What kind of money would a proposed $250 million casino resort in Slidell bring to St. Tammany Parish?
Now locals are starting to see how governments would divide their 5% of net gaming revenue from the casino.
An agreement approved last week by the board that runs the St. Tammany Parish Development District spells out who will get what. St. Tammany Parish government would get the biggest chunk of money at 37.5%, which could translate into $2.8 million to $3.4 million a year. It is not enough to balance the budget according to parish officials. The agreement requires the parish to spend 12.5% of its share on projects in what it is calling the “St. Tammany Parish Gaming and Entertainment Project Zone”, which is basically the unincorporated area around Slidell.
Meanwhile Slidell will get 15% of the local money, according to the agreement. Slidell Mayor Greg Cromer said that some of what the city had negotiated did not make the final cut, but he said the inclusion of the gaming zone spending requirement means almost a third of the money will be spent in and around Slidell.
Of course, this is all still to be decided by a parish wide referendum vote. Opponents of the casino, including pastors and parishioners from churches in eastern St. Tammany, have framed the casino debate as an east vs. west struggle, saying it is unfair for the entire parish to vote on something that directly affects only people living in the east end of St Tammany.
