RICHMOND – A bill establishing a commission to oversee regional disbursement of revenue from the Petersburg casino is already drawing heat from local leaders, with one Petersburg councilor suggesting companion legislation that would require adjacent localities to share services, such as law enforcement and social services, with Petersburg.
Legislation dropped in the House of Delegates Jan. 8 would establish a Tri-Cities Improvement Commission that would assume control of casino-related tax revenue from the host city – in this case, Petersburg. That panel would determine priorities to share the revenue among all localities within a 10-mile radius of Petersburg that have an average annual household income of $81,000 or less. In this instance, that means the cities of Hopewell and Colonial Heights, and the counties of Dinwiddie and Prince George.
House Bill 2232 is sponsored by Del. Mike Cherry, R-Colonial Heights. A spokesperson for Cherry declined to comment Friday morning on the motive for the measure.
Cherry
According to the legislation, disbursements handled by the T-CIC would be divided equally among the five member localities based on the priorities established by the panel.
The term for the commission members would be two years, with the localities appointing their members.
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Not a new idea
There is precedent behind Cherry’s bill.
In southwest Virginia, home to the Hard Rock Casino & Resort in Bristol, a 14-locality revenue-sharing commission oversees disbursements to the cities of Bristol and Norton, and 12 counties – Bland, Buchanan, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe.
Bristol is one of four cities chosen in 2020 to host casino gambling in the commonwealth, alongside Danville, Portsmouth and Norfolk. Richmond also had been chosen, but that city’s voters rejected two separate referendums to allow the casino. Petersburg lobbied for Richmond’s spot, and Petersburg voters overwhelmingly approved the measure last November.
Petersburg’s casino partners, The Cordish Companies of Maryland and Bruce Smith Enterprise of Virginia, say they will break ground on the casino project by spring of this year. Cordish operates the Live! brand of casinos and resorts across the country, including one scheduled to open next month in Louisiana.
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Cherry’s colleagues react to legislation
Cherry’s Republican colleague in the House, Del. Kim Taylor of Dinwiddie County – whose district includes Petersburg – supports the proposal. Through her spokesperson, Taylor said that since the casino is expected to be a regional revenue driver, it was only applicable that the entire region should reap the benefits.
“Establishing this commission ensures that all regional stakeholders, including members of the public, are given agency to ensure that revenue from the casino is equitably distributed amongst the localities. Petersburg has waited a long time for this casino project to get under way, and this commission would ensure that Petersburg has a voice in how the revenue is reinvested back into our community.”
Taylor, one of the original legislative co-sponsors of the casino project since it was launched in 2022, was not asked to back a House version of the bill during the 2024 General Assembly session. Instead, state Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, carried legislation that cleared both legislative chambers.
Aird told The Progress-Index Friday that she was not given advance notice of Cherry’s bill. Cherry had requested a meeting with her this week to reportedly discuss it, but because Richmond’s ongoing water crisis forced the General Assembly to recess until Monday, that meeting never took place.
Of the bill, Aird refrained from making an initial comment, saying she intended to “give it a good read” between now and Monday when legislators return to Richmond.
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Councilor: Want the revenue? Give us something in return
Petersburg city administration has yet to comment on Cherry’s legislation. However, Petersburg Ward 1 Councilor Marlow Jones had plenty to say about it in a couple of Facebook posts.
The first one – an open letter to Taylor, the city’s delegate – Jones said he was “appalled” by the legislation and is not hesitating to oppose it.
“Let’s be clear – the casino’s presence in Petersburg will naturally generate revenue for these localities, which are already fortified with businesses, schools, hotels, and attractions that will undoubtedly profit from the influx of visitors,” Jones wrote. “Yet, this initiative appears to be a deliberate attempt to keep Petersburg shackled in the shadows of prosperity. This is ‘our’ moment, Petersburg!”
In his second post, Jones proposed what he called a “counter bill” that he said “aims to rectify the imbalance created by HB 2232 and to foster a collaborative approach to community development.” His recommendations:
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Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Dinwiddie and Prince George contribute 10 police officers to Petersburg to “enhance our law enforcement capabilities, ensuring safety and security for all residents;”
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The localities would collaborate to provide “a sufficient number of firefighters, along with an additional fire engine” to cover an extra shift for Petersburg’s depleted fire department staff;
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Each locality would share public-works resources with Petersburg “to support infrastructure improvements and repairs that benefit the entire region;”
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Each locality would contribute resources to enhance Petersburg’s school system, including “funding, educational materials, and staff support to ensure equitable access to quality education for our children;” and
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Each locality would collaborate on providing more social services to Petersburg, “addressing the needs of our most vulnerable populations.” That would include funding for programs that support housing, health care, and job training.
“The costs associated with these contributions will either be covered by each locality or divided equitably among all involved,” Jones concluded. “This approach emphasizes shared responsibility for the well-being of our community, fostering unity and collaboration.”
Cherry’s legislation is assumed to be heading to the House General Laws Committee for further vetting.
Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Colonial Heights delegate wants Petersburg to share casino revenue
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