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to promote civic engagement in the Philadelphia region.PA Supreme Court Appoints Referee to Oversee Casino Disputes in Philadelphia
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009 at 7:34 am - by Matt Campbell. Filed under: Casinos, Courts.
I want my foundation permit now buddy / Image credit:zcrisler
The City of Philadelphia has been a bad boy lately. At least that’s the way it appears to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court who sided with Sugarhouse Casino in its request for a Special Master to mediate any future disputes between the city and the yet-to-be built casino.
Sugerhouse believes the city has been dragging its feet in issueing needed permits to begin construction on the banks of the Delaware River. The ruling will likely have the effect of speeding up the process because the Special Master will have the full authority to resolve disputes regarding the issuance of permits, approvals, licenses or other authorizations or actions” needed from the city by SugarHouse.
Chris Brennan, a reporter with the Philadelphia Daily News reports this morning that the new referee “can also determine whether SugarHouse can recoup “fees and costs” for those disputes.”
The city is also under pressure from Governor Ed Rendell to speed construction for both Sugerhouse and Foxwoods Casinos because he’s counting on the state’s share of slots revenue that is used to lower property taxes and Philadelphia’s wage tax. He recently threatened to cut off the city’s share of current casino profits that is being generated from a number of casinos already open around the state.
March 25th, 2009 at 9:23 am
What do we know about this “Special Master” Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge John W. Herron?
March 25th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Judge John Herron was behind the successful effort to revive judicial pay raises that were initially repealed with those controversial legislative pay raises.