FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — A proposed casino in Fairfax County is getting a lot of push-back.
It's still in the early stages, but a proposed bill being heard in the Senate, would bring a casino to the Tysons Corner area.
State Sen. David Marsden (D-Fairfax) re-introduced legislation, SB-675, after he previously introduced it in 2022 without it going anywhere.
His proposal includes not just the casino, but also a convention center, concert hall or entertainment district, hotel, and other amenities.
Friday night, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors laid out their opinions.
Chair Jeff McKay shared that he was sending a letter to state lawmakers.
"I think it is important to lay out a number of concerns we have with the bill and the process. I know it's difficult sometimes to break this into process and casino, but there really are two things here. The process and the casino," said McKay.
One by one, the supervisors weighed in, the majority shared that they would not support the bill, at least in it's current format.
"I'm not hearing a lot of different things about the bill from my constituents I'm hearing uniformed opposition," said Dranesville District Supervisor James Bierman.
Others, expressed that they felt left out of the process, and that their constituents did too.
"We didn't ask for this. It was derived in a vacuum. I saw the bill only after the General Assembly began their session. We need to protect ourselves in the event that possibly this bill could be approved by making sure we put out there what our concerns are with this," said McKay.
"You're not gonna see me say this is bad don't ever do it. But, I am saying the process is flawed and frankly we need to start where we start," said, Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Stork.
But, Senator Marsden told WUSA9 earlier this week, he has been in communication with the county.
"I've been communicating for over a year. It's something they asked that they have all the local control in place and I did that," said Senator Marsden.
Both the board, and local groups who are opposed to the bill, say they want a seat at the table.
"The citizens and the local legislators have always been a part of any legislation or bill that would come forward so why now. Why are we being excluded?" asked Lynne Multson who is with the Reston Citizens Association.
Monday morning people from several Northern Virginia Community groups chartered a bus to Richmond to talk to lawmakers.
They want to make sure their voices are heard before the Casino Bill goes to a vote. One of their concerns is if the bill goes to a referendum, who would be voting for the casino?
"Every single community group in the immediate area has expressed their opposition," Chuck Anderson, a concerned Vienna resident said. "But the tricky thing is who gets to vote in that referendum? What is the area? If you extend it further and further there may not be opposition.”
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