Community
City Council Approves Second Vote on a Casino
The state legislature still has to sort out whether or not Richmond can go forward with the vote.
The voters of the city of Richmond decided that they didn’t want a casino. The City Council however does and is attempting to get the measure to the ballot again. Last night the council in an 8-1 city vote moved forward with giving voters a chance to weigh in on plans for a $562 million casino and resort a second time. The dissenting vote was from Katherine Jordan of the 2nd District.
Richmond BizSense.com has this quote from Council President Michael Jones.
We did listen to the people in the last referendum. Democracy was served, because no shovels went into the ground the next week,” Jones said. “We can talk about all the issues about why it did and didn’t. Ultimately I believe the citizens should have an opportunity to vote on this this next time. I just firmly believe that.
“There’s no comparison to this deal. There just isn’t,” Jones said, “whether it’s the amphitheater, whether it was old Navy Hill, whether it’s the Diamond District. Not one penny of taxpayer dollars is going into it. There is no tax increment financing at all. We start making money day one as a city.”
RTD has this quote oppossing the project from resident Allan-Charles Chipman
“Casinos are predatory industries, where people bring in their dollars and turn our pennies. I believe we can do better,” resident Allan-Charles Chipman said. “Please respect the referendum and democracy.”
The next step in this gambling drama is for the state’s budget to be approved. In that budget the legislators could decide whether to allow Petersburg to have a chance to vote for their very on casino or vote to prohibit Richmond from holding a second vote.
