Editorial: Town wins ability to tax non-Indian gaming vendors

Only a few months after his November 2011 election, Ledyard Mayor John Rodolico faced a difficult decision. Should he urge the Town Council to press forward with a high-risk, high-reward lawsuit launched by his predecessors to capture disputed property tax revenues from the Foxwoods Resort Casino? Or should he cut the town's losses and move on?

Mayor Rodolico and the council chose to press on and this week enjoyed a sweet victory that over the long run should broaden the town's tax base and help pay for necessary services.

At issue was the ability of the town to assess and tax non-tribal personal property on the reservation. In particular, the federal case focused on hundreds of slot machines leased by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe for use in its casino. The legal point had broader implications, however, potentially having an impact on the town's ability to assess and tax other personal property in restaurants and retail outlets operating on the reservation.