La Center’s questionable financial future is on the mind of many residents, and a big topic of discussion among candidates for city council.
The biggest issue facing the city is “finding another source of business to offset the cardrooms,” according to Larry Lewton, 67, one of two candidates running for Position No. 2 in the city.
His competitor for Position No. 2, Jon Stimmel, 38, wrote in an email that changes to La Center’s budget and income are the most urgent issues the city is facing.
“It is my hope that budget cuts are the absolute last resort to solving budgetary shortcomings, but if the local tax base cannot be raised through new business and other revenue streams, cuts will be unavoidable,” he wrote. “We have relied upon the local cardrooms for a long time, but this is not likely to be an option with the addition of the Cowlitz casino.”
Larry Lewton
Age: 67.
Occupation: Retired medical photographer with Department of Veteran’s Affairs.
Leadership roles: Represents La Center on Clark County Mosquito Control Board, homeowner’s association board member, Vancouver Audubon Society past president, past board member of Oregon Blueberry Grower’s Association.
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Jon Stimmel
Age: 38.
Occupation: Supervisory electrical engineer.
Leadership roles: Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement mentor and competition judge, manager of various engineering organizations.
The tribe opened its Ilani Casino Resort April 24 just west of the city limits, putting La Center’s finances into question since cardroom tax revenue has historically made up a large portion of the city’s general fund. The New Phoenix Casino in La Center closed March 26, leaving the city with two cardrooms: the Palace Casino and Last Frontier Casino.
“The cardrooms have been a major benefit to La Center residents for a long time and the revenue they have brought to the city has made the city what it is today,” Stimmel wrote. “While it is my hope that the cardrooms will retain the clientele necessary to profit, La Center can no longer depend so heavily on a single industry for revenue. We must diversify revenue streams and attract new business both to the city core as well as to the (Interstate 5) junction.”
As part of a deal with the city, the Cowlitz tribe paid for $32 million in upgrades at the junction in La Center. The work included new offramps, a partial relocation of a few roads and a new freeway overpass. The Cowlitz also paid for development of a sewer line that stretches to city limits, which will allow the city to develop 150 acres of land sitting across Interstate 5 from the casino.
Many in the city, including Lewton and Stimmel, see that development as key for bringing in non-gambling revenue to La Center.
“We have a good plan for the junction of blending housing (like condos) with businesses, but we need to emphasize businesses like a hotel as seed stock, with others, like restaurants and shops, to tag onto them,” Lewton wrote in an email.
Stimmel wrote that the key to development is diversity.
“It is unwise to lean too heavily on any one industry,” he wrote. “I would like to see a mixture of light industrial, office buildings, food retailers and retail sales. The city has a plan in place and has also allocated funds to retain a business development representative to work toward attracting new business and this is a great first step in the development of the junction.”
Both candidates also wrote about the need to bring visitors into La Center, not just to the junction.
“We need to bring in businesses that will draw folks down the hill, like quaint shops and art galleries,” Lewton wrote. “We also need to promote our waterfront park areas along with the crown jewel of La Center: Our amphitheater.”
Position 1
There is another contested race for city council in La Center. Doug Boff, a member of the La Center Planning Commission since April 2016, will face off against Linda Tracy, a La Center city councilor from 2004-2012, in the race for Position No. 1. They were the top two vote-getters in the August primary, where Boff finished with 73 percent of the vote and Tracy earned 15 percent. Visit www.columbian.com/election to read that story.
