Petition starts to bring casino to Erie County

Friday, 20 May 2005

From staff, wire reports

CLEVELAND - Cleveland's mayor and other casino gambling backers have begun a petition drive to force a statewide referendum allowing cities and tourist destinations like Erie County to decide whether to allow casinos.

"If gambling is to come to the state of Ohio, then we should have it here," Erie County Commissioner Nancy McKeen said.

Mayor Jane Campbell, a Democrat seeking a second four-year term this year, and political adviser Jerry Austin announced Wednesday the political action group Ohioans for Local Option would try to get 322,899 valid signatures of registered voters by Aug. 10 to place a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution on the Nov. 8 ballot.

The amendment backed by Campbell would allow home-rule cites that are county seats, or that have at least 50,000 residents, to vote on whether they want casinos.

Counties with an entertainment attraction that draws more than 1 million tourists a year -- including Cedar Point in Sandusky in Erie County and Paramount's Kings Island in Warren County north of Cincinnati -- also would be allowed a casino vote.

Even though she is personally opposed to gambling, McKeen -- who has heard proposals from a Native American tribe to bring a casino to Erie County -- said she wouldn't resist a vote to allow gambling in Erie County.

"You have to listen to the wishes of the people," McKeen said. "I wouldn't fight it because it would help us economically even though I think it is a wash because you would have to pay more for infrastructure and police."

Indian tribes, racetrack owners, lawmakers and others who want to attract casinos also are working on plans to put the issue on the ballot, either by legislation or initiative.

Gov. Bob Taft opposes casino gambling, and Ohio voters have twice rejected casino gambling issues since 1990.

The economic atmosphere has changed since the issues were defeated in the 1990s, McKeen said, and people in Erie County are more likely to vote in favor of legalizing casino gambling.

"People here would vote for it because there is gambling all around us," she said.

Campbell has said a casino would generate jobs and strengthen Cleveland as an entertainment destination.

Signatures must include at least 5 percent of voters in half of Ohio's 88 counties.

The campaign needs about $1 million to hire a signature-gathering firm and to coordinate a statewide network of volunteer petitioners, Austin said. If the issue qualifies for the ballot, Austin said he expects to spend at least $7 million to promote the issue.

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