Mayor Parker Breaks Tie as Clarion Borough Says No to Mini-Casino, for Now

CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Clarion Borough Mayor Daniel Parker’s tie-breaking vote is keeping a mini-casino from even considering locating in the borough.

Parker was called upon for what is believed to be the first time in his short tenure as the mayor to cast a tie-breaking vote after the Clarion Borough Council voted 3-3 on a measure to put the borough on the so-called “do not want” list. Council President Carol Lapinto was absent from the meeting.

“I also wanted us to have time to consider our options and get more public feedback,” Parker said. “Also, I think it is important for us to have the ability to put any sort of restrictions on it.”

At least the partial reasoning of Parker and at least two of the three council members who voted with him — Jason Noto, Rachel Roberts and Brenda Sanders-DeDe — was that a vote to put the borough’s name on the “do not want” list didn’t have to be permanent but that not voting to put the borough on the list would mean the borough council would then have no further say in the matter.

“Now is when we have a choice to say yes or no as a council,” Noto said. “If we say ‘no’ now, we can change our mind in the future after we have had more study and had an opportunity to look at the pros and the cons of it. We can then change our minds on it. We can then pass an ordinance to then allow.”

“If we don’t do this now, it’s here, and there is nothing we can do as a municipality about it. You lose the choice if we don’t say ‘no’ now. We can always change our mind, and I might well change my mind if we decide to enact an ordinance to allow it. But for now, the only way we have a choice and the ability to study the issue and to decide if this is good for our borough is if we say ‘no’ now.”

Ben Aaron, one of three votes to not put the borough on the “do not want list” along with outgoing councilman Keaton MacBeth and Earl Zerfoss, believes that by putting itself on the list the borough is all but eliminating itself from consideration by someone who wants to operate a mini-casino.

“I don’t think we will have a choice that will have to be made in the future,” Aaron said. “If we ban it now, nobody is going to build a casino here anyway because it’s banned. They will find a municipality that allows it. I don’t think we would care to be on that list whenever we are trying to attract business to the borough.”

Zerfoss, who originally voted erroneously to put the borough on the “do not want list” is in favor of a casino coming because it would mean revenue to the borough. At first, he was confused about what a ‘yes’ vote meant despite asking numerous times to have the vote explained to him and was allowed by Sanders-DeDe, the acting borough president, to change his vote.

“I plan on voting for it (to allow the casino) because to me it’s a good thing that we have it,” Zerfoss said. “When you pick up the (paper) there are bus tours going to (Rivers Casino), to Atlantic City, Ocean City, any other city. I know this is scaled down from Ocean City or (River Casino)….It’s good that we get the revenue. We can’t keep raising taxes, or pretty soon there will be a ‘for sale’ sign on us because they won’t need us. There is a lot of revenue in it. If we would be lucky to get it, I would rather we get the money than Franklin or Knox or anyone. I want it for Clarion Borough. I think it’s a good thing.”

When asked if he was concerned about Aaron’s argument of someone not even considering Clarion because it is on the “do not want” list, Parker said he wasn’t.

“I have no concerns about that at all,” Parker said. “If they want to build a casino here bad enough, they will get in touch with us.”

Prior to the debate by the council, borough resident Cindy Miller spoke against the mini-casino.

“I’m not for it,” Miller said. “I realize people say ‘anything to save the town.’ But, it’s the kind of saving you don’t want. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Watch the entire debate here.

(Editor’s note: On the video, Zerfoss is voting to put the borough on the “do not want” list thinking he was voting the other way. The council, knowing how he believed, allowed him to change his vote after the video was shut off. In addition, Parker didn’t take part in the debate, and his quotes came after the meeting.)

BUDGET ADOPTED

The council voted to adopt the proposed 2018 budget that holds the line on taxes at 22 mill and doesn’t increase any fees. See more about the budget from the