Berlin Prepares Slots Revenue Spending Plan
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BERLIN – Municipal officials discussed plans for the town’s casino revenue at a meeting this week.
On Monday, the Berlin Town Council reiterated a commitment to using the municipality’s annual share of casino revenue to help pay for LEOPS (Law Enforcement Officers Pension System). The town has been asked by the Local Development Council, however, to submit a multi-year plan outlining future use of the funds.
“We’ve been advised to provide a new intent of future spending,” said Natalie Saleh, the town’s finance director.
Mayor Zack Tyndall said the town had submitted its annual casino revenue spending report but had been asked by the Local Development Council (LDC), the board that reviews jurisdictions’ use of casino revenue, for a new multi-year spending plan. The town’s previous plan showed that it was allocating annual funding to cover the cost of the new Berlin police station, which is now paid off.
“The intent of the multi-year spending plan is basically to allocate future funds for a specific purpose,” Saleh said.
While Berlin officials previously decied to use $366,000 of this year’s casino revenue for LEOPS, Saleh said the LDC wanted future use laid out in a multi-year plan.
“I think we should work with them,” Councilman Jack Orris said.
Councilman Steve Green said he understood the concerns the LDC chair previously shared regarding spending casino revenue on LEOPS. He said he’d like to see the town pursue a phased approach, funding LEOPS entirely with casino revenue the first year and gradually decreasing the amount.
“I think it would be consistent of us to realize that LEOPS is at some point going to become a general fund expense,” he said, adding that casino revenues also appeared to be declining.
Councilman Jay Knerr agreed and said he’d proposed other potential uses for casino revenue earlier this year.
Councilman Dean Burrell said the town could even potentially use casino revenue to support the fire company, as that was public safety as well.
Tyndall said the town couldn’t decrease the amount of casino revenue funding LEOPS until it found additional funding elsewhere.
“I think we’re looking at this a little backwards,” he said.
Tyndall said he’d present the council with a draft multi-year plan outlining the town’s intention of paying for LEOPS with casino revenue at the next meeting.
“The first meeting in October we can have something that looks like a multi-year plan that this group can say yes or no to,” Tyndall said.
