Board opposes casino legislation

By Matthew Bernat
Turley Publications Reporter

STURBRIDGE – With the possibility of casino gaming becoming a reality, selectmen want to be sure their voices are heard in the upcoming debate.
On Monday, board members voted unanimously to send a letter to State Sen. Stephen Brewer (D-Barre) opposing the recent house legislation in support of casinos, which saw no public comment period.
The two-page letter, composed by Town Administrator Shaun Suhoski on a board directive, listed a number of reasons for selectmen’s opposition.
Among them: Lack of sufficient input from local government; negative social impacts for host and surrounding communities; insufficient mitigation funds; and a failure to assess a resort casino’s impact to local and regional education, housing stock and other factors.
Board members said the letter was an accurate reflection of their reasons for opposing the bill drafted by House legislators.
Selectman Thomas Creamer called the letter “objective” and said he was pleased to see there was no mention of the morality or immorality of gambling.
Selectwoman Mary Blanchard also said the letter was comprehensive. “It encompasses all of our concerns,” she said.
After the vote, board members discussed again sending a representative to the Western Massachusetts Casino Task Force monthly meetings. The last member of the board to attend was former Selectman Steven Halterman, whose last visit was about two years ago.
After discussion, selectmen decided to name Chairman Edward “Ted” Goodwin as the primary representative with the understanding that all board members would be asked to attend at some point on a rotating basis.