The Henrietta Town Board passed a 4-0 resolution opposing a possible Seneca casino:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/...asino/6600429/
However, the local opposition might not be a determining factor on the future of a Seneca casino there. The following Q&A's are somewhat useful.
Can the Senecas build casinos without government approval?
Sovereignty aside, casino siting has been a collaborative process over time. As part of a 2013 compact reached with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the Senecas obtained exclusive rights to provide casino gaming west from state Route 14, which is located in the Finger Lakes, to the Pennsylvania border. A 2002 compact calls for three casinos, meaning the Senecas must amend the compact to allow a fourth casino, which would be the Henrietta complex.
How might the compact be amended?
It's not a straightforward process. To amend any of the compacts with the state, the nation must first get a thumbs-up from the federal government. The changes then must be negotiated with the governor and passed by the state Legislature. Localities have no veto right, but the Seneca Gaming Corp. indicated it would not proceed in Henrietta if the community is opposed. Members of the Seneca Nation itself could say no to a fourth casino. Basically, there are a lot of ways to say no to this proposal.
How long could the review process take?
It could take several years. The Senecas began planning for a third casino in 2004. Efforts to locate it in Cheektowaga, a Buffalo suburb, failed. A temporary casino opened in downtown Buffalo in 2007. The finished Buffalo casino opened in 2013. Because the tribe must amend the state compact with both federal and state approval, opening a Rochester-area casino could take even longer.
"No" to Henrietta Casino
