A proposal to place a Seneca Nation-owned full casino in the City of Rochester reportedly is on hold.
On Friday, New York Assembly leaders – following a protest in Rochester by unionized gaming workers -- announced that the chamber will not vote on a new 20-year compact between the state and the Seneca Nation despite the Senate’s robust approval of it.
“I believe the Seneca Nation deserves a fair deal. However, the sentiment of the Assembly’s Monroe County delegation, coupled with the potential loss of union jobs, is concerning, and we cannot move forward with a vote on the compact at this time,” said Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie on Twitter.
News of a potential deal to build a casino in Rochester came to light earlier this week, prompting immediate and strong opposition from local government officials, politicians and representatives of Batavia Downs, Hamburg and Finger Lakes gaming facilities.
"The state needs to make sure that they get local input, to make sure they have an economic analysis done relative to siting such a casino in Rochester, period, and we want to make sure we safeguard the jobs that we have at Batavia Downs as well as the money we return to our communities," said Henry Wojtaszek, president and chief executive officer of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp., when contacted this morning.
Assemblyman Steven Hawley made his feelings known on Thursday, stating that the construction of a new casino in the area “would be damaging to the local economy and would jeopardize the more than 400 jobs at Batavia Downs.”
“Local officials and New York lawmakers were also not included in any discussions between the governor and the Seneca Nation,” Hawley added.
In a statement released to the press, Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong Sr. blamed the governor’s office for failing to keep local leaders informed throughout the negotiations.
Calling the Assembly’s decision “despicable,” Armstrong said the Seneca Nation did not impose a non-disclosure agreement despite what Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration had claimed.
A portion of Armstrong’s statement is as follows:
“The blame for keeping Rochester officials out of the loop lays directly at the feet of the Executive. The Executive and the Nation agreed not to negotiate through the press or in public, but contrary to media coverage, the parties never entered into a Non-Disclosure Agreement.
“The Nation regularly consulted our own legislative branch and expected that the Executive was doing the same. The Executive's claim that it was legally barred from communicating with other State officials is simply inaccurate. The Executive was free to communicate with local officials throughout the process on what it was negotiating for and what it agreed to.
“The failure of the Executive to communicate with its own government speaks to the utter disregard the Governor had for this process.”
The state’s gaming compact with the Seneca Nation expires on Dec. 21, leaving the door open for the Senate and Assembly to vote on a revised agreement.
