Examiner Staff Writer
With less than two weeks to go before Election Day, Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold is appealing to county voters to approve zoning awarded by the county for a slots casino at the Arundel Mills mall.
A vote “yes” on the Question A referendum would allow the casino planned by Baltimore developer David Cordish to go forward. According to projections, analysts say the casino’s tax revenue could generate an estimated $30 million in direct aid to Anne Arundel County that pays for police, fire, schools and infrastructure in the area around the Mills.
Once fully operating, the casino is projected generate an estimated $400 million annually for the Maryland Education Trust Fund, which is dedicated to school construction.
“This funding generated by Question A is critical to repair, expand and replace our aging schools, and provide improvements in classroom instruction,” Leopold said. “If Question A fails, it is highly unlikely that our county will ever benefit from this revenue.”
Leopold is scheduled to appear Friday morning with teachers, police and firefighters at a press conference at Northeast High School in Pasadena.
A group opposing the development includes the Maryland Jockey Club, which runs nearby Laurel Park. The jockey club has said the casino would kill business at the racetrack.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/capital-land/2010/10/county-executive-teachers-rally-arundel-casino#ixzz16jTqZ6qE