Fairfax County chairman raises concerns over casino proposal

TYSON’S CORNER, Va. (DC News Now) — Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay has a number of concerns surrounding an effort to bring a casino to Fairfax County.

A bill making its way through the statehouse in Richmond would allow Fairfax County to hold a voter referendum, possibly paving the way for a casino complex to be built in Tyson’s Corner. The bill, sponsored by State Senator David Marsden (D), would require the casino to be built near the Silver or Orange Metro lines, and outside of the Capitol Beltway.

The effort originally targeted Reston as a landing spot for the development but was met with resounding opposition from the Reston Citizens Association. It could include a concert venue, a conference center and a casino.

The bill narrowly made it past a General Laws and Technology subcommittee, before cruising through the full committee on Wednesday. Next, it will be presented to the Senate Finance Committee.

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McKay told DC News Now that the proposal’s introduction is a departure from the norm in Virginia. He said that, typically, localities formulate a plan with perspective development partners before seeking authority from the state government. The Fairfax County board was left in the dark about the proposal, he said.

“What happened here is that people in a vacuum worked on a plan and went to Richmond without coordinating with Fairfax County,” he said.

The chairman said that he didn’t see the bill until the day before it was introduced, once it was too late to make any changes.

“None of those groups have come formally, sat down with me and said, ‘Hey, here’s what we’re proposing. This is what our bill looks like. Will Fairfax County engage in conversations with us?’,” he said.

Financially, he doesn’t see the proposal as a boon for the county, despite lagging revenue from vacant office spaces.

“For other jurisdictions that have casinos, the share of revenue that comes back to local governments, roughly 25%. I mean, that’s not a good deal for the people of Fairfax County. If this casino generated $200 million and only $50 million of that came back to Fairfax County, and I was left with all the problems related to a casino? That’s not a good deal for my taxpayers. We’re not in this to be the state’s ATM,” he said.

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Civic groups are voicing concerns over infrastructure and affordability being impacted by such a development. Linda Walsh, president of the McLean Citizens Association, said droves of the organization’s members are concerned that a casino could impact Tyson’s business environment.

“It just doesn’t seem like a good fit for Tyson’s either, which is described as our economic engine. So we’re concerned that our Fortune 500 companies might not find that a casino is exactly who they want as a neighbor,” she said.

Walsh said the association is concerned about a casino bringing crime to the area, potentially overwhelming the county’s first responders.

Meanwhile, other Virginia residents can see the opportunity and potential downfalls of hosting a casino.

“A casino is good for business,” said Dipak Patel, of Reston. “But [the area] will be crowded. It’s already crowded.”

Meanwhile, another person nicknamed ‘Lo’ who works near the Spring Hill Metro Station, said he thinks it’s a great idea for a rapidly changing area.

“Everything is convenient,” he said. “I think the casino is great because it’ll bring a lot of revenue and it’s always good for change.”

If the bill passes, the ultimate decision will be made by Fairfax County voters.

“I think the gut reaction is [a] no-go. I mean, I haven’t had anybody come forward to say, ‘Hey, yeah, we want to do this,'” Walsh said.

McKay and the county legislative committee will review the bill on Friday.

If the bill makes it through the Senate Finance Committee, it will head to the Senate floor for a vote.

Marsden’s office did not respond to DC News Now’s request for comment.

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