Gambling

Seems like everybody gets to decide about gambling in Clay County, except the folks who live in Clay County.

Up until last year, the decision about things like adding poker rooms or slot machines at the Orange Park Kennel Club rested with the Board of County Commissioners, the elected representatives of all Clay County residents.  Ah, for those good ol' days.

First, a little Tallahassee tango fixed it so the decision on poker rooms was switched from the BCC to the Orange Park Town Council, which decided potential tax revenue outweighed all those pesky quality of life questions.  It's a case of officials who don't seem to grasp that "just because we can doesn't mean we should."

Let me see if I understand this correctly.

We're going to have a binding referendum on the January ballot to try to put the control of gambling throughout the county under the control of the BCC. The County Attorney tells them it would be illegal to try to implement this even if it passed because current State law would override it. Legal or not it's going to be on the ballot because someone in OP bruised Mr. Bush's ego. Please, I think the people in OP heard him loud and clear and decided what he thought was irrelevant. Contrary to his belief, he doesn't run OP.

Then, on an item that could be decided by the voters, we are going to have a non-binding referendum. The issue on this referendum will concern what time liquor sales should start in unincorporated Clay County. This will either be on the January or November ballot. BCC meeting seemed to indicate January but today's MCS indicated November. Either way, it is a waste of time and ink. The BCC is going to have to vote on it, and they are going to do whatever they want no matter what the referendum says.

As OneMann reported about the last BCC meeting, Comm. George Bush moved, and the BCC approved (4-1), to direct the County Attorney to research the possibility of the BCC placing a Charter Amendment before the electorate that would help regulate future expansion of gambling in Clay County.

Look no further than the Osceola County Home Rule Charter.

Section 1.5.A. Reservation of Power by the Electorate. The citizens of Osceola County reserve to themselves the power to approve or disapprove casino gambling of any nature within the boundaries of the County. Therefore, if and when casino gambling becomes lawful under the Constitution and Laws of the State of Florida, no action may be taken by the Board of County Commissioners, by the governing body of any municipality, or by any elected or appointed official or employee of either the County or any municipality the effect of which is to authorize, to approve, or in any manner to allow casino gambling to occur anywhere in the County unless and until casino gambling in the County is first authorized by an approving vote of the majority of the qualified electors residing in the County and voting on the question at referendum, and such referendum must be separate and apart from any Statewide or multi-County referendum on the question.

I have been bothered ever since the BCC took a non vote on a non request by the Dog Track in Orange Park to expand their gambling operations to include a card room. Call it a morality hangover.

I have been bothered by the level of discrimination I witnessed toward the owner of the Dog Track by a small - yet vocal - group of people. Personally, I don't believe that great  numbers of residents in Clay County care whether the Dog Track is allowed to expand it's operations. I'd be willing to bet if it were placed on a referendum, it'd pass even with their vocal opposition.