Staff writer
Now that the first round of local share allocations from The Meadows Racetrack & Casino is history, the eyes of local, county and state officials are focused on the next round.
Democrats from the Washington County legislative delegation plan to get together Friday and hammer out a proposal to change the process that precedes the county commissioners' recommendations on worthy projects to the state Department of Community and Economic Development.
DCED has the final say on releasing what is believed to be about $12 million in June 2009, $4 million more than this year's allocation. The casino in North Strabane Township opened in June 2007, and revenues were counted through March 31. The next round of funding will include a full year of slot-machine revenue.
While state Rep. Jesse White, appointee of the Washington County legislative delegation to the local share committee, said DCED officials told him Washington County's was one of the better processes from areas with casinos, "there were some things that could've been done better," White said last week.
He said the proposal will recommend splitting the local share projects into three categories totaling $4 million apiece: community development projects; sewer and smaller water projects; and projects from each of the county's 67 municipalities.
"Our goal is to allow municipalities in Washington County to have their share of the local share fund every year and do it in a way that provides a great deal of control from the local government," White said.
"Local governments were left out of the process. It still will not be revenue sharing. Per capita is off the table as far as we're concerned.
"It was said that the fund was unfair to the smaller municipalities. The larger population has a larger tax base. You're never going to find a formula that's perfect, and if we did, nobody would understand it."
Under the proposal being considered by the legislators, no municipality would be precluded from applying for major community development money.
While the legislators may recommend adding a township or borough representative to the local share committee, there seems to be nothing in their proposal to pare down the size of the board.
The local share committee and commissioners recommended six projects advanced by committee members. DCED funded five to the tune of $5 million, more than half of the total available. The other $3 million went to 19 smaller projects.
A Washington County Redevelopment Authority $245,000 project known as Skypointe, a business park near the county airport, was axed from the final list, while another redevelopment project, Canton 2010 for the Jessop Place Exit of Interstate 70, was funded for $800,000.
State Rep. Tim Solobay formulated a plan in February as backlash over the recommended distribution of slots money reached a fever pitch.
"My thought was 50-50," Solobay said. "Large projects would've included water and sewer. I still kind of like my proposal, but I know how the game is played. If it's 60 grand or 75 grand, I don't think any of them will turn it down."
A possible exception is tiny Green Hills Borough, which seceded from South Franklin Township. A handful of people live there, but a future housing development would increase its population considerably.
The legislators will be running their proposed changes past DCED before meeting with the Washington County commissioners.
Larry Maggi, chairman of the Washington County board of commissioners, said he hadn't heard of proposed changes in the local share process from the legislative delegation as of Thursday morning.
"I can't comment on something I haven't seen from them yet but I can say that I'm willing to look at it and make some changes."
Maggi attended a series of meetings where the local share process was roundly criticized, but he said at many of the meetings, the criticism was coming from the same sources.
"The municipalities need to have representation," Maggi said of the committee considering proposals for the local share account.
"I think they should see how the process worked, see how difficult it is, see there are a lot of good projects, and see all the projects submitted. They're impossible to fund because there's not enough money."
Meanwhile, an East Bethlehem commissioner's threat to file a court challenge over the process used in Washington County to recommend slots revenue to DCED apparently won't materialize.
"There were a lot of mistakes, and I think they understood that," said Paul Battaglini, chairman of the East Bethlehem board of commissioners.
But Battaglini is willing to see what changes can be instituted in the local share recommendation process.
"Hopefully we can drop this and let it go," Battaglini said of a lawsuit or injunction request. "No one will gain by that. I'm sure hoping this time around that they think about East Bethlehem Township.
"It's not that they don't get any people from around here to go gamble."
Battaglini said if the money were allocated on a per capita basis, East Bethlehem could reap $100,000. "We could do a helluva lot with that."