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Council votes to put riverboat gambling on April ballot
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By Kris Hilgedick
khil@newstribune.com
Despite a loud public outcry from citizens who oppose gambling, the Jefferson City Council voted 6-4 Monday in favor of giving voters an opportunity to overturn the city's ban on riverboat casinos.
The citywide vote is scheduled for April.
Two amendments were not successful. The first, offered by Second Ward Councilman Richard Koon, would have delayed the election until November, when a larger voter turnout is anticipated. The second would have limited where a new casino could be built.
Six council members - Kevin Brown, Ken Ferguson, Mike Harvey, Dan Klindt, Ron Medin and Koon - favored the April public vote. Four others - Brian Crane, Cindy Layton, Jim Penfold and Jane Smith - did not.
After the decision, opponents were deeply dismayed, even apoplectic.
Jefferson City resident M.L. Allison vowed to fight any attempt to overturn the city's existing casino gaming ban.
“There's going to be a lot of organization ... to get out the vote,” he said.
Allison was disappointed with council members who supported putting the question to a public vote, despite hearing significant vocal opposition at two public forums.
“Opponents were able to turn out in an overwhelming manner,” he said. “But the council showed a total disregard for what they said. To me, it seems to be a total lack of respect for the people they represent.
“Why do (they) hold these hearings in the first place?” he asked.
Riverboat gaming was approved by Jefferson City voters in 1992, but a later ban was enacted in 1995.
Allison warned Monday's vote may have repercussions. “I am thankful they'll be up for re-election on this ballot,” he said.
Carolyn McDowell sat on the council 13 years ago when the ban was enacted. She watched the proceedings unfold again in the council's chamber on Monday.
“Personally I don't think it needs to be done,” she said. “The people have voted in the mid-1990s. They did not want gambling in Jefferson City.”
McDowell believes a large casino would deplete, not replenish, the city's resources.
But many supporters of the casino project point to the Isle of Capri in Boonville, saying the boat there has revitalized that community.
Klindt sees gaming revenues as a way to pave streets and repair the city's broken stormwater pipes.
“All we're asking is: ‘Can we let the voters decide whether we'll use riverboat gambling income as a potential revenue source?' he said. “If the people vote ‘No,' then okay. We'll look for other ways.”
Medin and Penfold tried, unsuccessfully, to restrict where a casino could be built. (They proposed barring casino construction between Manila and Lafayette streets, in an effort to protect the city's drinking water source, the state Capitol and the future federal courthouse.)
“If we get to the point that we have millions of dollars at stake, the resolve of future councils will be tested,” Medin warned.
Brown, principal sponsor of the casino legislation, argued such restrictions could be put in place if and when an actual project is brought forward by developers. He said such caveats only served to make constructing a casino “practically impossible.”
Medin doesn't support casino gaming in Jefferson City, but he sees a public vote as the only way to settle the issue. “We already have a gambling problem in Jefferson City,” he said, noting many people - including several civic leaders - see it as a way to solve the city's financial woes.
“These are all well-intentioned people, worried about the economic situation in Jefferson City,” said Medin. “But I hope the public will defeat this proposal.”
In November 1992, 10,347 Jefferson City voters approved the idea of having a casino gambling boat - about 60 percent of the more than 17,000 people casting votes in that election.
But three years later, voters rejected gambling with two votes:
* Proposition 1, where 5,947 people - 57 percent of the total voters - said a gambling boat should not be allowed to operate in Jefferson City.
* Proposition 2, where 5,424 of those same voters - or 52 percent - said the City Charter should be changed to prohibit city government from getting any benefit from a gambling vote.
The total votes cast on Proposition 1 was 61 more than the number of people approving a boat in 1992.
The citywide vote is scheduled for April.
Two amendments were not successful. The first, offered by Second Ward Councilman Richard Koon, would have delayed the election until November, when a larger voter turnout is anticipated. The second would have limited where a new casino could be built.
Six council members - Kevin Brown, Ken Ferguson, Mike Harvey, Dan Klindt, Ron Medin and Koon - favored the April public vote. Four others - Brian Crane, Cindy Layton, Jim Penfold and Jane Smith - did not.
After the decision, opponents were deeply dismayed, even apoplectic.
Jefferson City resident M.L. Allison vowed to fight any attempt to overturn the city's existing casino gaming ban.
“There's going to be a lot of organization ... to get out the vote,” he said.
Allison was disappointed with council members who supported putting the question to a public vote, despite hearing significant vocal opposition at two public forums.
“Opponents were able to turn out in an overwhelming manner,” he said. “But the council showed a total disregard for what they said. To me, it seems to be a total lack of respect for the people they represent.
“Why do (they) hold these hearings in the first place?” he asked.
Riverboat gaming was approved by Jefferson City voters in 1992, but a later ban was enacted in 1995.
Allison warned Monday's vote may have repercussions. “I am thankful they'll be up for re-election on this ballot,” he said.
Carolyn McDowell sat on the council 13 years ago when the ban was enacted. She watched the proceedings unfold again in the council's chamber on Monday.
“Personally I don't think it needs to be done,” she said. “The people have voted in the mid-1990s. They did not want gambling in Jefferson City.”
McDowell believes a large casino would deplete, not replenish, the city's resources.
But many supporters of the casino project point to the Isle of Capri in Boonville, saying the boat there has revitalized that community.
Klindt sees gaming revenues as a way to pave streets and repair the city's broken stormwater pipes.
“All we're asking is: ‘Can we let the voters decide whether we'll use riverboat gambling income as a potential revenue source?' he said. “If the people vote ‘No,' then okay. We'll look for other ways.”
Medin and Penfold tried, unsuccessfully, to restrict where a casino could be built. (They proposed barring casino construction between Manila and Lafayette streets, in an effort to protect the city's drinking water source, the state Capitol and the future federal courthouse.)
“If we get to the point that we have millions of dollars at stake, the resolve of future councils will be tested,” Medin warned.
Brown, principal sponsor of the casino legislation, argued such restrictions could be put in place if and when an actual project is brought forward by developers. He said such caveats only served to make constructing a casino “practically impossible.”
Medin doesn't support casino gaming in Jefferson City, but he sees a public vote as the only way to settle the issue. “We already have a gambling problem in Jefferson City,” he said, noting many people - including several civic leaders - see it as a way to solve the city's financial woes.
“These are all well-intentioned people, worried about the economic situation in Jefferson City,” said Medin. “But I hope the public will defeat this proposal.”
In November 1992, 10,347 Jefferson City voters approved the idea of having a casino gambling boat - about 60 percent of the more than 17,000 people casting votes in that election.
But three years later, voters rejected gambling with two votes:
* Proposition 1, where 5,947 people - 57 percent of the total voters - said a gambling boat should not be allowed to operate in Jefferson City.
* Proposition 2, where 5,424 of those same voters - or 52 percent - said the City Charter should be changed to prohibit city government from getting any benefit from a gambling vote.
The total votes cast on Proposition 1 was 61 more than the number of people approving a boat in 1992.
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chitown wrote on Jan 18, 2008 4:37 PM:
And what does this have to do with the casino issue? "