ALBANY – The Town of Thompson
and Sullivan County will each receive $2.55 million for their roles as
the Montreign Resort Casino host town and county. The money, from casino
licensing fees, is part of $10.2 million being divvied up between counties
in the Catskills/Hudson Valley region.
Thompson Supervisor William Reiber knows what he would like to do with
the town’s chunk of money, including maintaining the tax rate, assessing
infrastructure and equipment, upgrading roads, and assessing efficiency
at town hall by digitizing records.
Long term, the supervisor has a goal of putting the town’s best foot forward.
“I want to look at the aesthetic beautify of the Town of Thompson and to make improvements to the corridor properties, intersections, and highway exits so that when we start getting four million visitors a year, that we make a good impression,” Reiber said. “We only get one shot at making a good first impression.
Based on the legislation, Columbia County will receive $317,631; Delaware County will receive $241,536; Dutchess County will receive just under $1.5 million; Green County will get $247,783; Orange County will receive just under $1.9 million and Ulster County will get $918,687.
Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus said the funds will allow the county to “begin realizing the long anticipated benefits of casino gaming in the Catskills.”
The payouts are one portion of the $151 million in commercial casino license fees that are being distributed across the state, 80 percent of which will be applied statewide for school aid/property tax relief; 10 percent split between host municipalities and the county; and 10 percent to counties in the regions established by the law based on population.
The total distributed around the state is $30.2 million and that is “proof positive that the nearly 40 years of work that went into getting gaming in New York were well worth it,” said Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther (D-Forestburgh). “As we continue to rebuild our economy, this funding is welcome relief, and I am proud to have worked for over a decade to ensure the communities I represent get the support they need.”
Senator John Bonacic (R, Mt. Hope) said even before the casino is built, it is “paying dividends.” He said he knew the casino “would help our local governments economically.”
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