Kern County Supervisors and the Tejon Indian Tribe have signed a 20-year intergovernmental deal that will see the county provide public safety services for the tribe’s planned casino near Mettler.
Under the terms of the agreement, the tribe will contribute just under $218 million in revenue for Kern County over its 20-year span.
Local news outlet The San Joaquin Valley Sun reports that with the revenue the county is set to receive from the Tejon Tribe, it will be able to hire 12 additional officers and a clerk for the local Sheriff’s Office. An additional $10 million funding would be directed toward a new Sheriff’s substation.
Revenue contributions would also enable the Kern County Fire Department expand its workforce by hiring four additional personnel and purchase a ladder truck and a wildland fire truck.
Tejon Tribe is seeking approval from the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs to develop a Hard Rock-branded hotel and casino complex on a 52-acre site part of its 306-acre reservation land just outside Mettler.
The intergovernmental agreement between the tribe and Kern County officials is believed to be a major boost to the Tejon Tribe’s bid to bring a casino in the region as federal authorities are preparing to conduct a full environmental impact report on the proposed casino scheme. The plan also needs recommendation from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
New Public Safety Personnel to Cost the Tribe $5 Million a Year
The Kern County deal will cost the tribe around $5.37 million a year for additional public safety personnel. In addition to that, the tribe will also have to pay property taxes and an annual capital outlay for Sheriff and Fire services, which means that its annual public safety-related costs will go up to about $7.4 million a year.
A separate 6% room occupancy fee for its hotel facility is projected to contribute another $911,000 each year to the county.
The Tejon Tribe revealed last month that it has partnered Florida gaming and hospitality giant Hard Rock International to jointly build and operate Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tejon. The project, if it receives federal approval and clears all other hurdles, will be the latest casino-related scheme initiated in California.
As mentioned earlier, the casino will spread across 52 acres of land. In addition to that, the tribe also plans to build an RV park on an adjacent 22-acre site.
Hard Rock Tejon will feature a casino, hotel, spa and fitness, 13 food and beverage facilities, a concert venue, and the largest conference and meeting venue in the whole county. The Tejon Tribe revealed that live entertainment will be a key component at the new property, just as it is at all Hard Rock-branded resorts.
Hard Rock and the tribe plan to invest $600 million into the development of the resort. It is projected to generate 1,000 temporary jobs during construction phase and 2,000 permanent jobs once operational. The tribe has not presented a timeline for its plan as it still awaits federal approval and receiving one is a lengthy process.
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