Panel to determine casino's impact

Darby Prater
The Enquirer

How will FireKeepers Casino affect the community?

That's the question the newly formed Casino Baseline Study Committee plans to answer, with the help of a research firm hired to study the socioeconomic impact of the casino.

The casino is expected to create at least 1,200 jobs with its projected opening in 2009.

The study will explore the impact of the casino on indicators such as unemployment, crime, divorce, foreclosures and other issues, according to George Erickcek, senior regional analyst for W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, based in Kalamazoo.

"We want to be ahead of the curve as to what changes will happen with regard to the casino coming in," said Greg Purcell, a committee member and Calhoun County administrator/controller. "...It's a double-edged sword. From an economic standpoint, there are going to be good things, but there will be social welfare issues and crime issues as well."

Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Kate Segal, D-Battle Creek, will chair the baseline study committee.

Also on the committee are: commissioners Greg Moore, R-Emmett Township, and Mike Rae, D-Pennfield Township; Emmett Township Supervisor Jim Demarest; Kellogg Community College professor Ron Ivey; Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Tribal Council Chairwoman Laura Spurr or designee; Jan Burland, Battle Creek Unlimited director of corporate projects; and Rita Klavinski, Michigan State University extension director for Calhoun County.

Erickcek said data collected will be compared to other Michigan cities of similar size, with strong manufacturing industries and no casinos. Comparison cities include Jackson, Flint and Muskegon. He said the challenge is keeping the indicators constant.

"For example, take divorce rate," Erickcek said. "If it goes up here, but not in Jackson, Saginaw or Muskegon, we can say that is unique to Calhoun County."

Erickcek said the Upjohn Institute has never done a casino study.

"Upjohn is a well-respected research institute in the community," Segal said. "We're doing our best to make sure we're looking out for the needs of the community. They're hoping there's an economic benefit to it."

The tribe has attempted to bring in a casino since 1999, but was stalled for nearly five years in August 2002 when Citizens Exposing Truth About Casinos, or CETAC, filed a lawsuit, dismissed in July.

An initial study committee was formed several years ago when the casino was still in the proposal stage, Moore said.

"Originally, there was the complaint that every ill of the community would be blamed on the casino," Moore said. "If there are things we find out, it lets us and the tribe deal with those in a methodical, thoughtful way."

Segal said the county hired W.E. Upjohn Institute for $4,000. She explained the study committee is purely advisory, and a three-member allocation committee of a county representative, an Emmett Township representative, and another individual will determine how to allocate the revenues collected through the casino.

The county will receive 2 percent of revenues from electronic gambling machines at FireKeepers.

"We could possibly have up to $2 million coming into the county," Segal said.

That number is based on the casino developers' projection of $100 to $125 million in annual revenues.

Darby Prater can be reached at 966-0589 or dprater@battlecr.gannett.com.

Originally published January 22, 2008
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