The city council of Elk Grove, California in Sacramento County recently voted unanimously to approve a development agreement with the Wilton Rancheria to build a 0 million casino along Highway 99. More than 40 speakers voiced their opinions about the proposed development. Ultimately, Mayor Gary Davis stated, “The bottom line is that if the federal government says yes to the tribe, this project will happen. I respect the sovereignty of the tribe. They have a legal right to do what they are doing.” Wilton Rancheria Chairman Raymond C. Hitchcock declared the 700-member tribe’s casino would be an economic catalyst for Elk Grove, creating more than 1,750 full-time jobs.
The tribe has pledged to pay the community $132 million over 20 years to counter the project’s impacts, plus continuing payments after that as well as adjustments for inflation.
The proposed resort would feature a casino, a 12-story, 302-room hotel, restaurants and bars, a convention center and entertainment facility, next to a shopping mall that was started but not completed due to the recession. Hitchcock said if the project becomes a reality, the Sacramento region “will be getting a first-class luxury resort with hotels, pool and spas, shows and high-end restaurants.”
The new gambling facility would compete with one of California’s most lucrative tribal casinos, the Thunder Valley Casino Resort off Highway 65 near Lincoln.
The casino site received a qualified endorsement from Brandon Rose, president of the Environmental Council of Sacramento. “We felt the Elk Grove location would be the best location to put a large development, if you have to put this project somewhere. We’re hoping the Wilton Rancheria will join us in protecting wildlife habit in their ancestral area.”
Patty Johnson, a retired teacher and longtime Elk Grove resident, stated it seemed as though the city was forcing a massive gambling development upon the community. “Elk Grove has been very marketable over the years because of its schools, parks and small-town atmosphere. This is our brand. The casino damages our brand. This is not how democracy is supposed to function. We don’t want this casino. We are not a place where people come to throw away money they cannot afford to lose,” she said.
Before the development can move forward, the Wilton tribe must work out a gaming compact with Governor Jerry Brown or a future governor and also obtain approval from the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Indian Gaming Commission to have the land put into federal trust—a process that could take up to five years.
