TYSONS, VA — Supporters and opponents of the Tysons casino bill are organizing ahead of another attempt to bring a casino to Fairfax County when the Virginia General Assembly session convenes in January.
Last week, Virginia Sen. Dave Marsden (D-Burke) told Patch he intends to reintroduce his casino referendum legislation after the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee voted in February to hold it over for the 2025 legislative session.
At the same time, the anti-casino group No Fairfax Casino has scheduled a community forum for Sunday, Oct. 27, at McLean High School. State Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D-Herndon), who is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, will be the guest speaker. More information about the forum is available online.
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Comstock Holding Companies, the Reston-based developer behind the effort to build a casino on Metro’s Silver Line, recently completed a focus group study, according to Marsden. Feedback from the study will inform questions on a survey Comstock plans to conduct later this month.
Related: Tysons Casino Bill’s Fate Decided By VA Senate Finance Committee
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Initially, Patch reported that Comstock planned to build a casino somewhere on the Silver Line near Reston. However, Marsden later identified Tysons as the place where the developer looked to build a conference center and 6,000-seat music venue, which would be anchored by a casino.
Marsden told Patch he was waiting on input from Senate Finance Chair Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) and committee staff before moving the bill forward. He would also welcome input from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
Two member of the board who represent parts of the Tysons area — Supervisors Walter Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill) and Jimmy Bierman (D-Dranesville) — have voiced strong opposition to a casino.
Marsden dismissed their stance as “not in my backyard” thinking. His stated purpose in pursuing a casino is to help Fairfax County diversify its tax revenue. If the general assembly passes the bill, the full board would decide whether to put a casino referendum on a future ballot.
“You can’t make economic decisions by magisterial district,” Marsden said, adding that he viewed the silence of the remaining board members as tacit approval for his bill.
“My position hasn’t changed,” Board Chair Jeff McKay (D-At-Large) said. “Past statements that I have made on this and the letter that I sent in January to the General Assembly laying out my concerns with the proposal still represent my thoughts.”
In his letter, McKay noted that unlike other jurisdictions in Virginia that were granted the authority to put a casino referendum on a ballot, Fairfax County did not request that authority. He criticized the lack of public input on the bill prior to Marsden introducing it. He also wanted to preserve the county’s ability to plan development, especially around Tysons and along the Silver Line.
“While we understand the Commonwealth’s desire to collect additional state tax revenue from residents of Northern Virginia, we do not believe our residents would accept the revenue share prescribed in current statute and in the pending legislation,” McMay said. “As the law stands today, the Commonwealth would receive over 70 percent of the gaming tax revenue generated by a Fairfax County casino. This is especially relevant given the fact that the location outlined in the bill has the potential to generate significant local tax revenue without a casino.”
Other members of the board of supervisors echoed McKay’s concerned.
“I do not support the current legislation to bring a casino to Fairfax County, but I recognize we need to consider all options to increase County revenues,” Supervisor Dan Storck (D-Mount Vernon), said in an email on Friday. “What has been proposed is a bad deal for Northern Virginia, with only 30 percent of tax revenues coming back to us, similar our usual tax dollars being returned from Richmond.”
“I oppose a casino, any casino on the Silver Line, or anywhere in Fairfax County,” Alcorn said during a Sept. 9 town hall meeting in Reston. “There are others in the room that know this, we got a fight on our hands for the coming year.”
“There are pros and cons to the development of a casino, but any bill but must have a referendum requirement so the residents can decide,” Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) said in an email to Patch.
Regarding the question of revenue, Marsden said that it was just a number that needed to be agreed upon. In addition to diversifying the county’s tax revenue stream, the new conference center, performance venue and casino would bring 3,000 union jobs to the area, supporters said.
Related:
Read all of Patch’s reporting on Comstock Companies’ plan to build a casino on Metro’s Silver Line in Fairfax County at Silver Line Casino.
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