Casino public forum raises questions on transparency

Hey Locals,

A week after City Council unexpectedly pulled public comment from its agenda, Allen County Council opted to do the opposite: It held a public forum to give citizens a platform for sharing input on a potential casino project in Fort Wayne/Allen County – even though citizens (and city/county officials) will not technically have a vote on the matter.

As County Council member Paul Lagemann, District 3, told WANE 15: 

“If they take anything away from tonight, it’s that in Allen County, you’re not going to be shut down; you’re not going to be told to sit down and be quiet. People will understand, or hopefully will understand, that in Allen County, we care about what you have to say. So again, either side of the issue, these are big public decisions, and it’s got to be broader than just a few people in the back room. So, that’s what the whole thing here is about.”

And the public showed up. Nearly 300 chairs were set up for Tuesday's meeting at the Memorial Coliseum, and by the time it started at 6 p.m., almost all of them were filled.

Our reporter Rachel Horton was in attendance, and she came away from the meeting ready to share her notebook with us, starting with why citizens don't have a vote on the casino in the first place – and how a red herring might be at hand.

For context, you might remember:

• State legislators will ultimately decide if/how a casino comes to Fort Wayne. This spring, they're considering two bills that could result in a casino here: either creating a new license (House Bill 1038) or relocating one (Senate Bill 70). Both bills are currently in committee, and so far, neither includes a public referendum.
• All other gambling communities in Indiana have passed public referendums. But it's worth noting the casino proposed for New Haven last year also didn't include one – and yet, it ultimately fizzled out in the state legislature due to resident dissent.
• So far, state legislators (and Mayor Sharon Tucker) have cited the threat of a tribal casino opening in Fort Wayne as why they're rushing to bypass the referendum process locally. But there's a lot more that's coming to light about this, thanks to citizen investigations.

Since news broke about Fort Wayne First, a local push led by Greater Fort Wayne Inc. seeking to bring a casino to Fort Wayne, a group called Save Fort Wayne (SaveFW) has formed in opposition to the idea. They describe themselves as an anonymous group of “neighbors, business owners, and faith leaders," and so far, one of their biggest findings has been that a tribal casino is actually a non-issue – and one they argue is being used to "manipulate the community."