Assemblyman Bill Magee (D-Nelson) announced that the governor’s budget proposal contains language that will ensure Madison County receives a share of revenue from gaming facilities hosted in the county.
“Native American gaming facilities are providing millions to their host counties under the Oneida Settlement Agreement,” said Magee. “Unfortunately, when the agreement was inked, the state did not anticipate gaming facilities in Madison County. This legislation will help ensure the county gets its fair share of revenue to offset the municipal costs of casino expansion and provide much-needed support for vital community services.”
With the opening of the Yellow Brick Road Casino in Chittenango, Madison County became the only county in the state to host a Native American resort and casino without receiving a host community benefit, or a share of the state’s gaming revenue generated within its borders.
Magee had previously put forward a measure that would correct this inequity, but it was vetoed. This year’s budget proposal from the governor corrects the inequity by redistributing existing local gaming aid payments to provide $2.25 million annually to Madison County.
This measure would ensure Madison County is entitled to the same host community benefit currently in place for Oneida County, allowing significant reinvestment in county infrastructure, emergency services and other programs impacted by gaming facility expansion.
“This measure is about fairness to Madison County taxpayers,” said Magee. “We shouldn’t have to bear the costs of hosting a gaming facility without receiving our fair share of reimbursement from the state. I will fight to see that it’s included in the final 2017-2018 state budget.”