County Approves Slots
Council Approves Both Bills, Allows Leopold To Decide
If nothing else, Anne Arundel County Council in ingenious. After stalling for more than a year, the Council has finally cleared the way for a slot parlor to be built near the Arundel Mills Mall. They also paved the way for one to be built near the Laurel Racetrack.
This effectively leaves the decision as to the exact location of the slot parlor to be determined by County Executive John R. Leopold.
With an election coming up in 2010, it seemed no one on the council was willing to take a potentially unpopular stand. So, they did what they do best and deflected the decision on to someone else. It is likely that Leopold will select the Arundel Mills location.
But, this is a giant step in the right direction and it is a decision that should have been made months ago.
Category: Breaking News, Local Politics, NEWS, POLITICAL NEWS
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Now it is up to Executive Leopold to stand up and assert the will of the voters by signing bill 82-09 and vetoing bill 81-09.
Or he can select one location, the other, both or none. Based on his past position, I suggest he will swiftly move forward with Arundel Mills.
Would not surprise me if he went with both locations. The anti slots people will hate him regardless, but if he were to reduce the number of slots (and scope) at Arundel Mills it might appease the Hanover people. If he were to allow Cordish to perhaps put a smaller parlor at Laurel, it would appease the Jockey Club and MD Racing. And if Cordish is successful in bidding for Laurel from Magna, they will have both locations!