A minute with the mayor

I received my mail-in ballot for the Keno vote the end of last week.  I marked “yes”, sealed it up and mailed it back in.  Let me tell you why.

The city budget continues to get tighter and tighter every year.  The cost of doing business continues to escalate.  Nothing is cheap anymore to fix and a lot more things need fixed these days.  The money that is available has to be used on the things that have to be done and not necessarily on the things we would like to see done.  I believe your city council has done a good job prioritizing and getting projects accomplished but we are also seeing need dictate more and more what the priority is.  This is the reality we live in.  We might have to increase revenues or we have to cut services to live within our means.  So when an opportunity comes along that will increase city revenues and doesn’t involve across the board tax increases or rate increases, I think we need to take advantage of it.  Keno can do just that.

Keno can add revenue to the city coffers because the city receives a small percentage of all Keno profits.  The city receives about nine percent of the gross sale receipts from Keno.  It is actually around eleven percent but the city has to pay licensing fees and some state taxes from that.  This is money that will go into the General Fund to help offset some of those costs associated with things like park improvements or the Bluegrass Festival, community betterment purposes or programs that enhance community members’ job skills.  They are funds that are to be used for community betterment.  And the nice thing is that it is voluntary.  You don’t have to play Keno if you don’t want to.  It isn’t like sales taxes or property taxes where you pay no matter what.  These revenues are raised strictly from the proceeds made from those wishing to play the game.  The lottery ticket you buy faithfully every week hoping to win the hundred million dollar jackpot is the same thing.  The state revenues raised from the proceeds of lottery sales have done amazing things for our educational systems.  Taxes collected off the gaming industry have contributed to community betterment in those towns and states where they are located.  This difference is you have a choice in whether you play or not.  And it doesn’t matter which decision you make – because you get to make it.  The tax system isn’t making it for you.  That is why I like the idea of allowing Keno in our community.  It brings additional money into the city that we would otherwise not receive but it is only paid from the people who choose to participate.  It is a win-win situation I believe.

There is one other positive side effect from allowing Keno to be played in Lyons.  If you want to go out to supper on Sunday where in Lyons do you go?  Right now, its mini mart takeout or out of town.  The Hiway Café is great but they are only open until 2pm.  The Branding Iron has told me if Keno passes it makes good sense to rethink about being closed on Sundays.  If Keno can have that much of an impact on a business’ financial stability so that it would think strongly about opening up another day,  just think about what the impact Keno could have on the longevity of that business.   I don’t know about you, but having the option of going out to a sit down meal on a Sunday for years to come sounds kind of nice to me.  I’m sure it does to some of you as well.  We all know what it felt like when the Branding Iron was closed down.  It wasn’t a good feeling.  If Keno can help the Branding Iron be successful and that success translates into being a staple of the Lyons business and entertainment community for many years, I’m all for it!  I hope you would be too!

So if you haven’t returned that ballot, get it in the mail.  Remember it has to be to the court house by the 13^th of August.  And when you are marking your ballot “yes” or “no” to allow Keno in Lyons, I hope you take a minute and think about all the good it could do for Lyons – not just for the Branding Iron or the city but indirectly for you as well.  Thanks for listening.  Talk to you soon.