At Tuesday’s County Commissioners’ Work Session, a NewsLanc reporter posed the Commissioners with the following question: “If the Convention Center doesn’t meet its financial obligations, would you support the introduction of slots in place of increasing the hotel room sales tax.” Chair Dennis Stuckey and Commissioner Craig Lehman both said they opposed introduction of gambling in any form. Commissioner Scott Martin was absent.
Today, at the public County Commissioners’ Meeting, NewsLanc followed up by asking, “If left with those two options, would you then feel compelled to choose the raising of the hotel room sales tax?”
The Commissioners responded with the following statements:
Martin: “…I can say that I am not a supporter of slots, because of the social service costs that are associated them. I believe it’s actually more expensive than the revenues that are brought in for us to provide services to deal with the repercussions of slot machines. So that would not even be an option.”
Lehman: “I’m happy to reiterate my opposition to slots and table games. I just don’t think they’re problem-solvers. On the other part of your question, I don’t believe that there are just two options. I don’t believe that we’d ever be in a situation where we’re left with two bad options. I always look for that third option. Whatever that option might be, I don’t accept that those are the only two options.”
Martin: “I know that it’s kind of a hypothetical situation. I know what you’re getting at. I believe that, in our due diligence, that we would have to look at every single alternative that is presented to us, given that scenario. That scenario hasn’t been brought before us, so we haven’t really looked at or researched any other means in order to address that issue.”
Stuckey: “I don’t accept the premise of your question. They are not either-or. Sorry, they’re not….In this case, I’ll reiterate what I said yesterday: I’m not a supporter of slots or table games in Lancaster County—or anyplace.”
Manor Township resident Bonnie Miller then inquired of the Commissioners, “…If the hotel tax isn’t enough to compensate it, and there’s no part of the tax left for the tourist bureau, then we’re going to have to come up with the money somewhere else. Am I correct on that?”
Lehman: “Well, I actually came out and said that I didn’t think that…there should be any more money for construction of that project. That was the position that I took in the campaign, and I was actually pretty strident about that…. My position is that taxes should always be the last resort. And that’s why I didn’t agree with the question earlier, because I just believe that there are always other options.”
Lehman: “I don’t ever believe that it’s a fait accompli that you have to raise taxes. I don’t buy that premise.”
Martin: “The one thing that we collectively want the community to do, and what those individuals working on that project have to do, is make it a success and see where it goes. Let it live and die on its own accord. But I think everyone in this room hopes that it is a success, so that we don’t have to get to a point where we have to look at all these different options. And I hope that when it opens, they will do everything in their power to ensure it is a success.”
Lehman: “And I agree with that because a lot of these hypotheticals look way down the road, and there are a whole lot of variables that we don’t know about. And I think if we focus our energy on trying to make it successful…[then] we aren’t left with choices that might not be popular…. I think that’s the responsible approach.”
