FireKeepers revenue flows to towns, schools

About $4.8 million of casino revenue will go to local municipalities and schools this year to make up for lost tax revenue.

The six-member FireKeepers Local Revenue Sharing Board approved the distributions at a meeting Wednesday night.

Harper Creek Community Schools will receive about $2 million, the largest payment among the 18 recipients. Calhoun County will receive about $540,000 for general operations and services for seniors, roads and military veterans.

Emmett Township will receive about $521,000.

Other recipients include area school districts, Willard Library, Kellogg Community College and the Calhoun County Medical Care Facility.

FireKeepers Casino Hotel is owned by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, meaning the Emmett Township facilities and the tribe’s Pine Creek Reservation in Athens Township are untaxable.

Under an agreement, 2 percent of the casino’s annual slot machine revenue is given to the revenue-sharing board — which consists of tribal and governmental representatives — to determine how the money will be distributed.

This year, the tribe made a $5,004,207 payment, bringing the total payment to the revenue-sharing board to $26 million over the past six years.

Funding is distributed through a tiered system: Some of it goes toward administrative costs and then reimbursement requests. This year, the board approved paying for unemployment benefits for laid-off public safety officers in Emmett Township and other fees related to sewer studies.

After administrative and reimbursement payments, 80 percent of what’s left goes to governments losing tax revenue. Then, municipalities nearest the casino receive a portion of the remainder.

Board members decided against a competitive grant process this year, which has been used in the past to determine how the rest of the funding will be spent. Instead, the $129,000 will be carried over into the next year.

The board also changed the formula used to determine reimbursements for lost tax revenue, citing a likely increased taxable value of tribal property because of recent development at the reservation.

Contact Jennifer Bowman at 269-966-0589 or jbowman@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow her on Twitter: @jenn_bowman

The recipients

The revenue-sharing board already approved administrative expenses and reimbursement requests. Here’s how much was distributed Wednesday in the final stages of the board’s payments:

Athens Schools: $101,677.39

Athens Township: $145,693.63

Athens Village: $48,231.59

Battle Creek Public Schools: $28,938.95

Calhoun County: $539,097.08

Calhoun County Medical Care Facility: $19,577.51

Calhoun Intermediate School District: $489,493.01

City of Battle Creek: $86,816.86

City of Marshall: $86,816.86

Emmett Township: $520,800.23

Harper Creek Community Schools: $2,029,263.74

Kellogg Community College: $285,033.43

Lakeview School District: $19,292.64

Marshall Township: $144,694.77

Pennfield Schools: $19,292.64

Union City Schools: $19,292.64

Willard Library: $152,975.46

Total: $4,774,927.38