Wharton Township sees casino funds as windfall
The Wharton Township supervisors aren’t making any long-term plans for the impact fees they are receiving for hosting the Lady Luck Casino, but they are enjoying the current unexpected windfall.
To date, according to township officials and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, the township has received $336,555 from slot machine revenues and $36,414 from table games, for a total of $372,969 since Lady Luck opened a year ago. An equal amount has been set aside for the Local Share Account for Fayette County though the procedure for drawing down those funds from the state Department of Community and Economic Development has not yet been established according to Al Ambrosini, chairman of the commissioners.
Wharton Township Supervisor Jack Lewis said the township has been receiving funds quarterly, and proceeds from the gaming fund are are not included in the $1,368,235 budget for 2014.
“At the time we did the budget, we had no idea how much money would be coming in,” Lewis said. “So far we’ve kept the money in a separate account so we can keep track of what we spend.”
According to Lewis, the township has used the casino money to purchase a 1998 Caterpillar grader with low miles for $90,000 and put air conditioning in the township meeting room for just under $7,000.
“We’re paving Henning Road. Half will be paid by Nemacolin Woodlands and half by the township. I don’t know the price yet, but it will come from the gaming funds,” Lewis said. “We also planned to make improvements to the Wharton Township Municipal Park.”
Lewis said those improvements include putting in a walking trail and repaving the tennis courts.
Lewis said the township is also helping the Farmington Volunteer Fire Department with engineering costs for an addition to the fire hall.
“We hope this keeps coming in, because it’s a blessing for the township,” Lewis said. “We can’t do a lot of budgeting or planning because this could end tomorrow.”
Lewis said that as long as the gaming revenue keeps coming in, the township will take care of projects that normally would be beyond what could be done without raising taxes. Lewis said the township is being cautious about taking on any long-term debt that it may not to be able to meet if the gaming money decreases or disappears in the future.
“We just hope that the people keep spending the money,” Lewis said.