MGM Casino's promised funds not reaching local communities, officials say
The MGM Lion statue, outside of MGM National Harbor, in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, December 8, 2016 (Photo by Cheriss May/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Residents in a Prince George’s County community say they’ve been denied proper access to funds promised to them nearly a decade ago with the opening of MGM National Harbor Casino.
Now, one county councilman is pushing for change.
The backstory:
It’s been almost ten years since MGM National Harbor Casino opened its doors in Prince George’s County. As part of its original sales pitch, the casino promised to provide a pool of money called "impact funds" to the communities closest to the casino, within a six-mile radius.
The money was supposed to be allocated to improve the lives of local residents, but many say they’re still waiting for the promised funds to be distributed correctly.
What they're saying:
Patricia Monroe, president of the South Lawn Citizens Association, said the funds should be used for their intended purpose.
"Use the funds for what they were intended to be used for," she said. "A lot of people don’t even know this money was set aside for the impact area."
Monique Taylor, president of the Camp Spring Civic Association, also expressed concern.
"Especially in the climate that we're in right now, people need this more than ever, because the federal government's trying to cut programs for those in need."
While MGM has been distributing a portion of its revenue to the county government every year, the funds have not been allocated as promised.
The other side:
According to Prince George’s County Council Vice Chair Edward Burroughs, the county government has used the funds for basic services rather than additional resources for the surrounding district.
"The county government has taken our property tax dollars, placed them in other parts of the county, and used this fund that was supposed to be for additional resources to essentially maintain basic government services," Burroughs said. "So in reality, the constituents never saw the additional resources that were promised."
In response, Burroughs has proposed a $9.7 million spending plan to ensure the impact funds are used directly in District 8, the district he represents.
His plan includes funding for senior citizen support, youth employment and development programs, veteran assistance, housing and foreclosure assistance, food security, and more.
The plan was approved by a county council committee yesterday.
FOX 5 reached out to the County Executive’s office for comment but has not received a response. A public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 18, where a final vote on the proposal is expected.
Hundreds of residents are expected to speak out on this issue.
The Source: The information in this story comes from FOX 5 DC reporting and Prince George's County Council Vice Chair Edward Burroughs.