Buellton Council hears Casino economic report

 

The Buellton City Council listened to a report presented by Joe Armendariz of the Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association detailing the economic impact by the Chumash Casino at its Thursday, April 24 meeting. The report was not commissioned by the city council and they only listened to the report and made few comments and took no action on the report.

Armendariz reported that he was surprised that there was little information available on the economic impact of the casino. The casino, with nearly 1,600 workers, is one of the largest and fastest-growing employers in the county. 

With more than $158 million in annual expenditures, the casino also added a large amount to annual sales in the county, Armendariz said.

 

“Total sales in Santa Barbara County are estimated at $366 million”, according to the report.

“The Chumash Casino Resort is a significant economic enterprise in Santa Barbara County. Annual operating and capital expenditures have a large direct, indirect and induced impact on the level of economic activity in the county,” the report said.

The report provided an analysis of the economic impacts and benefits from the casino but did not address the social impacts of the facility or any other issues that surround the casino and tribal operations.  Armendariz noted that “phase two” of the report will look into the social, environmental, and political impacts from the tribe’s activities.

Armendariz did not disclose the sponsor of the report, casting some doubt on any possible slant to the information presented by the taxpayer group. The group’s website states that the report will be presented on May 1 to a gathering at the casino’s Willows Restaurant.

The report detailed some of the consequences of attracting tourism to the area, which it characterized as benefits, in addition to the millions of dollars of added revenue.

 

Discussing what economists refer to as the multiplier effect of the 1,580 casino jobs, the report stated that an additional 700 jobs are created locally by the casino, producing $30 million in additional payroll dollars.

The report notes that, based on 2006 figures, the casino, with 2.2 million visitors from outside the county, accounted for 29 percent of the total out-of-county visitors for that year.

 The report states that since 2004, when the casino completed its first full year, the casino has helped reverse a decline in tourism, leading to the largest year-to-year increase in visitors since 1985.