they were promised. While we have already agreed to pay $150 million to the state of Ohio for the right to relocate our racetracks to Dayton and Austintown, we’re glad to put this issue behind us,” said Bob Tenenbaum, spokesman for Penn National.
Last December, Kasich line-vetoed language that would have brought $500,000 annually for three years to only Dayton and Austintown, with the same funding breakfown as approved Tuesday night.
“I’m glad that the governor decided to leave that to be a part of the budget,” Schiavoni said.
“At least” the racino host communities are “going to receive some compensation that was promised years ago.”
In an email, state Sen. Bill Beagle of Tipp City, R-5th, said, “This has been a challenging negotiation. Neither the racinos nor the communities in which they are located got what they wanted; but, now we have a resolution that will provide local jurisdictions additional dollars to devote to public safety or infrastructure.” Beagle worked with Schiavoni throughout the negotiations to secure payments for their communities.