Together, the state and 10 Chicago area communities will be $7.1 million richer this week thanks to Des Plaines? share from 2011 Rivers Casino gaming taxes.
Des Plaines officials on Monday said they?re cutting checks to the state and 10 needy communities totaling $7.1 million as part of the deal they signed for the casino license. As they held large checks that will be FedExed to the municipalities and state, Mayor Marty Moylan and aldermen lamented about last week?s passed casino expansion bill, which adds five casinos around the state, slots at horse racetracks and boosts gaming positions at Rivers Casino from 1,200 to 1,600.
The bill still has to be approved by Gov. Pat Quinn, who at a separate event in neighboring Glenview on Monday said he?s not a fan of the major gambling overhaul and likely won?t sign his name on the dotted line.
?I?ve looked at the bill, and it has a lot of loopholes that are not good for the people when it comes to maintaining integrity and ethics in gambling and protecting the people of our state,? Quinn said.
That news comes as a relief to Des Plaines, whose officials have argued it?s not fair they pay $10 million annually over the next 30 years to the state and then share 40 percent of the remaining gaming taxes with 10 poor towns, including Chicago Heights, Summit and Markham. The city agreed to that when they were competing for what was believed to be the 10th and final license. No other casino town in Illinois has a similar arrangement.
?It?s my viewpoint you can take the past contract and rip it up and throw it in the garbage,? said Ald. Mark Walsten. ?This has nothing to do what we have signed up for. The rules have completely changed.?
If passed, the most recent bill would alleviate some of the financial burden for Des Plaines?? the state would return $4 million of the $10 million to the northwest suburb annually, Moylan said. But the mayor believes that?s not enough, and also wants the state to increase the gaming spots at the gambling venue to 2,000.
The city is not opposed to additional casinos, Moylan said, but has a major problem with slots at the racetracks given that Arlington Park and Maywood Park are so close to the suburb.
?It?s definitely going to affect our bottom line,? Moylan said of the expansion.
The city is paying the state $4.65 million while the 10 communities are splitting $2.46 million based on population. Chicago Heights will receive the most at $689,223 and Harvey will get $575,536, according to numbers provided by Des Plaines. Also on the roster are Dixmoor, Ford Heights, Hodgkins, Phoenix, Robbins, Markham, Riverdale and Summit, which will see checks anywhere from $43,183 to $308,438, data shows.
City Manager Mike Bartholomew said Des Plaines may begin spending its share from the 2011 gambling taxes?? almost $3.7 million?? next year. Going forward, the city will likely issues checks to the state and the 10 towns per the agreement in the beginning of each year, he added.
Tribune reporter Alissa Groeninger contributed to this report.
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