In a staff report to the Wythe County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 23, Deputy County Administrator Mr. Hankins summarized recent Regional Improvement Commission discussions about the distribution of Bristol Hard Rock Casino gaming tax proceeds and said he plans to oppose any change that would give the city a larger share.

Hankins told the board the original arrangement equally shares proceeds among 14 localities (12 counties and 2 cities) and noted that Wythe County has used its portion for public safety needs such as ambulances, paramedics and fire equipment. "Absent any other direction from you, I'm going to cast a no vote, to any change in the funding formula," he said, arguing that the county budgeted based on expected proceeds and that lawmakers from Southwest Virginia have not signaled strong support for formula changes.

Hankins said Bristol had proposed keeping 50% of the proceeds in one proposal and later offered a plan that would amount to roughly a 27.6% share for the city; he said reception among the commission and delegation was "frosty." He reported the commission's current year share to Wythe County for public safety was $941,000 and estimated it could be about $1.25 million this year due to increased casino activity.

Why it matters: A reallocation of casino tax proceeds would change funds available to dozens of local governments across Southwest Virginia and could reduce dollars dedicated to county public safety services.

What happened next: Supervisors expressed support for Hankins' position. No formal board vote on the Regional Improvement Commission proposal occurred at the Wythe County meeting; Hankins said he would vote no at the commission's January meeting if there is no new direction from the board.