Tulare Co. Dips in Casino Pot Again: County to Get $328,000 More in State Indian Gaming Impact Money.
Posted on: Monday, 3 April 2006, 09:00 CDT
By Sarah Jimenez, The Fresno Bee, Calif.
Apr. 3--Tulare County received a large boost in Indian gaming money last week for public safety, recreation and transportation projects.
The county was already counting on about $490,000 from a pot of $30 million available statewide under a law requiring Indian tribes provide grants to mitigate the effect of casinos on local governments.
Tulare County received an additional $328,000 Tuesday after Gov. Schwarzenegger signed a bill allocating an additional $20 million statewide.
That bill appropriates additional funds from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund and enhances reporting requirements by counties -- something the governor had requested.
Tulare County is one of about a dozen California counties that receive money from the fund.
The county is home to Eagle Mountain Casino, east of Porterville, operated by the Tule River Indian Reservation.
The Tulare County Indian Gaming Local Benefit Committee is scheduled to award the $490,000 Thursday, said county spokesman Eric Coyne.
A disbursement timeline for funds under the latest bill is unclear, he said.
Coyne said the additional funds were a "pleasant surprise, but not out of the blue." County supervisors had recently lobbied for more Indian gaming money.
"We have a tremendous amount of need. These dollars will go a long way in meeting those needs," he said.
Previous Tulare County projects supported by the funds include a hook-and-ladder truck for the Porterville Fire Department and a communications tower for the Tulare County Sheriff's Department.
Priority is given to projects that address public safety, emergency medical services, recreation and transportation, Coyne said. State funds are allocated based on how many slot machines are in a county.
"Your grant awards are supposed to have a direct connection to the impact of Indian gaming," he said.
In a statement Tuesday, the governor said he remains concerned about how funds are being used, but signed the bill because of the "immediate direct benefit" it provides local communities.
Schwarzenegger went on to say he looked forward to the "enhanced reporting requirements ... along with an upcoming audit by the state auditor" to ensure funds are appropriately used.
District 5 Supervisor Jim Maples, who also sits on the Indian Gaming Local Benefit Committee, said the county was pleased to hear about the additional funds approved last week.
"A lot of good things have happened that would not have happened before," he said.
The reporter can be reached at sjimenez@fresnobee.com or (559) 622-2413.
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Copyright (c) 2006, The Fresno Bee, Calif.
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Source: The Fresno Bee
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