Just days after Tioga County legislators gave their unanimous approval for a casino license being awarded to Tioga Downs, legislators in Broome County are considering a resolution to support a casino within their own county, rather than the location in Nichols. The Broome legislature’s five-member Administration Committee is expected to vote on the resolution, and if it passes it would advance to the full Broome County Legislature on January 23rd. On Tuesday, Tioga County passed their resolution by a vote of 9-0. On Monday, Chemung County Legislature passed a similar resolution supporting Tioga Downs 13-0. The host county of whichever location receives the casino license would receive an estimated $6.4 million in local government aid each year. For Tioga County, that number drops to under $665,000 if the license goes to another county. Broome would receive $2.6 million in aid without the license. One of the main purposes of the resolutions is to show community support, one of the criteria the state says it will be using when it determines casino locations, along with economic activity and workforce enhancement factors. Counties that are eligible for the Southern Tier’s license include Tioga, Broome, Chemung, Tompkins, Schuyler, Seneca, and Wayne counties.
