Arundel Mills Vote Scheduled for December 7th
Sunday, November 29th, 2009December 7th is the day Arundel Mills mall will know whether or not they can open a slots casino. Mall officials and voters both approved the move via a referendum earlier this year. Though they have been vocal about their feelings on the casino, County Council members have not. They have for the most part been tight-lipped about the issue. That has brought a lot of problems for them because everyone wants to know what decisions may be made on the 7th.
Ron Dillon, councilman, has been the only official who has come out with support for the casino. And Jamie Benoit, also a councilman, has voice his opinion against it. Despite those two opinions, there has been little else divulged by the council and that is making things difficult to gauge. The December 7th meeting will be held to face the issue, but much of the meeting is already scheduled for a revolving door of council members. Councilwoman Cathy Vitale will turn over the gavel to Councilman Ed Middlebrooks, who promised to call for a vote on this issue. Councilman Josh Cohen is resigning on December 6th as he moves to his new position as Annapolis Mayor. Trish Johnson is filling in for Ed Reilly because he left to fill a Senate Seat vacated by Senator Janet Greenip.
When the vote is called the question on everyone’s mind will be: Should the zoning laws change to allow Cordish Company to build the casino at Arundel Mills mall? Industry insiders are predicting that the city council will grant Cordish the license. There are various reasons the move could prove beneficial to the city. One is the added revenue that would be brought into the economy. Another is the job creation issue. The city is looking for creating a substantial number of jobs because of the overwhelming unemployment rate of the area. The recession took its toll on the community. December 7th is the date when the vote will take place and many parties are personally invested in the outcome. Only time will tell whether or not the community will benefit from a casino facility.
