Middleboro asks if Wampanoags will honor casino deal
After weeks of reports that the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe may be seeking a new location to build their casino, selectmen are sending a letter to the tribe to ask if they plan to honor their intergovernmental agreement with Middleboro to construct a casino resort in town.
The letter comes following an admission in January by Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council Chairman Cedric Cromwell that he met with the mayor of Fall River. Though neither confirmed what was discussed, selectmen fear the tribe may be looking to locate the casino elsewhere.
The letter to Cromwell begins, “As you know, there have been a number of news articles in recent weeks reporting that the Tribe has been exploring sites for its resort project outside the Town of Middleborough with the apparent intention of terminating its relationship with the Town.”
The letter further says that the town has followed the terms of the agreement
“At the outset, we want to emphasize that the town has fully performed everything required of it by the Intergovernmental Agreement, including years of aggressive infrastructure planning to accommodate the resort project. ...”
While the federal government has yet to place the Middleboro Mashpee Wampanoag land into trust, the first step toward building a casino on the land, selectmen said “there really is no doubt that your project will secure the necessary federal approvals.”
Selectman Stephen J. McKinnon was the lone selectmen who voted against sending the letter.
“I think there are some things we should ask for now. This town went out on a limb and really jumped through hoops to push this IGA through,” he said. “I have issues with the fact that we have a contract with people and they are running around and seem to be shopping another location.”
McKinnon thought the IGA should specify a completion date for the casino and a provision that the contract would be voided if the deadline is not met. He also felt the $7 million the town is contracted annually to receive once the casino opens should include an inflationary adjustment.
Selectmen Alfred P. Rullo Jr. said the contract can’t be renegotiated as per the ruling of town counsel.
Selectmen Chairman Patrick Rogers said selectmen will revisit the issue in mid-March once they have a full board. Selectman Vice-Chairwoman Marsha L. Brunelle did not attend the meeting.
In July 2007, 3,700 townspeople attended an outdoor town meeting and overwhelmingly voted to approve the 21 page agreement, which paved the way to build the $1 billion resort casino.
The Enterprise