Kane County taking exploratory view of video gambling
Kane County and its local communities say the state's move to expand video gambling is a little like giving the answer to a math problem without showing the work. It doesn't mean video gambling is the wrong answer, but they want to go through the proofs first.
The county will form a task force to check those proofs. Many of the incorporated communities within its borders will watch and follow its lead as they decide if video gambling might be the income boost needed during tough economic times.
Communities like Elburn, which has no legal gambling, are starting from scratch. Elburn has three taverns and two restaurants that could, conceivably, install video gambling machines. Village President Dave Anderson said neither he nor those establishments are clear about how to do regulate them.
"The initial legislation is flawed," Anderson said.
How so?
"Rules," Anderson said. "There aren't any."
Kane County's new task force will flush those nuances out a bit more for both itself and local communities. The task force will be headed by county board member Jesse Vazquez, a Democrat from Montgomery with a large segment of unincorporated area in his district. Kane County State's Attorney John Barsanti, Sheriff Pat Perez and board members Drew Frasz of Elburn, John Hoscheit of St. Charles, and Bob Kudlicki of Hampshire will also sit on the task force.
"We'll being doing the job that the state of Illinois failed to do," Kane County Chairman Karen McConnaughay said. "They pushed this through without really evaluating it."
McConnaughay said the task force will evaluate social costs along with the financial costs. How those interests balance out may be an even more difficult task considering the county is trying to avoid finishing in the red for the second straight year.
Forecasts show next year's budget could be even worse. McConnaughay said she's "not an advocate for expansion," but she's not discounting anything just yet. With only about 25 businesses with liquor licenses in unincorporated Kane County now eligible for video gambling machines, McConnaughay also said it is a mistake to bet on whatever revenue the new machines generate to help much.
"I don't think this is ever going to be the savior of all budget decisions," she said.
And yet the lure of any new revenue is hard to resist. Anderson said Elburn officials will discuss the pros and cons at a meeting Monday night. He said he hopes to hear as much input as possible from local residents and businesses about what they want. Anderson is not immediately swayed by the idea of rejecting gambling expansion from a moral standpoint, especially since Kane County has had legal gambling outlets for a long time.
"You can't legislate morality," Anderson said. "The bottom line is none of us object to having somebody else pay our taxes."