Electronic bingo is officially in St. Clair County and besides Ashville, who should have 600 machines in use by Friday, two more municipalities are joining the fray to help raise funds. That being said, as of press time Tuesday, the Alabama Supreme Court had yet to make the final ruling on the legality to electronic bingo in the county.

Also on Tuesday, District Attorney Richard Minor and Sheriff Terry Surles’ attorneys filed a separate joint supplement to their emergency stay that would prevent the bingo machines from operating in the county.

The supplement states “Sheriff Surles and DA Minor deem the matter of a stay as a wholly separate issue from the merits of the appeal and the battle over who will represent Sheriff Surles and DA Minor. While there is no harm done in a delay in deciding the merits and representational issues, the harm that is occurring in St. Clair County right now requires the court’s immediate attention. Any further delay in ruling on the motions for stay only exacerbate the harm.”

It goes on to state that Sheriff Surles and DA Minor respectfully request that the Alabama Supreme Court enter a “stay of all of the Circuit Court’s orders and restore the status quo pro ante by directing the American Legion and Shooting Star Appellees to immediately cease operating their illegal gambling operation pending the outcome of this appeal.”

On Monday, the Moody City Council passed an ordinance that would allow for any company that meets the requirements put forth in Circuit Judge Charles Robinson’s March ruling to set up shop off I-20.

Last Tuesday, the Argo City Council laid the foundations for electronic bingo to be brought in as well.

Ashville

Mayor Robert McKay serves as the American Legion Post 170’s adjutant and does not collect pay because of the financial problems the organization had before electronic bingo was allowed. He touted that in the past, the American Legion was able to give millions of dollars to the St. Clair County Schools.

During the court hearing before Judge Robinson earlier this year, McKay testified that the American Legion was losing bingo revenue to surrounding counties that allow the electronic bingo machines.

“We’re doing this for the City of Ashville and the schools in St. Clair County and the rest of it will go to the fire department and other departments,” McKay said of the current electronic bingo setup at the American Legion.

He touted the ability to give back to the communities through bingo revenue.

“They’re always saying that they may have to lay off teachers because of budgets,” McKay said. “But with bingo money coming in, now that will never happen.”

McKay said that it was agreed that 90 percent of the money would go to the schools systems in the county once Shooting Star, LLC, builds a permanent facility off I-59.

“It’s going to create jobs in the communities,” McKay said. He said that the early estimates were that $60,000 would be raised per month at the American Legion Post 170 because of a $100 per machine monthly tax. He said that the proposed 5,000 machines that will be at Shooting Star’s permanent facility would bring in $6 million a year.

“We’re surviving on a $2.2 million budget and struggling to make it,” McKay said of his city. He said that there was a $167,000 deficit last year.

One of the contentions in the court case brought by Sherriff Terry Surles and District Attorney Richard Minor earlier this year, was the ability of the machines to collect the 10-cent per bingo card tax imposed by a state amendment adopted in the late 1980s. “When you put a bill in one of these machines, it automatically takes the dime before your eyes on the display screen,” McKay said.

He said that he regrets the bad blood that has been produced between him and those he called “naysayers” in government offices and churches.

He said of Governor Bob Riley “All of a sudden he’s getting ready to go out of office and you’ve got legal bingo at Wetumpka and legal bingo at Atmore with the Indians and Class 2 bingo. That’s what the government says. You’ve got [Victoryland CEO] Milton McGregor up from 5,000 to 7,000 machines that grew up under the nose of Bob Riley [that are] legal. Greene County is legal and so on.”

He said that he does not intend for Ashville to become another Walker County. “What that sheriff and D.A. did up there is a travesty,” he said. “Ashville adopted an ordinance and we can control what happens through our ordinance. We won’t allow what happened there to happen here. It destroyed that community. We’re not rezoning for anybody who doesn’t meet the legal ramifications of our ordinance.”

He said that after two nights of being open that he already had people come up to him who were glad that they did not have to travel to Walker or Macon Counties to play electronic bingo.

He defended his position on electronic bingo as opposed to that of Sherriff Terry Surles. “I support our sheriff and I think that we have a great sheriff in him,” McKay said. “I think that at first people thought that I was behind the eight ball on this; well, now I think that they are behind the eight ball. They need to understand that this is here and it’s not going anywhere. Would you rather have Etowah and Jefferson County to have it?”

On a noon visit to the facility Monday, there were no fewer than 20 people using the 200 machines.

Two of those gamers were Earl and Edna McClendon of Springville. Edna, who was playing as her husband looked on, said that her only complaint was that the machines weren’t paying out enough. She said that the two- and three-cent payoff didn’t seem like enough, but said that it was “great” that she didn’t have to travel to Walker County to play.

She said that having 90 percent of the money given back to the schools was a positive in the bingo debacle. “Our schools need it,” she said. “I think St. Clair County needs something like this and all the other counties have it. I think that it will help our schools because our schools really need help.



Argo

A 4-2 vote last week was cast and it paved the way for electronic bingo in a town with a staggering $1.2 million deficit.

“It did pass, but it’s been a very sore spot for months,” Mayor Paul Jannings said. “We’ve got a big deficit that we’re trying to fix. We’re trying to do it for the people of Argo. Most of the people who are for it see just how big of a problem this is for us and what’s going on. Many of those who are against it, unfortunately, are the ones who are hearing rumors and not participating [in the debate]. There are some that have been [at council meetings and voiced their concerns] that still disagree. But the majority don’t understand the severity of it all.”

He said that since last week there have already been people who have come by to pick up a copy of the ordinance, including representatives from Roadhouse Gaming, but added that he wouldn’t count his chickens before they hatch.

“Talk is cheap, when I get the check, that’s when I’ll announce that we’ve got it,” Jennings said.

He said that his town’s struggling fire and police departments are operating full-time for now, but the future was uncertain.

“We’re still able to maintain, but it’s not like I can say that down the line,” said Jennings.

He said that if it had not been for a fundraiser put forth by Councilman James Curlee that raised $65,000, salaries for fireman might not have been available for several months.

Jennings also said that it was “a great thing” that two other recent fundraisers—a May Day event and a roadblock—could raise $7,000 for city services between them.

“Fire and police are still up to full strength and I hope to keep it that way,” Jennings said.

In April, Argo was approved for a $1.7 million loan through League of Municipalities. Council members thought things could be closed by end of April. But two-and-a-half months later, Jennings said, “We’re still no closer than we were then. It all sounds great and I believe that it will be a step in the right direction. But nothing happens quickly. We are very close money wise. We will not—unless something happens—make the end of this fiscal year that ends in September.”

He said that Argo’s fire department looks good through June. After that, the town will have to rely on what little is left in the general fund if the first check from a charitable bingo organization doesn’t materialize.

“We’re like a man drowning, we might be able to come up and get a gulp of air every once in a while, but we’re still in bad shape,” Jennings said.