Voters in St. Tammany Parish will now decide if they want a casino in Slidell.
The St. Tammany Parish council voted 8-6 on Wednesday. The decision now is in the hands of parish residents as the referendum on a proposed $325 million casino resort near Lake Pontchartrain, heads to the November 13 ballot.
The Council decided to put the casino on the ballot after nearly 6 hours of debating.
As Nola.com reports, council members Mike Lorino, Rykert Toledano, Maureen O'Brien, Jimmie Davis, Steve Stefancik, Martha Cazaubon, Marty Dean, and Cheryl Tanner voted in favor of the measure; while members Jerry Binder, T.J. Smith, Chris Canulette, David Fitzgerald, Jake Airey, and Mike Smith voted against it.
“From the beginning, I have expressed my desire for the voters of St. Tammany to decide the future of a gaming and entertainment venue at a specific location on Lake Pontchartrain in Eastern St. Tammany,” said Parish President Mike Cooper. “I appreciate the interest from Peninsula Pacific Entertainment to invest into our community, and I look forward to seeing more information provided in the coming months on how the casino could benefit Slidell and all of St. Tammany.”
In a last minute attempt effort, St. Tammany parish Sheriff Randy Smith and Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandall publicly spoke out against having a casino in Slidell, saying it would increase crime in the area and overwhelm the police department.
