Casino? Roscoe Village president says 'yes please'

Roscoe Village president David Krienke says just the thought of roscoe getting 50-percent of revenue generated from a casino is exciting, but that the point behind the idea is to get leaders in Rockford to understand a 50/50 split is a fair deal.

"We definitely are in favor of a 50/50 split," said Krienke.

Partly because Roscoe and other Winnebago County taxing bodies need the money, and partly because it's what some are calling fair to everyone who supported the casino idea initially.

"As far as I'm concerned," said Krienke.  "Any taxing districts could share into that 50/50 split."

But after Rockford mayor Larry Morrissey said he wasn't happy state leaders proposed setting the revenue sharing split at 50-percent for the county and 50-percent for the city of Rockford, Roscoe Village president David Krienke says Roscoe would be more than willing to take Rockford's place.

"I think we need to be exploring this option for us," said Krienke.

Krienke says a 50/50 split is fine with him, since it was county support that helped get a bill introduced in the first place.

"I think that it will be a win fall for the county," said Krienke.  And a major boost to Roscoe, Rockton, and South Beloit if a casino is built in Roscoe, because all three would likely see new hotels and restaurants.

"It would be a boom to the whole region up here," said Krienke.

Senator Dave Syverson agrees, since the county helped with the proposal, the county should share the revenue.

"If we help together to pass something, that we should share in that together," said Senator Dave Syverson.

While a casino in Roscoe is a little far fetched, the point is "it should not be just one municipality benefiting from this," said Krienke.

Especially since leaders believe "there is more than enough revenue to benefit the entire community, the entire region," said Syverson.

Krienke says he is pushing for all the leaders of the Winnebago County taxing bodies to have a roundtable discussion about what the revenue split should be and whether Springfield or local leaders should set the amount.

Eyewitness News did reach out to mayor Morrissey for comment, so far our inquiry has not been returned.