GALT-

A brand new Indian casino could be coming to Sacramento County.

A 282-acre cow pasture just north of the Galt city limits would undergo a massive transformation, which is why the Galt City Council is intrigued with the casino proposal by the Wilton Rancheria tribe, which only recently regained tribal status by the Federal Government.

Two thousand permanent jobs is hard for any community to ignore.

“I just think it’s a positive thing myself,” Galt resident Maxine Andrade said.

She thought the opening of a local Walmart was a big positive for the local economy, and the casino would dwarf the superstore.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is handling the Environmental Impact Statement for the land, which includes the effects the casino would have on wildlife, traffic, water use and pollution.

There are alternatives in the plan, like building a smaller casino, or no casino at all, putting in a retail shopping mall to earn money and create jobs for tribal members.

But gambling is a proven money maker and job generator. There are options for placing the casino in Elk Grove or in Wilton to the north, but the Galt location may be the path of least resistance,

Galt resident Chris Lock is in the I.T. field and would rather not commute to Modesto for his high tech job. The casino would bring job opportunities closer to home.

“Slot machines, everything, it’s all computer related, and then they have their camera systems. It’s all I.T.-related,” said Lock.

Mary Toledo’s mom had a gambling problem and she’s seen the bad side.

“It’s very sad where they spend a lot of their social security checks, so I wouldn’t vote for it,” Toledo said.

The tribe’s Council Chairman Raymond Hitchcock said the tribe has an option to buy this land but won’t until it starts getting approvals from an army of regulators.

“All along the way the public will be able to give their input,” said Hitchcock.

It may be  seven to eight years before a casino is built, if at all.

 

By Ian McDonald