Schiavoni amendment to racino payment under consideration in Columbus

COLUMBUS

Among the items in ongoing state budget talks at the Ohio Senate is an amendment to address the promised $500,000 payment to Ohio’s racino communities, including Austintown Township.

Senate Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni of Boardman, D-33rd, submitted late last week an amendment featuring an annual payment with half coming from an existing track relocation fund and half from the operator in each of the six eligible racino communities.

Penn National will pay $150 million over 10 years into the track relocation fund for moving tracks from Toledo to Dayton and from Grove City, Ohio to Austintown. Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course opened in September 2014.

What is in front of the Senate now is different from what Schiavoni submitted last week, in that it’s for two years and not annually. The Senate will discuss a $500,000 payment for two years going to the six eligible racino communities.

Half of that payment will still come from the track relocation fund and half from the operator within that community.

That is similar to what Republican Gov. John Kasich line-vetoed in late December. Schiavoni worked with fellow state Sen. Bill Beagle of Tipp City, R-5th, on the racino payment amendment.

Read more about the proposal in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.