MASSENA — It has been three years since the city of Massena received compact funds for casino games, just as COVID-19 began to impact revenues at the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort. When they will start flowing again is still up in the air.
During Wednesday’s Massena Town Board meeting, Councilman Thomas C. Miller told St. Lawrence County Legislature Rita E. Curran, R-Massena, that the town relies on those funds. Ms. Curran represents District 15, which includes the city and village of Massena.
“We need compact money. Where are we?” he asked.
“We’ve been trying to find that out since the last quarter of 2019,” said Ms Curran. “The people who pay the compact money seem to stick with it to try and have other negotiations, and we are kind of in the middle of that. Negotiations are ongoing with those parties. There aren’t many details I could give you.’
She said District Attorney Stephen D. Button could contact Mr. Miller and City Attorney Eric J. Gustafson to “provide additional information that he believes he could disclose.”
The compact revenue is generated by money spent at the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort, 873 Route 37, Hogansburg.
As part of an agreement with the state, the St. Regis Mohawk tribe is believed to provide 25% of the net profits from its slot machines to the state on a regular basis. The state distributes 25% of the discount, of which 12.5% goes to St. Lawrence County and 12.5% to Franklin County. Each of those counties in turn retains 50% of its funds and distributes the remaining half to the towns of Brasher and Massena in St. Lawrence County and the towns of Bombay and Fort Covington in Franklin County.
According to bookkeeper Brenda Mossow, the city of Massena has budgeted about $600,000 in compact gaming funds annually.
“Sometimes you might be a little overdone,” she said.
Ms Curran said the county is in the same limbo as the city.
“It’s not like we got paid and didn’t pay you,” she said.
“But you’re above us,” said Mr. Miller. “So it really has to be a push from you to make sure the state feels the pressure and pressures them to get us compact money. I just hope that is done.”
Ms. Curran said they had “a bevy of lawmakers” involved in the discussions, including Anthony J. Arquiett, who represents the city of Brasher.
“I know him well enough to know that he pressures people to get answers,” said Mrs. Curran. “They’re just using this as a bargaining tactic and faltering, hoping that if they go long enough I think someone might say to them, ‘Well, you know, can you at least pay us from 2021 or something?’ I do not know.”
She said she would instruct Mr Button to contact the city to provide more information.
“We appreciate you continuing to push this. We still need that money badly, Mr. Miller said.
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