Eric Stamps created a new political action committee that will oppose the creation of a new casino resort in Danville, Virginia. According to Stamps, a large segment of the population of the city is not being heard.
New Committee Opposes the Creation of a Casino in Virginia
A new political action committee (PAC) was created by a man from Danville, Virginia. The purpose of the PAC will be opposing the proposed project for a new casino by Caesars Entertainment in the city. Eric Stamps created the Local Action PAC earlier this week after filing a request with the Virginia Department of Elections. Approval of the new PAC came on Tuesday this week.
Commenting on the subject, here is what Stamps said on Wednesday: “There’s a large segment of the population that feels like they’re not being heard.” Furthermore, he outlined: “It’s hard for them to compete or have this voice heard against the major corporations.“
One of the concerns which Stamps has with the new casino project in Danville is whether Caesars is going to hire local people for the project or decide to allocate employees from other cities. Furthermore, he questioned the total number of new workplaces that may be created. Another concern which Stamps outlined is about the workers building the casino amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Here, it is important to mention that the new political action committee is yet to establish its budget and funds. However, Stamps vowed that once this happens, the PAC will spend money on raising awareness and support the casino opposition with advertising, signs, flyers, and more.
The Casino Resort Will Bring Tax Revenue and New Workplaces
Earlier this month, state officials and Caesars inked an agreement for the development of the casino in Danville. The step that follows is for residents of the city to vote on the November 3 ballot. If the initiative is approved by Danville residents, Caesars will begin the construction of the $400 million casino resort.
According to the plans for the project, Caesars’ casino resort will feature 300 four-star hotel rooms, as well as a pool and a spa. Furthermore, the new resort will offer a venue for live entertainment with 2,500 seats and a 35,000 square-foot conference center. Upon the start of construction, Caesars estimated that approximately 900 jobs will be created. Once the resort is completed and ready to open in 2023, there will be some 1,300 new jobs created in the city.
If Danville residents approve the casino project in November, by the end of 2020 Caesars would pay $5 million to buy the land at Schoolfield where the resort will be built. An additional $15 million will be paid to the city by the operator within 30 days from the ballot.
Estimates by Caesars predicted that for the first three years of operation, the casino resort will generate some $22 million in state gambling tax to Danville. Another $12 million will be paid by the operator to the city as supplemental payments as well as an additional $4.2 million in other taxes. In other words, over three years, there will be new workplaces in Danville and fresh gambling tax revenue which will boost the city’s coffers.
Caesars Virginia Casino Resort
Upon signing the agreement about the development of the casino with the state officials earlier this month, Caesars outlined that the workforce for the newly created 1,300 workplaces will be hired locally. The company assured that besides hiring locally, it planned to provide extensive training in partnership with the Averett University and Danville Community College.
According to Caesars Entertainment CEO, Tom Reeg the new Caesars Virginia resort will be a “world-class resort”. He outlined that he is confident that residents of Danville will show their enthusiasm by voting “yes” on November’s ballot. Although it is yet to be officially confirmed, the expected hourly wages will likely start at $15 per hour, which makes about $31,000 per year. Furthermore, Caesars is also going to introduce benefits such as health care, 401(k), and more.
Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones deemed the signing of the agreement for the development as “a big step”. “This agreement assures that this project will be of the highest quality, producing good-paying jobs and bringing much-needed revenue to the city,” added the Danville Mayor.