Fairfax County supervisors opposed to a bill that would’ve allowed a casino in Tysons said this week they hope Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s veto of the legislation puts an end to the matter once and for all.
“This has been a distraction — our residents have been traumatized,” Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said at the Board of Supervisors meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
Spanberger on April 9 vetoed legislation that would have required the board to order a countywide referendum on whether to authorize casino gaming. She cited opposition from county supervisors and many of their constituents as the main reason for her decision.
“Local governing boards should lead on proposed casino development, as has been the prior standard and process,” Spanberger said in her veto message. “While this legislation only affects Fairfax County, it would set a precedent that could be used to bring casino referendums to other localities where the local governing boards may similarly oppose such efforts.”
Supporters of a casino-anchored entertainment complex envisioned by potential developer Comstock Companies touted the economic development benefits and jobs that would be created, both during construction and operation.
Supporters of SB 756 do not have the votes to override the veto, but state Sen. Scott Surovell (D-34), who has championed legislation for a Fairfax County casino for two sessions now, indicated that he plans to bring the matter back in the 2027 General Assembly session.
County supervisors speaking April 14 said that would not be a welcome development.
It was time to “move on, move forward, move to a better place,” Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said.
She acknowledged that Fairfax County does have a need for a convention or conference center, one of the elements that Comstock has proposed for its entertainment complex near the Spring Hill Metro station, but she expressed hope that Fairfax County and the state can come up with more “creative” solutions.
Alcorn, Palchik, Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman and Board Chairman Jeff McKay led opposition to the casino proposal by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-34).
Trying to force a casino against the will of local leaders and — according to some polling — opposition from affected residents was “positively Trumpian,” Bierman said at the April 14 Board meeting.
“The whole process was backwards,” said Bierman, who has been the most aggressively vocal among casino opponents on the Board of Supervisors. “It was nonsense. I hope it doesn’t come back.”
The board’s newest member, Braddock District Supervisor Rachna Sizemore Heizer, does not represent constituents living near the proposed casino site. But she heard opinions, mostly negative, about the proposal when running late last year in a special election for the position.
Sizemore Heizer said she hopes casino proponents will accept that, unless they get buy-in from residents in the Tysons area and those who represent them, the project will not materialize.
It is time to “move on from having this battle every year,” she said.
Palchik and Alcorn each used a portion of the April 14 meeting to suggest that with the casino off the table for now, attention needs to return to broader concerns related to the county’s commercial and retail corridors.
“We have to face the real issues of our economic development,” Palchik said.
