ANGOLA, IN (WTVB) – With less than a month before a high-stakes election, the Steuben County Board of Commissioners, along with the local tourism bureau and economic development corporation, will host a public question-and-answer forum. Scheduled for tomorrow, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the educational meeting will take place at the Steuben County Event Center on Crooked Lake.
The forum fulfills a promise by local leaders to maintain transparency and open dialogue regarding a proposed resort-style casino development. Attendees will have the opportunity to directly confront local elected officials and economic leaders ahead of the November 3 general election, where local residents will face a binding public ballot referendum.
The upcoming vote, authorized under state legislation, asks voters whether inland casino gambling should be permitted in Steuben, Allen, and DeKalb counties.
Under the law, if more than one county approves the measure, casino operators will submit competitive bids to the Indiana Gaming Commission, which will ultimately award just a single license for Northeast Indiana. Proponents of a Steuben County location, such as the proposed Freedom Bay Resort, argue that its strategic location near the Michigan and Ohio borders will draw significant out-of-state revenue.
Meanwhile, neighboring Allen County, whose commissioners recently declined to host a similar public forum, is leveraging Fort Wayne’s larger population and established infrastructure to secure the multi-million dollar development.
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