Washington Co. communities benefitting from casino proceeds
John F. Brothers/HeraldStandard.com
Paul Battaglini, chairman of the East Bethlehem Township commissioners, stands among the book shelves in the new addition to the Fredericktown Area Public Library.
The photo below is of the new addition to the Fredericktown Area Public Library.
John F. Brothers/HeraldStandard.com
John F. Brothers/HeraldStandard.com
Library clerk Dorie Meighen works at the circulation desk in the new addition to the Fredericktown Area Public Library.
John F. Brothers/HeraldStandard.com
Karim Scott of Fredericktown works at a computer at the Fredericktown Area Public Library.
The new addition to the Fredericktown Area Public Library
Municipalities throughout Washington County are benefiting from gaming at the Meadows Racetrack and Casino no matter how close or far they are from the casino in North Strabane Township.
Each municipality receives an annual disbursement from the Local Share Account (LSA) of $25,000, plus $10 for each resident. Under that formula, California Borough last year received about $93,000, Centerville Borough received $57,630, and East Bethlehem Township received $48,540.
“We’re not making that money part of the budget, so we don’t become dependent on it,” said California Borough Council President Jon Bittner. “We bought a truck a while back, and we used it for some maintenance items around the borough building.
The money has also gone toward Christmas lights, a shared-bicycle program in the community, benches in the downtown area and some of the beautification work at the veterans memorial and other items.
The communities also may apply for competitive grants for infrastructure, economic development or community improvements.
The other municipalities also view the funds as extra money, separate from balancing the budget. Centerville Borough used last year’s funds to resurface some roads that had been knocked off the regular road project list because of financial restraints. In 2010, the borough donated the money to the Richeyville and Denbo-Vesta 6 fire departments, and using a combination of the 2010 and 2009 allocation, purchased a generator for the borough building, donated to the fire departments and purchased equipment for the road department.
“It’s helped us tremendously. We gave some to the fire departments and some for equipment. We’ve been able to do more roads, we have a full-time police department, and we probably have some of the best equipment around,” said Centerville Borough Council President Patsy Ricciuti.
Ricciuti said that with rising prices for gasoline and asphalt, the borough may need to start using some of the LSA funds for general operating expenses, though he’s hoping that with additional business development in the borough that won’t be necessary. Ricciuti said that while the new Walmart being built on Route 40 is in West Brownsville Borough, some of the out-parcels at that site are in Centerville.
The East Bethlehem Township commissioners have used their LSA funds assisting the East Bethlehem Township Volunteer Fire Department. According to township records, $5,000 from the fund also was used to purchase a used high-lift. Although this year’s proceeds have not yet been distributed, the township already has earmarked them for the library, a truck payment and capital improvements.
“Without the grant money we’ve gotten the past couple of years, we would be in dire need to raise taxes. We need it to pay for equipment and everything,”said Paul Battaglini, chairman of the township commissioners. “We’ve used it for community improvements like the sidewalks. Without it, we’d probably be laying off people right now.”
Battaglini said the township lost $1,700 following the 2010 census, which indicated a loss of 170 residents in the township.
The township also received an $80,000 grant through the LSA’s competitive grant program. That money was used to expand the Fredericktown Area Public Library, Battaglini said.
“This program has been investing back into the community,” said Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan. “Since 2007-08, the LSA has invested over $46.3 million in 158 new economic, community and industrial development projects. However, more impressive is the leverage that we have been able to realize from these investments. In the past five years, we have been able to match our $46.3 million in LSA funds with over $233 million in additional federal, state and local monies.”