From the Ludington Daily News via Pechanga:
FRUITPORT TWP. — The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and Gov. Jennifer Granholm have reached an agreement helping clear the way for development of a gaming facility just outside of Muskegon, the tribe announced Friday.
Granholm and the tribal government have reached agreement on two compact amendments that bring the tribe one step closer to building the casino on the site of the former Great Lakes Downs Racetrack, property the tribe now owns. The amendments will allow the tribe to go forward with the process of placing a small portion of the property into trust with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).
A third compact amendment is proceeding to both houses of the Michigan Legislature regarding changing the definition of “Eligible Indian Lands” under section 2 (B) (1). Both houses will need to approve this additional amendment in order for the project to move forward. The first two amendments did not require legislative approval.
Granholm encouraged the legislature to approve the remaining compact amendment, the press release stated.
“In short, neither the state nor the local units of government in Muskegon County will realize the benefit of the additional revenue sharing and the attendant economic development represented by this project unless the Legislature adopts the necessary resolutions concurring in the Third Amendment,” she stated, adding, the project is, “…in the best interests of the state and the public …”
Tribal Ogema Larry Romanelli, a Muskegon area resident, said, “Muskegon has been hard hit in recent years and I am so pleased that our tribe has the opportunity to provide some hope and help to all of our people, tribal and non-tribal, at this time.”
The tribe already operates the Little River Casino Resort in Manistee Township, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. The Manistee casino is the largest employer in Manistee County, providing about 1,000 jobs and millions of dollars a year in revenue sharing money to the state, county and the community.
The tribe contributes 6 percent of its electronic gaming revenue to the state of Michigan and an additional 2 percent to the Manistee community through a Revenue Sharing Board. These payments in lieu of taxes help fund local schools, area law enforcement agencies and other organizations.
The agreements for the Muskegon project are more advantageous to the state than other current gaming compacts, the release stated. They are based on a sliding scale of 8 to 12 percent and are not contingent on the state committing to preserving gaming exclusivity for the Muskegon casino. The new revenue sharing payments for the Muskegon facility would be payable to the Michigan School Aid Fund.
Revenue sharing payments for the existing Little River Casino Resort would not change with these new provisions, the release stated.
The tribe began to pursue this project several years ago when the tribal government looked at development in its southern tribal territory. LRBOI has tribal responsibility for nine counties in west Michigan.
A tribal development team worked with the governor’s office, Fruitport Township and Muskegon County leaders as well as local business and union leaders as they created the agreement, according to the release.
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