Perryville’s Latest Tax Incentives for the Wolf, aka, a Wolf in wolf’s clothing

Click here for newest tax incentive proposal

Seems as if the proposal has changed a bit since it was first written for the Great Wolf Resorts. I think the wolf pack (that is what hotel employees are called) got a little push-back from the town, but merely a tap

While now there must be an initial job fair in the town, 200 must be employed from? Anywhere, there are still no demands for benefits or # of full-time jobs. This is what we’re getting. Do the math.  

Appx. 200 Jobs paying $24,000

There has been no cost estimates yet from the town.  Remember, we are helping to pay for this undertaking.  So exactly what are the costs and what are the benefits dollar wise to the town???There is a stipulation that the incentives must be sustainable to the town.  What does this mean?  The town always has them power to raise taxes so anything is “sustainable.”

 The Mayor has stated that this “is going to put Perryville on the map.”  Someone, please, show this man a map.  Perryville is there.

 Residents are staying 1.4 nights?  And all coming and going at different times? Gee, no checkout times or check-in times?  In staying 1.4 nights they are going to leave the resort & hit the town’s high spots?  An uneven playing field for other hotels/motel- you think?  How about other businesses?  

We are going to pay their taxes, infrastructure, plus plus?  Where is the upside?  What about fire protection?  Didn’t work so well at Owens Landing, did it?  

Yes, the proposal got cleaned up a bit, but needs a LOT more work. Thinking your taxes here might go down?  They may also go up.

I’m not seeing any upside yet, except for some instant fame.  If this deal ever goes sour,  watch out for anyone backing this project.

Beware the wolf pack. 

Special Meeting agenda. Jan. 22 at ? After 6:30 work session.

They may well vote on all this then.  I see no opportunity for public speaking. So, e-mail, call, or go anyway and speak.

Secret Meetings in Perryville? Oh, My! Part 1

Interesting article:https://www.medamd.com/news/great-wolf-lodge-sets-sights-on-perryville/

         Mayor of Perryville Robert Ashby Jr. says, “I’ve been working hard to bring excitement
         to our Town…meetings and conversations I can finally  talk about. This is a great opportunity 
             for all of us.

Mayor Asby via Cecil Whig.

The Mayor has meetings and conversations regarding town business that he can NOW talk about?  Isn’t that the purpose of Open Meeting Regs?  Like to mention that you’ve been negotiating deals for the town; otherwise we may begin to feel left out. Making it sound like a done deal- heck who even needs a council when we have a Mayor?

Familiar with ex-parte Regs?  Don’t believe secretly participating like this is allowed, no matter how “exciting” the Mayor found it.  Hey, Lucy, you have some ‘splainin’ to do!


       “Cecil County Economic Development Director Chris Moyer credits the town for making
        the initial contact with Great Wolf Resorts (GWR) and says, “we will continue to partner
        with Perryville and GWR staff to ensure this project becomes an economic anchor for
       Cecil County and a driver for the County’s tourism industry.”

And: “When you’re driving south [on 95], you’ll be able to look up on that hill and see this lodge.  [Y’’all know that hill, right?] It will bring more people into our restaurants; it will bring more people to access our county.’

Course, lowering the $8 toll on the Hatem Bridge would also greatly increase access to the county.

And he used as evidence...? ? because it’s just not true.  It never happened in Ledyyard, Ct., home to Foxwoods Casino and it’s extensive resort.  And it likely won’t happen here either.  In fact, the Mashantucket Pequot resort (on reservation property) employs less than 10% of it workers from the town and the town still relies on property owners for funding with few large businesses. THE pay there is lousy too with workers trying to organize.

The purpose of a resort is for visitors to spend their $ and time there.  What a shock! That’s how they ..like...stay in business.  And the resort just ain’t doing that well now.  
Here is Mr. Moyer’s pic.  I’d give you a County link but 2 of them are broken and the working one has no pic, much less any info.

 Cecil County has already decided this is great for the town, so what more do we need to know? They’re already partnering with the town to ensure this project.  When did this happen? Not in any local minutes I saw.  We hardly need elected town officials at all. Yet, County officials seem To ignore us when it comes to spending $ here. 

Cecil County of course, will be contributing more to the volunteer fire dept. for more and better equipment and we will acquire an actual paid fire department? They had their hands full at the Owens Landing fire where 18 units were completely destroyed in 3 hours- undermanned, ill-equipped, and ill-prepared.  Don’t misunderstand me, they were quite brave and did the best they could.  It was fortunate this time that no human lives were lost this time (I miss my kitty!) But a resort?

Where is the water coming from and the sewers. Water run-off? Police? Any guarantee that locals will be hired?  Pay requirements, benefits?  Sounds actually like more warehousing jobs- low pay and part-time.  These are only some of the questions that shoul be asked.
Now maybe the Great Wolf project is the greatest thing since sliced bread but?   Stay tuned for this ongoing saga.