RSS | 
Twitter
| 
Be a fan!
High stakes: County ready to fight
The permanent casino, which opened in April, was assessed at $19.9 million. The assessment represents one-fourth of the 1981 market value, the base year for assessments. If that assessment remains in effect, Canon-McMillan School District will receive slightly more than $1.9 million a year in property tax revenue, while the county would receive almost $427,000, and North Strabane Township, nearly $229,000.
Washington County chief assessor Bob Neil said it's the largest assessment in the county.
The casino owner, Cannery Casino and Resorts, filed an appeal of its 2010 assessment with the Washington County Board of Assessment Appeals. CCR said the construction cost of the building was $134 million in today's dollars, and claims the 1981 market value would be $40 million, which would mean an assessment of $10 million. That is about half of the present assessment.
Rate This Story:
1 the lowest - 5 the highest
Current rating:
Neil said the board then sent a letter to CCR advising it that the assessment would not be changed. However, the company has 30 days to appeal to Washington County Court.
David LaTorre, spokesman for The Meadows and CCR, said company officials were not available for comment Friday.
Blane Black, solicitor for the board of assessment appeals, said he is anticipating an appeal to Common Pleas Court, although the company could choose not to go forward.
"We're already preparing for this," he said. Black said he has been in discussions with the solicitors for Canon-McMillan and North Strabane. "We have already solicited some proposals for an appraisal to be done."
Black said the casino is "a unique property" because its value is based not just on the land and the building, but also on the "income stream." There are just seven licensed casinos operating in Pennsylvania.
"It's not a bricks-and-mortar type of appeal," he said.
In its appeal, CCR claims that "the determination of fair market value upon which the assessment is based is in excess of the retrospective market value of the property as of Jan. 1, 1981, the base year."
It also claims the assessment is "arbitrary, capricious, irregular, not based on competent or proper evidence, factors or methodology."
The appeal did not include an appraisal done by the company to back up its numbers. Such appraisals are usually presented at an appeals hearing.
Pat Smider, solicitor for North Strabane, said the company's failure to appear at the hearing is "somewhat inexplicable." He said none of the parties has had any communication from CCR.
David Andrews, the attorney handling the matter for Canon-McMillan, said, "We're just waiting to see at this point. Obviously, the school district is watching this closely."
He said the district would join in an effort to oppose the appeal. Smider said the township also would join such an effort.
"It's a nice chunk of change for everybody," Smider said of the property tax revenue.
North Strabane, as the host municipality for the casino, also receives a yearly percentage of the revenue from its operations. The 2009 allocation was $2.2 million. In addition, a local share of casino revenue is used to fund projects for municipalities around the county. This year, about $11 million was distributed.
Related articles:
Two accused in scam waive case to court
Two to stand trial in Meadows slots fraud scheme
September revenue down
5.8 percent at N.J. casinos
Police say men stole $430K in Meadows slot machine scam
Home
