Supervisors might have votes for casino measure

The three votes necessary to put a casino measure on a ballot might be available, after Sonoma County Supervisor Mike Kerns said on Monday that he supports putting the measure on the June 2010 ballot, and intends to vote for it.

Supervisors Efren Carrillo and Shirlee Zane indicated in March that they would support such a measure.

“I’ve always supported the concept of an advisory measure, but questioned the cost of putting it on a ballot, and knew that at times, we didn’t have board support for it,” Kerns said. “But now that we have two new supervisors, I’m certainly willing to bring it up and try to get support for it.

“I would support it.”

Kerns said that he will consult with Supervisor Paul Kelley about putting such a measure on an upcoming agenda, but might propose that the measure apply to any future casinos in Sonoma County, while specifically mentioning the proposed casinos in Rohnert Park and Cloverdale.

Some residents of Petaluma and other Sonoma County cities are concerned with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria’s plans to build a large casino and resort complex in Rohnert Park.

Petaluma City Council member Mike Healy is trying to get the board of supervisors to place the advisory measure on the ballot. Last year, Kerns and former Supervisor Mike Reilly supported putting an advisory measure on a countywide ballot, but Kelley, Valerie Brown and Tim Smith did not. Kerns, Kelley and Brown, who was re-elected, remain on the board, and have been joined by newcomers Carrillo and Zane.

In March, Kerns said that he no longer supported an advisory measure because of its cost, given the county’s economic struggles, including rising unemployment, and because it would have no legal, binding impact.

Kerns said that he still has concerns that the measure would not have a legal, binding impact.

“But the governor (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has made statements that he would take community input into consideration when deciding whether or not to sign compact agreements with tribes for casinos, and this would at least give an advisory measure some weight. If he is willing to do this, I support putting a measure on a ballot,” Kerns said.

He says that some people might be concerned about the price of the measure.

“It is of some concern to me, too, especially in the current economic climate, in which we’re facing budget deficits everywhere. But it seems a small price to pay for democracy,” he said.

Kelley mentioned to Kerns that if cities want the measure on a ballot, perhaps they should pay a portion of the expense, which is estimated at $63,000 and $126,500, according to Debra Russotti, election services supervisor for the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters.

“We might ask if cities are willing to pay a portion,” Kerns said.

State Sen. Mark Leno said that he feels a countywide advisory measure on the Rohnert Park casino “could be informative,” but said that its “legal or symbolic impact” is questionable.

Leno also raised the issue of the cost of putting the measure on the ballot, but refrained from expressing an opinion about the expense.

“The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors knows more about the financial impact than I do,” he said.

Leno also said last week that he was in favor of Assemblymember Jared Huffman’s resolution that would have called upon the governor to take local sentiment into account when arranging gaming compacts with American Indian tribes, but he did not display support, partly because he doesn’t take positions on measures before he votes on them.

“While I do support the resolution, I generally do not take positions on measures before I have the opportunity to vote on them in committee or on the Senate floor. This resolution did not come before a committee of which I am a member, nor was I asked by my constituents or colleagues to weigh in on it,” he said.

Huffman presented the resolution, ACR 56, to the state Senate Government Organization Committee on Aug. 25, but no motion was made to vote on it.

“If I had the opportunity to vote on the resolution, I would have supported it,” Leno said. “It’s an issue of great concern to the surrounding communities, and an opportunity for them to speak to it.”

Leno did not attend the Senate committee hearing.

“I am not a member of that committee, and my legislative responsibilities required me to be elsewhere,” he said.

The resolution called upon the governor “to refrain from negotiating a tribal-state gaming compact, with respect to specified gaming proposals on non-tribal lands, until the land upon which the gaming will occur has been taken into trust for the tribe, the tribe has jurisdiction over the land and the local jurisdiction and the local community in which the tribe’s proposed gaming compact would be located actually support the project.”

The resolution, like the advisory measure, would have had no legal, binding impact.

Huffman also has unsuccessfully tried to get a bill, AB 1443, passed in the Assembly that would require the governor to consider local support while determining whether to sign compact agreements for casinos.

“I was hoping it would get passed, and at least provide some measure of legality,” Kerns said.

Huffman said that he still will try to get the bill passed by the Assembly.

“I’m certainly not giving up. We need to do a little more groundwork before the Assembly comes back in January,” he said.

He also intends still intends to meet with Sen. Roderick Wright, chair of the Government Organization Committee, about the resolution.

“It’s certainly high on my agenda,” he said, adding that he again will try to get a resolution passed by the Senate.

(Contact Dan Johnson at dan.johnson@arguscourier.com)