The San Diego County Board of Supervisors in Southern California last week approved of a government-to-government memorandum of understanding with the Jamul Indian Village of east San Diego County.
The tribe is nearly ready to open its $400 million Hollywood Casino Jamul-San Diego, which is being built and will be operated by Penn National Gaming. The grand opening is expected this summer.
The 200,000 square foot casino will have 1,700 slot machines, nearly 50 gaming tables, restaurants, bars, lounges and 1,900 spaces of parking.
Jamul Chairman Erica Pinto commented, “The casino and this agreement in particular will provide significant benefits for Jamul and surrounding communities that would otherwise not be available. We are grateful for the Supervisors’ vote today and County staff’s work on the government-to-government negotiations during the past year.”
The agreement commits the tribe to providing nearly $5 million in one-time payments and equipment and $2.75 million annually for fire and safety expenses, including two new fire trucks for a total of $90 million over the next 20 years.
It also calls for $3.7 million for road improvements over and above those included in the California Department of Transportation’s Final Environmental Impact Report, such as more turn lanes and signal lights along State Route 94.
Pinto added, “The community wants and needs the jobs our project is creating. We look forward to becoming an economic development engine in East County for years to come.”
The sole vote against the proposal was by Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who lives in Jamul and has been a long-term opponent of the casino. Several residents of Jamul asked the board to reject the MOU, with one of them calling the three-story casino, “the biggest eyesore in the community.”
Supervisor Ron Roberts told the tribal representatives, “I think you can be a wonderful partner in this community.”
Supervisor Bill Horn said that no matter what the county did that the tribe would get a casino. “They could get up and walk,” he said. “They don’t even need us.”
The tribe signed a compact with the state in 1999, one of the original tribes to do so in California. Penn National began construction in 2014.
