MARYSVILLE – After listening to more than an hour of often- impassioned public comment, the City Council voted unanimously Monday night not to lift its moratorium on card rooms or mini-casinos.
Nearly 100 people packed council chambers, mostly to oppose a recommendation to lift the moratorium.
Twenty people spoke, including five who favored the proposal. Council members also received calls, a letter and a petition with 65 signatures opposing ending the moratorium.
The owners of Maxwell’s Restaurant wanted to open a card room in the basement of their building in south Marysville. They estimated the card room would create up to 65 jobs and provide money to build an office building and hotel on other property the family owns.
Residents disputed the idea that a card room would increase city tax revenue. They said any increase would be offset by more costs for police, fire and other services. Some said they would prefer a 1 percent tax increase citywide rather than card rooms.
Council member Jeff Seibert said the card room would have to bring in $10 million for the city to gain $300,000 in taxes.
“I just don’t think that’s appropriate,” he said.
At its meeting last week, two of the city’s economic development committees recommended that the City Council designate areas in the north and south ends of the city where card rooms or mini-casinos would be allowed.
The committees didn’t recommend an area in the north end, but suggested an area between Fourth Street and Ebey Slough and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks and I-5 on the south end.
Maxwell’s Restaurant officials declined to discuss the proposal, saying it was too early to provide details.
The council has discussed the issue several times, and some members said they had seen little public support for card rooms.
A few council members favored creating a committee to study the issue, with representatives who could show the positive and negative effects of a gambling operation.
Some were reluctant to discuss the issue again, given previous public response. And some wanted to hear from local residents and the Tulalip Tribes, which operates a large casino just across I-5 and is remodeling its old casino to reopen this fall.
Reporter Cathy Logg: 425-339-3437 or logg@heraldnet.com.
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