Local leaders aren’t betting the house that money from Ohio’s four soon-to-be-built casinos will solve Ashtabula County’s money woes.
While the county will receive tax revenue related to the voter-approved casinos, the amount and delivery date are unknown. As a result, officials aren’t relying on the money to ease the county’s cash crunch.
“We’re not counting on it when we do our biannual budget,” said County Auditor Roger Corlett.
Ohio voters this month agreed to rewrite the state constitution to allow construction of casinos in Cleveland, Toledo, Cincinnati and Columbus. Proponents pitching the plan said the casinos would generate millions in tax revenue for Ohio’s counties.
The amendment issue OK’d by voters obliges each of the four casino operators to pay a fixed tax of 33 percent of gross revenues received. Fifty-one percent of the taxes that casino operators will pay will be split among the 88 counties, based on their population. Since no one knows for sure how much the casinos will earn, it’s tough to estimate Ashtabula County’s share accurately, said Peggy Carlo, county commissioner president.
“We haven’t been told directly,” she said. “We understand it may be around $1 million. That’s the number thrown out at us.”
State Rep. Deborah Newcomb, D-Conneaut, said she understood the figure would be between $1 million and $2 million. Much work has to be done leg-
islatively before counties start talking tax, she said.
“We still have to do the enabling legislation,” which will establish the ground rules for the gambling houses, Newcomb said. The General Assembly has six months from the effective date of the amendment to “facilitate the operation of the amendment,” according to reports.
Since the first casino isn’t expected to open for at least two years and tax revenues cannot be collected for a period after that, the funds won’t arrive anytime soon.
“We don’t expect to see any money until 2013,” Carlo said.
Corlett said county auditors he has spoken to aren’t factoring the casino tax into long-range projections.
“Most auditors feel they’re not going to see it, so they’re not going to count it,” he said.
The 33 percent casino tax will be divvied up like this, according to the amendment:
n 51 percent among the counties, based on population. Half of each county’s share will go to its largest city if that city’s population exceeds 80,000 (not the case in Ashtabula County);
n 34 percent among public school districts;
n 5 percent to the casinos’ host cities;
n 3 percent to the Ohio Casino Control Commission;
n 3 percent to the Ohio State Racing Commission fund;
n 2 percent to a state law-enforcement training fund; and
n 2 percent to a state problem-gambling and addictions fund.
Even though there are plenty of unknowns connected to the casino tax, officials are happy to know it’s out there lurking in the not-too-distant future.
“I hope we do benefit some with additional revenue,” Carlo said.
Casinos not only will provide the state “another diversification of its economic base,” Newcomb said, but also they will satisfy the wishes of a majority of Ashtabula County residents, Newcomb said. Pro-casino sentiment has been strong locally, she said. In November, county voters approved the casino issue 16,731-10,870.
“It’s been pretty popular in our area,” Newcomb said. “People have been very supportive. The constituents who have contacted me were very supportive.”
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