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MANISTEE, MI – The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians earlier this month signed a check for $710,408 to the Manistee County Revenue Sharing Board.

The tribe's been pursuing a second casino in the Muskegon area for several years, and Tribal Ogema Romanelli said similar payments would be made to Muskegon if a casino ever opens.

The tribe's forked over $30,479,814 in revenue sharing to Manistee area governments since it opened a casino there in 1999. The three members of the local revenue sharing board include representatives from Manistee County, the City of Manistee and Manistee Township.

In Manistee, the tribe makes payments twice a year on the two percent of slots, or electronic gaming revenues, from the tribe's Little River Casino. In its compact with the state, the tribe mutually agreed to make annual distributions to the local revenue-sharing board, which distributes the funds to the county, local governments and schools in the area in lieu of tax revenue.

Romanelli said that the lengthy permitting process for a casino in Muskegon is moving along. In early 2015, the tribe filed an application with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to take 60 acres into trust for a casino development.

"Our efforts are on track finally, with the Muskegon effort," he said. The tribe hopes that in 2016, the Bureau of Indian Affairs will hold a hearing on a Draft Environmental Impact Statement – a document that estimates various impacts of opening the casino.

"These are all necessary steps that we need to take, and I've learned to be very patient during the process," Romanelli said.

Other tribes have opposed the proposed Muskegon County casino for a variety of reasons. One tribal spokesman said the proposed casino would amount to a commercial rather than tribal casino, and said establishing an off-reservation casino would break new ground legally.

Proposed Muskegon County casino faces opposition from tribe, hurdles, spokesman says

In Manistee, local revenue sharing board uses the funds to reimburse local units of governments for costs due to the casino -- i.e. law enforcement and emergency services -- and to provide a payment in lieu of property tax revenue. Any additional funds are divided by the local governments and have been used for a variety of projects – a Jaws of Life machine to new city sidewalks -- in the community.

"The Little River Band has been a major contributor to the community and catalyst for our region's growth," said Manistee Township Supervisor Dennis Bjorkquist, who is chairman of the local revenue sharing board.. "The casino has significantly boosted our tourism to businesses beyond the casino. The Tribe is a great neighbor and partner in our community."

In addition to the local revenue sharing, the Little River Band has paid the state of Michigan more than $85 million to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, in accordance with the state gaming compact and amendment.