Question A Wins Big in County

By a significant margin, voters in Anne Arundel County have pushed through zoning changes that would allow for the development of a casino at the Arundel Mills mall. 

With more than 98 percent of precincts reporting, Question A had 103,263_ votes of support, with 82,008 opposed, a margin of nearly ten percent. 

It was a major victory for the Cordish Companies, which has sought to build an large entertainment complex with 4,750 slot machines near Arundel Mills, and a victory for county officials who said the project would bring in tens of millions of dollars in new revenue. 

David Cordish, president of the Cordish Companies, celebrated in front of a packed house at the Dave and Buster's at Arundel Mills Tuesday night. Meanwhile, a small gathering of slots opponents commiserated over pizza in a small community center less than a mile away in Hanover. 

 "What we're going to do now is build a world-class casino–not a slot box–but a casino with entertainment of every kind,' Cordish said to a jubilant crowd. "And if you want to gamble, we'll have a place for that, too."

Question A was the hottest issue among voters in Anne Arundel County, and they responded with heavy turnout Tuesday at most polling places. Many voters spoke out against slots on moral grounds, or argued that slots belonged in a different location, such as Laurel Park. Ultimately, however, residents appeared swayed by the economic arguments from slots supporters. Mounting a campaign called "Jobs and Revenue for Anne Arundel County," Cordish and its supporters touted the estimated $30 million that would go to the county from the slots revenue. Tens of millions of dollars would also go to the state of Maryland to fund education. 

David Jones, chairman of No Slots at the Mall, said he had no regrets about how his opposition campaign was run. 

"We did what we wanted to do," he said. "We got the information out to the people of Anne Arundel County, and they made their decision. We did everything we possibly could. My only regret is we didn't hit our message as early as I would have liked."

Polls leading up to Election Day suggested the vote on Question A would be close. But Cordish said internal numbers showed they had a comfortable lead that grew as he and slots supporters began meeting with individual voters. 

"As soon as we started the door-to-door, it was over," said Cordish, who appeared at polling centers all over the county Tuesday. "They didn't have a ground game."

Slots opponents said there are still some legal challenges that must be resolved before Cordish can build. The group has asked the Maryland Attorney General's Office to look into whether Cordish improperly offered favors to businesses in exchange for their support.

Cordish dismissed the allegations and said he could be ready to build at least a temporary slots facility by the start of next year. Plans call for a complex known as Maryland Live!, that includes high-end restaurants and other entertainment in addition to the casino.

The passage of Question A by such a large margin puts to rest a contentious issue that has dragged on for years. Maryland residents voted in favor of slots in 2008 and the Anne Arundel County Council approved zoning changes to allow them in the county. Cordish was the only company to successfully apply for and receive a license for slots, and proposed a facility at Arundel Mills. Before he could build, slots opponents succeeded in putting the zoning issue to referendum.

Despite the difficulties, Cordish said he was glad to have gone through the process.

"I'm glad we had this vote, because the people of Anne Arundel County have spoken loud and clear," he said