Senate, Assembly pass Vernon Downs relief measure
Vernon Downs owner Jeff Gural was getting a haircut Thursday afternoon when he got the phone call he was waiting for.
“I said, ‘I have to take this call,’” Gural said.
The news was exactly what he hoped it would be.
In what is called an extraordinary session, the state Senate passed a measure Thursday that would save Gural’s enterprise $2 million per year for the next two years, resulting in Gural being able to save 300 jobs at his facility that includes the historic harness track, casino and hotel.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill Thursday afternoon.
“The future of Vernon Downs is secure for the foreseeable future,” Gural said. “It’s a good day.”
The money is a relief to the beleaguered “Home of the Miracle Mile.” Gural recently threatened to close the track, casino and hotel if the state did not offer it some kind of tax relief. Gural has stated publicly that casino competition is taking a bite out of his business. Further, he has canceled some racing programs this year due to a lack of horses.
The mechanism of the measure, which passed the Assembly Wednesday night, would work by lowering some administration fees the track pays for video lottery terminal usage.
“Basically, instead of paying the (state) Gaming Commission 10 percent in administration fees, we only pay 2.5 percent,” Gural said. “We just have to show financial hardship which won’t be a problem.”
Assemblyman William Magee, D-Nelson — whose district includes Vernon Downs — said the move also requires the track to keep the same number of part-time and full-time employees.
“I’m pleased that they were able to come to some agreement,” Magee said.
The situation at Vernon Downs has been in limbo for several months.
Gural announced in April that the opening day of racing would be delayed from its April 21 date. He claimed to have lost about $150,000 a month since November because of the increased competition from Yellow Brick Road, Lago and Rivers casinos. Live harness racing began May 6.
Over the last few weeks, the state Senate and Assembly passed differing measures to help the facility but couldn’t agree on a plan until Thursday.
Vernon Downs’ stakeholders were happy with the announcement.
“It’s great news that Jeff Gural, the legislature and Gov. Cuomo came together to insure that Vernon Downs stays open for the foreseeable future,” said Gary A. Greenberg, minority shareholder at Vernon Downs. “The tax break will keep 300 full-time jobs, allow horsemen to continue to operate and the Vernon community to continue to benefit economically from Vernon (Downs).”
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. said keeping Vernon Downs afloat required teamwork.
“This is a prime example of what we can accomplish when we work together on the local and state level,” he said. “Vernon Downs has been a vital part of this region for many years and I hope it will continue to be for many years to come.”
Follow @OD_Cleaver on Twitter or call her at 315-792-4956.
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