As supporters and opponents of a proposed $325 million casino near Slidell, Louisiana intensify their efforts, the mayors of Slidell and Mandeville announced they’ll vote “no” in a November 13 referendum to allow Los Angeles-based Peninsula Pacific Entertainment to develop the facility. St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith, Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal and the Slidell City Council also oppose the casino.
In a letter addressed “To the Citizens of Our Community”, Slidell Mayor Greg Cromer wrote he is asked nearly every day where he stands on the issue. “My answer is that I will be voting NO on the casino referendum.” He said he had read numerous studies and reports, both pro and con, about the casino’s fiscal impact, and also had been listening to opinion. The Slidell city council recently voted to allocate $25,000 for an economic impact study on the proposed casino.
Mandeville Mayor Clay Madden stated as mayor of the city and lifelong St. Tammany Parish resident he is “firmly against” a casino in the parish. “I do not think it is consistent with the beautiful north shore’s quality of life. While I respect the rights of all residents to vote, my family and I will be NO votes on this matter.”
Developer Peninsula Pacific Entertainment recently pledged, if the referendum passes, it would pay at once the entire $35 million it had promised for a sports complex in eastern St. Tammany Parish instead of spreading the payment out over several years. P2E Chief Executive Officer Brent Stevens, in a letter to Cromer, wrote, “Our goal is to demonstrate our commitment to being a strong community partner. We also want to remove any uncertainty about the longevity of funding for this project.” Cromer said the letter didn’t change his mind.
P2E spokesman Jason Harbison said, “Mayor Cromer’s flip-flopping on this issue should have everyone scratching their heads. The mayor welcomed us with open arms. He toured us around the city and recommended locations both within the city limits and around eastern St. Tammany. Mayor Cromer actively recruited legislative leaders to sponsor and pass the required legislation. This project would not have advanced without his support.”
Cromer acknowledged showing developers possible casino sites but he said they already knew where they wanted it to be located. He noted casinos do well in depressed economies with high unemployment, but if those conditions don’t exist, casinos compete with other businesses for employees and end up drawing workers from outside the area who take their paychecks back to their communities. “Our businesses are up in arms about it in a big way, the impact it would have on them,” Cromer said.
Meanwhile, a lawsuit seeks to stop the referendum from happening at all, citing alleged violations of the state constitution, parish zoning rules and other issues.
In June, Covington lawyer Charles Branton and Slidell pastor John Raymond filed a pair of lawsuits in an unsuccessful effort to prevent the vote. Since then, the suits were consolidated and an amended petition was filed in state District Court in St. Tammany Parish. The suit is scheduled to be heard in 22nd Judicial District Judge John Keller’s court on October 7-8.
The plaintiffs argue that Act 362, the measure adopted by the legislature to allow the referendum, violates Louisiana’s constitution because it asks voters to approve a casino in a specific location. Casino opponents have long argued that St. Tammany voters, who voted against gambling in 1996, initially should have been asked if they wanted to allow gambling anywhere in the parish. The lawsuit makes the same claim, stating the referendum is a denial of equal protection of east St. Tammany residents because gambling would be allowed there but would remain illegal elsewhere in the parish.
The suit also alleges the legislature usurped the parish government’s authority over land use because it designates the casino location. Plaintiffs said no rezoning has been brought before the parish Planning and Zoning Commission and no land in St. Tammany currently is zoned for riverboat gambling.
Another issue is an amended parish code, adopted in 2017, requires a minimum distance of one mile from the casino to any church, school, library or public playground. The St. Tammany Fishing Pier is located less than a mile of the site, the suit says, noting, “Not all playgrounds are made of swing sets and slides.”
Also, the lawsuit states the riverboat gambling license P2E wants to move from Bossier City to St. Tammany Parish is not transferable and must be placed on the open market for all bidders. Louisiana Riverboat Gaming Partnership, which holds the license, filed a petition to intervene in the suit last month, arguing it has a right to protect its interest.
Responding to the lawsuit, Harbison said the proposed casino has strong support across the parish. He said, “That’s why opponents are using unfounded lawsuits and deception to stop their neighbors from voting on this economic development opportunity. We look forward to our day in court and, more importantly, election day, when the voters will have the chance to vote yes.”
