Area Selectmen Team Up to Fight Casino

With the casino proposal for Milford working its way though the Massachusetts Gaming Commission's process, surrounding communities are hoping they will be a more formidable opponent by banding together.

"It's going to be a tough and long battle," Joseph Magnani, a selectman from Ashland, said.

To begin the process selectmen from Ashland, Medway, Holliston and Hopkinton met last night to discuss their ability and willingness to join an intercommunity agreement uniting them in vision and sharing in the costs.

The first step for the towns is putting together information on what the impact will be on each town. Included in that are water, roads and wastewater as well as the impact on police and other government agencies. Many of these studies will be similar from town to town, and the selectmen hope to share the cost and prevent redundant studies.

During the discussion Medway Selectman Dennis Crowley asked the others what they thought the odds of a casino coming to Milford were and how much taxpayer money each town was willing to put toward fighting against a possible "red herring."

Ben Palleiko, a Hopkinton Selectman, responded to Crowley's question by saying that it doesn't matter what the odds are, if the casino goes in he wants to say he did everything he could to fight for his town.

Ultimately, the group decided that one member of from each board of selectmen would meet together to make decisions for the group.

Each town would also set aside money to pay for an attorney to represent the group in discussions with the casino.

"I think that by presenting a uniform front we are all better served in any conversations with the developers," Palleiko said.

The representatives will meet again in a few weeks to discuss the wording of the intercommunity agreement and have it signed off by each board.