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We have a deal 7/20/2007 Tony Lawrence
I was just told that we have reached a deal with with the Wampanoags. Of course it needs town meeting approval, but it looks very, very good.
Early details are at http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/07/middleborough_w.html:
The agreement, negotiated in all-day sessions over the last five days by representatives of the town Board of Selectmen and their lawyers, adds two new provisions. The first is an escalator clause giving the town a 3.1 percent annual increase. The second is a 4 percent lodging tax on the development's planned 1,500-room hotel, which the tribal and town negotiators project to equal $4 million.
That 3.1 percent escalator is actually the minimum increase (if the CPI is higher, we get that instead) and applies to the $7 million a year base payment. Additionally, I have been told that we get two new cruisers, two new ambulances, plus $2 million for training additional police and fire personnel. It supposedly also includes a meals tax and a small percentage (1%) of gambling revenues, but I don't know that for sure yet. There is $250 million in infrastructure upgrades..
Opponents will of course say this is nothing. It's a heck of a lot more than nothing, and tremendously more than the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun towns get.
No, it's not the solution to every problem Middleboro has, but it's a start, and could very well be the seed that draws more business to this town. For example, the shopping center that Saxon Partners once wanted to build on Rte 44 but canceled because Rte 44 is too problematic can now be built. A local college may open a training college for Hospitality Workers here in Middleboro. Cirelli Foods hopes to be a supplier for the resort and will certainly expand to meet that need. There are myriad other possibilities: this resort can be the nucleus for tremendous economic growth in Middleboro. Taxes will be stabilized, our costs for gas and electricity will go down, there will be more jobs.. it all mushrooms from this.
Is it all wine and roses? Of course not: there's lots of hard work ahead. But it can be a great beginning.
Send comments and new posts to tony@aplawrence.com
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