The casino is going to be a VERY hard sell. Yes, Dale High and LNP will play hardball, and we’ll hear all kinds of noise about how high our taxes will go if the casino isn’t brought in. And it will be messy: Wachovia will have to foreclose on the convention center and turn it into private ownership (and likely sell it to High for pennies on the dollar; High will be hailed as a hero in the media for “saving” downtown Lancaster) before it can be turned into a casino.
But public opposition will be vocal and widespread. What SHOULD have happened eight years ago will be overwhelmed by conservative Lancaster County sentiment.
I expect Lancaster City officials to play hardball, also. I am sure that the casino promoters (Dale High?) will have to make some kind of deal with Lancaster City and the School District of Lancaster before government officials sign off on the deal. I believe that the casino will be required to pay a LOT more than just real estate taxes – likely a cut of the take – in exchange for permission to open a casino.
It is likely that whatever it costs the casino to operate in Lancaster City will result in at least holding the line on taxes in Lancaster City and the SDoL, and possibly even a token reduction.
