Senator Valesky, Central New York Business & Labor Leaders Urge New Yorkers to Vote Yes on Proposal #1 – and the more than 10,000 Jobs it Will Bring to New York State

Proposal #1 will deliver more than $44 million a year for schools, property tax relief and aid to local governments in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley 

Proposal #1 will bring $9.4 million to Onondaga County and $3.2 million to Syracuse

SYRACUSE -- Senator David Valesky, Huen New York, Inc. Vice President Michael Osborne, Central New York Labor Federation President Ann Marie Taliercio, Central & Northern New York Building Trades Vice President Ron Haney, Holiday Inn General Manager Jim Gallagher, and other business and community leaders today urged New Yorkers to vote for Proposal #1 in November. Proposal #1 would authorize four new destination gaming facilities in upstate New York, create over 10,000 good-paying new jobs in the State, build long term agreements with existing casinos and share the revenue from them statewide - sending more than $44 million a year to Central New York and the Mohawk Valley Region to improve schools, help local governments fund critical services, and relieve property tax pressure.

New Yorkers currently spend more than $1.2 billion annually at casinos in Canada, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Proposal #1 would start to bring that money back to New York and create over 10,000 good-paying new jobs in the State.

The New York State Division of Budget estimates $430 million in new revenue will be generated every year.  In Central New York and the Mohawk Valley Region these funds will total more than $44 million annually. Of these funds, $9.4 million will go to Onondaga County and $3.2 million will go to Syracuse every year.

"New Yorkers currently spend more than $1 billion a year at destination casinos in neighboring states. Allowing destination gaming facilities in New York will keep a lot of that money right here where it belongs — helping to generate economic activity, fund our schools, and provide tax relief --while creating 10,000 much needed, good-paying jobs across the State,” said Senator David Valesky.

"I have worked at Huen Construction and Engineering for over 10 years and in the construction industry for even longer. We need to pass Proposal #1 because of the 10 thousands new construction and permanent jobs that will result from building these four casinos - I want to see my fellow construction workers and engineers go back to work," said Huen New York, Inc. Vice President Michael Osborne.

"While Proposal #1 won't bring a new casino to Central New York, it will bring millions of dollars a year in new school funding, property tax relief, aid for our local governments, and thousands of jobs to the state. We have to vote yes on Proposal #1, the State simply can't afford not to," said Central & Northern New York Building Trades Vice President Ron Haney.

"Proposal #1 is going to provide thousands of jobs for New Yorkers and help local governments reduce property taxes. That is going to lift our State as a whole, attracting new investments and even more jobs, not only to Syracuse and Central New York, but to communities statewide," said Central New York Labor Federation President Ann Marie Taliercio.

Proposal #1 would mean stable, long-term agreements with the existing casinos that would protect existing jobs and fund local governments. Proposal #1 also includes strong anti-corruption laws, which provide tough new gaming regulations for New York State and criminal penalties for violation of gaming law.  It also will protect people who have a gaming addiction, and provide millions of dollars to establish programs to prevent problem gaming.

The full list of yearly funding by Central New York/Mohawk Valley counties:

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