Committee On Finance Places Host Community Agreement Discussion On Hold

The City Council's Committee on Finance was scheduled to discuss the Host Community Agreement between Mayor Jon Mitchell and KG Urban Enterprises regarding a potential waterfront casino, but committee chairman and Ward Six Councilor Joe Lopes withdrew the item from the agenda.

"I didn't want my personal issues with the Host Community Agreement, as it was being structured, to bias how the voters of New Bedford will do when they go to the polls on June 23rd," Lopes said after the meeting.

The motion will be moved to the Committee on Finance's June 24th meeting, the day after the casino referendum.

Lopes doesn't have any issue with the agreement bringing a casino into the city, but is concerned about the $4.5 million going straight to the Mayor's Office without any control by the City Council.

The Ward Six councilor also says he expects the casino campaigns to pick up over the next few weeks.

"It'll be the responsibility of [Mayor Jon Mitchell's] administration and KG Urban to present their reasoning why the voters should support it."

Anti-gaming groups will also have the opportunity to sway voters to oppose a possible casino.

A public informational forum will be held at the Zeitarian Theater on June 10th to inform residents about what a casino will mean for them as well as business owners.

The city is also organizing forums for June 4th at Roosevelt Middle School, and June 17th at Normandin Middle School.