Northwood casino plan one step further

Published 12:00 am Thursday, May 8, 2003

Steve Miller’s gamble on pushing the idea of a casino in Northwood, Iowa is one hand closer to taking the pot.

This week, after collecting the 300 signatures necessary, Miller’s casino idea got the go ahead from the Worth County Board of Supervisors to have a countywide referendum vote on whether or not to have a casino.

“Right now (the board) are validating the petition,” Miller said. “The preliminary date for a vote would be June 24.”

Email newsletter signup

Miller has been lobbying his idea throughout the county for the past few months, presenting at city council, school board, county and other meetings.

He said the casino would give back to the community, both at the school level and the community level.

The schools in the county, both Northwood-Kensett and Manly, would get 10 percent of the net revenue. His other proposal is to give 5 percent of the earnings to cities in the county. That money would be dispersed based upon the populations of each city and town.

“Each town could set up grant committees,” Miller explained. “Each grant committee could divvy out the funding as they see fit. For instance, a community could take 20 percent of their cut and put that toward the city coffers, they could take the rest and use it to set up scholarships, work on community projects, whatever they like.”

Miller’s idea has been received with a great deal of positive feedback, according to both Northwood Mayor Bob Perry and County Board Supervisor Darrell Bang.

“I think it looks like it’s quite a few that are for it, quite a few more for it than against it,” Bang said. “I’m kind of mixed on it, a little apprehensive.”

Bang said those who aren’t sure about the casino are worried about what a casino might do to the county.

“I think there’s always the thoughts about what it might bring into the county as far as crime and drugs,” Bang said. “I don’t know if there would be a whole lot more drugs than there is now, but there is a concern.”

Others have raised concerns about gambling problems.

But Miller feels the positives outweigh the negatives. Citing the amount of tourism a casino would bring into the Worth County area, the amount of revenue it would raise for the schools and the community, and how many jobs it would create.

Miller said the next step casino supporters will be to lobby for a yes vote on the referendum.

If a referendum is to pass, the casino group will need to form a non profit organization. The organization would then find investors and operators for a casino. Miller said there has already been some interest expressed by some possible investors.

Once investors were found, then the state gaming commission would have to grant another license from the state.

Miller said that getting the license won’t be easy, but he has been working closely with the president of the gaming commission, something he hopes will be advantageous.

“I doubt the president of the Iowa gaming association would drive up here to speak if he didn’t think there was a good chance for us,” he said.

“Nothing is a sure bet in gambling,” Miller said. “But everything we’ve been doing has made it definitely viable.”