Municipalities Seek $5M From Casino 'Super Grant'
Bristol Township and four neighboring municipalities are attempting to get a collective grant to replace emergency radios.
Bristol Township, along with four other municipalities, will attempt obtain what they call a "Super Grant" from the Parx Casino in order to pay for a federally-mandated transition to new radio bandwidth which may cost the townships a collective $5 million.
Bristol Township Manager Jeff Bartlett announced the plan during a Thursday night Council meeting. Bristol, Middletown Township, Bensalem and two neighboring municipalities are asking for $2.5 million a year for a two-year period in order to pay for the transition.
"This is a great opportunity for all five of these townships to act together to pay for this. Without it. we are looking at a significant line item for the 2011-2012 budget," Bartlett said.
The casino impact grant is mandated by the state and funded by taxes on gambling on tables and slots in the Parx Casino in Bensalem. Any township that neighbors or houses the casino are eligible to apply for a Casino Impact Grant.
This year's casino revenues are expected to yield a $4 million Casino Impact Grant.
Bristol Township is hoping to receive more than $1.7 million from the grant to pay for the new federal guidelines that go in place Jan. 1, 2013. Those federal guidelines require all emergency radio responders to use new channels that take up less bandwidth.
"They are doing this transition and we're not happy about it, but it's something we're stuck with," Bartlett said.
Each township will be responsible for changing over all their stations for police, emergency response units, call centers and fire response teams. Bartlett estimates that each unit costs about $5,000 to replace.
The transition is expected to be costly, and will come directly out of the coffers of each municipality.
"We're lucky to have (the casino impact grant) available, but some townships that aren't as lucky will likely have this on their books for 10 years," Bartlett said.
All five townships have until Sept. 30 to submit their joint application for the Casino Impact Grant.
cindy
3:54 pm on Monday, August 22, 2011
Why should any of the other municipalities get any of this money? It's Bensalem and its residents that have to put up with the additional people, traffic and the numerous problems they bring.
Sam
6:13 pm on Monday, August 22, 2011
I totally agree Cindy. As a Bensalem resident who pays $ 3,300 in taxes that don't even include trash pick up, why should other municipalities benefit from Bensalem sales revenues? The entrance to our development is absolutely riddled with potholes, but the Bensalem casino revenues should help Bristol, Middletown and other areas pay for their expenses?? Let those municipalities open up their own casinos - see how fast they would give Bensalem THEIR revenues. Totally rediculous.
P2YA
12:58 pm on Tuesday, August 23, 2011
The thinking is all surrounding municipalities are impacted by the casino and I think there is validity to that. Bensalem receives quite a few million on its own where other towns must apply for grants. They don't get any money directly without going through the grant process as I understand it. The grant pool was allocated under state law, so it's not like it's taking money away from Bensalem. The radio grant sounds like a good idea to me. New radios would cost tax payers dearly regardless of the town they live in--Bensalem most of all with all the large police force it has. With the money PARX is raking in it makes a lot of sense to seek funding from them. I'd be concerned if Bensalem were not part of the consortium, but since it is I don't see a problem with it at all. There's strength in numbers, and it may get some of the state level politicians behind the initiative if it's more than a single town submitting the proposal.
Brianna Slots
12:04 am on Friday, April 27, 2012
If everyone who thinks they will be impacted by the casinos comes forward to claim their share of the grant, I bet there will be not enough funds to go around. While this is a legitimate case, who is going to stop sites that run free slots from claiming the grant because the casino is directly affecting their business?