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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | November 13, 2020 01:41 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Robert E. Merski |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Permit Erie County to Use Table Games Revenue for Blight Remediation |
| In 2010, the General Assembly passed a bipartisan bill to expand table games in Pennsylvania casinos and help bolster state and local revenues. In my home district in Erie, local revenues were earmarked to help pay for a new community college—so long as the college was built within 5 years. Over a decade later without a community college in sight, all local table game revenue is now restricted to a little-used municipal lending program. Meanwhile, Erie lacks the funding it needs to adequately and effectively address blight conditions in the county. For this reason, I am introducing legislation which would allow the Erie County Redevelopment Authority to use local table gaming revenues from the Presque Isle Downs Casino for blight reduction and remediation in addition to the municipal lending program. As this unused money is already being assessed and collected at a local level, this is a perfect opportunity to connect an unused revenue source with the present community funding needs, rather than increasing tax burdens. The people of Erie deserve to be able to use this money in a way that benefits our communities in a meaningful way. Please support the revitalization of our neighborhoods by co-sponsoring this common-sense legislation. |