The City of Niagara Falls could soon be forced to take a gamble with its budget, as the Seneca Nation makes its last payment to the State of New York for casino host cities.
The 2002 Campact Agreement between the Senecas and the state only required the Senecas to pay for the first 14 years. The City of Niagara Falls budget relies a lot on the 25 percent it gets from this casino shared revenue, given by the state.
In 2015, Niagara Falls was given more than 16 million dollars. According to Councilman Tompkins The Falls uses this money to pay for things like police, area schools, and even Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital.
"I don't believe we can go all the way through 2018 without being in a lot of trouble financially," Tompkins said.
According to Niagara Falls Council Woman, Kristen Grandinetti said people shouldn't be so quick to panic. In fact, she said the city is prepared for the worse.
"I don't think it's fair to the public to get them rev up over something we are not sure is going to happen. I trust the city administration, governor, and the Senecas to come to the table and come to a good conclusion for all of us," Grandinetti said.
In a statement the Senecas said they have completed their financial obligation and they are looking forward to working with the Western New York community.
