The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to oppose a casino being considered for Tysons.
The official proposal has not been put forward yet, but county leaders want to register their opposition now before the legislative session begins on Jan. 14.
The board voted to approve Board Chair Jeff McKay’s letter to the general assembly which expressed deep concerns about the potential impact of establishing a casino. In addition, the board approved an amendment to the county’s legislative package officially opposing a casino.
The vote was 5-4, with Chairman McKay and Supervisors Walter Alcorn, James Bierman, Rodney Lusk and Dalia Palchick voting yes. Pat Herrity, Andres Jimenez, Daniel Storck and Vice Chair Kathy Smith voted no.
An effort to establish a casino in Tysons originated in January in the Virginia Senate, but the House of Delegates pushed pause on the idea. Officials are convinced there will be another effort in the upcoming session.
While proponents of a casino tout the economic benefits and revenue that could be generated, opponents worry about unwelcome elements the casino may attract and how revenue would be distributed.
“Folks have pushed for the Board to simply be either in favor of or against a casino, however, the issue is far more nuanced,” McKay said. “We are not happy that casino proposals are created in a vacuum in Richmond far away from those most impacted.”
“In other jurisdictions where casinos have been authorized localities were part of the conversations from their onset, not during or after legislation was filed. Our Board feels this is backwards — and have felt that way for years,” McKay said.
Alcorn, who represents the Hunter Mill District, which includes Reston, Vienna and parts of Tysons and Herndon, said that the “revenue split is tilted more toward the Commonwealth and less toward local government.”
“The legislation would put a casino right in the middle of our economic engine, which is Tysons, which is really the economic engine for, not just the county, but … the entire Commonwealth,” Alcorn added.
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