NIAGARA FALLS – Mayor Paul A. Dyster on Tuesday outlined his administration’s general plans for the city’s $89 million in slot machine revenue from the Seneca Niagara Casino.
In an afternoon news conference in City Hall, Dyster highlighted a 10-step plan for how the city will move forward now that a deal has been struck between the state and the Seneca Nation of Indians, who operate three casinos in Western New York, including in Niagara Falls.
The mayor also pointedly responded to what he called some “miscommunication” about “owed funds” coming from other elected officials about the city’s financial situation relative to the casino cash.
“We do not owe vendors casino funds. There is no pile of past-due invoices sitting some place here in the building,” Dyster said. “We were very conservative with casino funding in the budget before the dispute started. We built a reserve; when the casino funds stopped coming, we tapped into that reserve.”
The city also did not run out of reserves or “hit the wall,” he said.
“While there are plenty of critics out there, facts are facts,” Dyster continued. “Our financial planning kept us out of harm’s way for over 40 months.”
One of the early steps will be to repay the city’s general fund $22.7 million, the amount the city borrowed from its own coffers when the casino funding went dry.
Another of the most immediate actions to be taken will be a second round of street repaving to take place later this year to the tune of about $1.5 million.
Earlier this year, the city announced it planned to repave about one-third the amount of roadway it did four years ago.
Another one of the early steps, once the city receives the money, will be to distribute it to several entities that are owed a portion under the gambling compact between the state and Senecas. While final calculations have not been completed, the total amount to be distributed to those entities is estimated to be $23.5 million.
Those entities that will receive funds, and the estimated amount they will receive, are:
• Niagara Falls School District: $3 million.
• Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center: $3 million.
• Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp.: $6.2 million.
• Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority: $4 million.
• Underground Railroad Commission: $1.4 million.
• Fund for infrastructure and road improvements: $5.9 million.
The City Council, which has a three-member majority that was critical of Dyster during the city’s cash crunch, holds final approval over much of the city’s spending.
Councilman Samuel F. Fruscione, a member of the majority, said it was “a little disappointing” that Dyster has yet to bring city lawmakers to the table to talk about uses for the casino revenue.
Fruscione said he hopes the mayor will reach out to Council Chairman Glenn Choolokian to set up some meetings to begin the discussion.
“We need to be included at every step of this process,” Fruscione said.
email: abesecker@buffnews.com
In an afternoon news conference in City Hall, Dyster highlighted a 10-step plan for how the city will move forward now that a deal has been struck between the state and the Seneca Nation of Indians, who operate three casinos in Western New York, including in Niagara Falls.
The mayor also pointedly responded to what he called some “miscommunication” about “owed funds” coming from other elected officials about the city’s financial situation relative to the casino cash.
“We do not owe vendors casino funds. There is no pile of past-due invoices sitting some place here in the building,” Dyster said. “We were very conservative with casino funding in the budget before the dispute started. We built a reserve; when the casino funds stopped coming, we tapped into that reserve.”
The city also did not run out of reserves or “hit the wall,” he said.
“While there are plenty of critics out there, facts are facts,” Dyster continued. “Our financial planning kept us out of harm’s way for over 40 months.”
One of the early steps will be to repay the city’s general fund $22.7 million, the amount the city borrowed from its own coffers when the casino funding went dry.
Another of the most immediate actions to be taken will be a second round of street repaving to take place later this year to the tune of about $1.5 million.
Earlier this year, the city announced it planned to repave about one-third the amount of roadway it did four years ago.
Another one of the early steps, once the city receives the money, will be to distribute it to several entities that are owed a portion under the gambling compact between the state and Senecas. While final calculations have not been completed, the total amount to be distributed to those entities is estimated to be $23.5 million.
Those entities that will receive funds, and the estimated amount they will receive, are:
• Niagara Falls School District: $3 million.
• Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center: $3 million.
• Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp.: $6.2 million.
• Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority: $4 million.
• Underground Railroad Commission: $1.4 million.
• Fund for infrastructure and road improvements: $5.9 million.
The City Council, which has a three-member majority that was critical of Dyster during the city’s cash crunch, holds final approval over much of the city’s spending.
Councilman Samuel F. Fruscione, a member of the majority, said it was “a little disappointing” that Dyster has yet to bring city lawmakers to the table to talk about uses for the casino revenue.
Fruscione said he hopes the mayor will reach out to Council Chairman Glenn Choolokian to set up some meetings to begin the discussion.
“We need to be included at every step of this process,” Fruscione said.
email: abesecker@buffnews.com