"On June 9, Taunton voted for a tribal resort destination casino in the hope of jobs and economic development. This is perfectly understandable after years of stagnation and a continuous reduction in local aid from the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Promises of 1,000 construction jobs, 2,500 permanent jobs, $33 million in infrastructure improvements along with $1.5 million up front and $8 million per year sound good, but alone provide incomplete analysis. It’s now time for Taunton to look soberly at the agreement and find the best way forward.

The Inter-governmental Agreement Taunton has signed with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe presents serious long-term solvency issues for the city, as well as immense land use issues. We respect the vote of the city; our goal now is to avoid suffering the worst of a poorly constructed contract, and there are ways you can help. The effort is not anti-casino; it’s against an arrangement that, if left unaltered, will eventually do great harm to the city and surrounding communities.

Most important are the threats to Taunton’s long-term solvency. The IGA caps the property taxes of the tribe after the eleventh anniversary of their obtaining land in trust. In the intervening 10 years they do have a CPI increase of 3 percent, compared to the 2.5 percent the rest of Taunton will pay provided there is no Prop 2½ override. Second, the 8 million dollar minimum payment out of net slot revenues from the tribe is not indexed to CPI or inflation, meaning 30 or 50 years out, the tribe will still be paying the same amount to the city as they would be paying in the 11th year."

Get the Story:
Brian Kennedy: Fight to protect the SouthCoast's interests continues (The Taunton Daily Gazette 7/11)

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Towns want meeting before Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe compact (7/3)