Artichoke Joe’s card club in San Bruno, California has agreed to make annual payments of $900,000 to the city in return for not having a tax hike. The agreement was signed off on by the city council two weeks ago. A tax hike would have required a vote of the people.
Last year the council contemplated raising taxes on the casino. This resulted in negotiations for the annual payment instead—which comes in addition to the $2.3 million the casino is estimated to owe this year. The casino, which has 43 card tables, has operated in San Bruno since 1916. It is one of the highest-grossing casinos in the Golden State.
Vice Mayor Linda Mason, who led the discussion of the alternative payment, commented, “I want to thank Artichoke Joe’s for coming to the table, I want to thank the council members who supported this initiative that’s now resulting in nearly a million dollars to our city every year.”
The city needs to raise funds to cover infrastructure needs and also faces a budget deficit in coming years.
