One of the hot button issues in the city is whether there should be a casino in North Bay.

Councillor George Maroosis says the city can not have the casino issue as a referendum question come municipal election time.

“The new directive from the province is that we’re not to have anything on the ballot that is under provincial jurisdiction. In one of the clauses they specifically mention casino’s is off limits.”

As for what’s next Maroosis says the city has agreed to host one.

“And it’s just a matter of the casino operator negotiate with the council of the day to find a location and what it is they’re going to build.”

Maroosis says the city should have a casino so it gets revenues.

He says he didn’t want a situation where the casino is outside North Bay, doesn’t get the revenue from it and yet must deal with the social costs.

By the way for a referendum to be binding over 50 % of the population must agree or not agree to the question and with voter turnout often below half whatever the result is it wouldn’t count anyway.

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