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Argo: In a move one Town Council member called “hairbrained,” Argo Mayor Paul Jennings publicly announced plans to put an electronic bingo gambling operation in the Town Hall building with the Police and Fire departments. The plan was introduced Sept. 21 during a work session on the 2010 budget.
“He proposed moving most of our operations, but not all, out of the current building (and) into the new (municipal) building, which we really can’t afford to occupy, and modifying the existing building to suit the gambling operation,” said Councilman Steve Medori, who has fought against bringing electronic bingo gambling to Argo.
According to him, Jennings said he will work with the town attorney to draft a new electronic bingo gambling ordinance for the Jefferson County portion of Argo (part of the town is in St. Clair County), a move that would bring in $300,000 from bingo operations. Jennings also said rent received from the bingo operator will pay for utilities in the new building.
Medori doubts this. “All we would have in hand while we are moving our entire operation and modifying the building would be a promise from them to pay us at opening day and from that point on,” he said. “What if they don’t last? We’ll be stuck with a modified building or be forced to occupy a building we can’t afford to occupy. … The mayor seems to be in the mode of bending over backwards to get gambling in Argo to the extent that he is even willing to move out of city hall and let them move in.”
Medori said Jennings’ plan makes the town appear to endorse gambling.
“[The building] will say (something like) Argo Fire Department Charity Bingo, and the bingo patrons will be shoulder to shoulder with people who have Fire and Police Department business,” Medori said. “It’s the worst image I could imagine and that’s what he’s proposed.”
He added that at least three other council members showed support for the mayor’s plan. “Instead of selling their souls for $1 million (the original annual fee required of bingo operators), now they are selling their souls for $300,000,” Medori said. “I wish the mayor would have spent his time and the town’s resources attracting new, legitimate businesses instead of pushing gambling since almost the day he took office. … He sings that same tune of imminent financial collapse, but we still haven’t laid anybody off and we haven’t gone bankrupt.”
Jennings reported in late August that electronic bingo gambling is a solution to solving Argo’s debt crisis. “We have got to make some stiff decisions,” he said. “I’m going to do what’s best for the town. … We do have someone here that wants to put a legal form of bingo here, and I think we’re a fool for not taking advantage of a business decision.”
Medori anticipates the new ordinance will be read at the Oct. 5 council meeting.
Tarrant: Since Tarrant passed its electronic bingo gambling ordinance Sept. 1, Mayor Loxcil Tuck said a few groups have picked up bingo permit applications.
One group called Community Network Association “based in Hoover” turned in an incomplete application and the required $15,000 permit fee. According to Tuck, the group’s application was returned and its check has not been deposited since some principals who will be involved in the electronic bingo gambling operation did not sign the authorization for the criminal background check as required by the city ordinance.
“The next step after they bring the application back is to give it to the Police Department to do a background check on all involved in the operation,” Tuck said. “If it comes back good, we’ll issue the permit. If it doesn’t, the owner of the property will have to find another charity.”
Community Network Association has been confirmed to be a branch of a group with the same name in Tuscaloosa and is currently working with Kimberly Town Council members on an ordinance allowing electronic bingo gambling there.
According to Tuck, the proposed electronic bingo gambling facility in Tarrant will be located in a former skating rink “fairly close” to City Hall and owned by Howard Schultz, who also owns the Horse Pens 40 nature park in Steele.
Tuck said she believes Tarrant’s operations will not be affected by Jefferson County’s new bingo rules.
“I don’t think the Jefferson County ordinance can overrule a municipality. … They sent me a copy of their ordinance, but I think if we went to court, ours would hold up in court because we drafted it under the state law,” Tuck said.
Previously a representative of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported that operations within a county municipality violating the county regulations would be subject to permit revocation and actions by the district attorney’s office.
Birmingham: Birmingham City Council members again delayed deciding whether to issue electronic bingo gambling permits during its Sept. 22 council meeting. At press time, council members were expected to address several previously delayed bingo permit applications at the Sept. 29 council meeting. The council was advised by the city attorney that it could vote the permit requests “up or down” or “revoke” the ordinance it recently passed allowing electronic bingo gambling in the city.
Fairfield: The Fairfield City Council passed an electronic bingo gambling ordinance in July, and Sept. 21, it voted to limit the number of bingo facilities to seven to keep Fairfield from becoming a “little Las Vegas.” About 10 groups have applied for licenses, but only three were in operation at press time, according to city clerk Otis Smith.
Etowah County: CBS Supply, the company attempting to bring electronic bingo gambling to Etowah County, recently announced plans to build a $200 million charitable bingo development in the area, according to The Gadsden Times. Company representatives told the Etowah County Tourism Board the project would include restaurants, a hotel and an entertainment venue and would attract 3.3 million visitors yearly.
District Attorney Jimmie Harp told The Alabama Baptist the presentation was nothing more than a “dog-and-pony” show for the newly established tourism board. CBS has already signed an agreement with the county for the development, which sparked a legal battle over the legality of the proposed bingo machines.
A Sept. 15 hearing in the court case was rescheduled because CBS brought machines for the court’s review that did not meet the standards required by the County Commission’s ordinance. “The County Commission hired a company called GLI out of New Jersey to craft a set of technical standards that the machines would have to meet in order to do business in Etowah County,” Harp said. “Even under the standards, we believe they are still slot machines.”
Harp expected another hearing to be set soon.
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