By John Byczkowski
Enquirer staff writer

Banker Bill Ritzmann (left) and Lawrenceburg Mayor Bill Cunningham think Dearborn County shouldn't put all its eggs in one Argosy Casino basket. The Enquirer/MEGGAN BOOKER

LAWRENCEBURG - All winning streaks end eventually, and Dearborn County's leaders are preparing for the end of theirs.

The county hit it big in 1993, when Indiana legalized riverboat gambling.

The Argosy Casino & Hotel opened on the county's riverfront in 1996, and last year it attracted 7 million visitors.

The casino has generated tens of millions of dollars in gaming taxes and development fees, paying for schools, roads, parks, a new fire station and much more.

But two things haven't changed in the county. Most Dearborn residents still commute outside the county for work, and the tax base remains overwhelmingly residential.

The casino windfall could taper off if gambling is legalized in Ohio and Kentucky, so a group of government officials and business leaders wants to make sure it has something to show for the millions in gambling revenue.

They want one thing: Jobs.

The county is counting on its work force, open spaces and proximity to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, to attract new employers.

"Why is Argosy the most successful casino in the state? Location.

"It's close to the interstate, in a major metropolitan area," said Mike Rozow, president of the Dearborn County Chamber of Commerce.

And those assets would help other businesses. "We're trying to increase the tax base and the quality and number of jobs in Dearborn County, by attracting new companies, by helping existing companies expand, by creating an entrepreneurial spirit," said Lawrenceburg banker Bill Ritzmann.

The county, the city of Lawrenceburg and 38 businesses have formed the Dearborn County Economic Development Initiative, pooling more than $950,000 over three years to fund an effort to draw new employers. The group is searching for a candidate to run the initiative.

Lawrenceburg, site of the casino and monetarily its biggest beneficiary, agreed to kick in $100,000 a year for three years. "We're putting a lot of money into this," said Mayor Bill Cunningham.

"It's a good use of riverboat gaming revenue to help everyone."

Rozow said the initiative doesn't want the county to become dependent on the gaming revenues, "but to reinvest those dollars back into a community so that when Kentucky or Ohio gets (gambling), we have built a different set of wealth."

Gambling revenues are generated from three sources. State law requires casinos to share admissions fees and gaming revenues. Those two sources have provided more than $150 million since the casino opened in December 1996. Lawrenceburg received 50 percent of it, the county 25 percent, and the rest was split among 15 other communities, school boards, libraries and other agencies.

In addition, Lawrenceburg has its own development agreement with Argosy, for a share of gaming revenues. In the fiscal year that just ended June 30, the city collected $30.5 million in development fees.

While that money has been used to improve infrastructure and improve many public services, it hasn't changed the fact that Dearborn County is a bedroom community where the residents bear the brunt of the tax burden. About 40 percent of the county's work force commutes elsewhere for work. Wages in the county are below state averages, and only 26 percent of the tax base is industrial or commercial, compared to 43 percent statewide.

That means when it comes to funding basic services such as road maintenance, "it puts a huge burden on (residential) property owners that are paying taxes," said Travis Miller, the county's director of planning.

Goodbye, golden goose?

The initiative's participants are concerned the gaming revenues are becoming more important to local governments - and less dependable.

First, legalized gambling in Ohio and Kentucky may not be too far off. Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania signed into law Monday a plan to put 61,000 slot machines at horse tracks around the state. In Ohio, Pennsylvania's move may give impetus to gambling bills already in the legislature. And because Pennsylvania's law earmarks money to upgrade horse tracks and raise purses, Kentucky may have to act to protect its thoroughbred industry.

But Dearborn County sees other threats as well. The state government faces a $1 billion budget deficit, and the locals fear the state may try to siphon off more gaming taxes. It's happened before. In 2002, the Legislature capped the local share of wagering and admission revenues at 2001 levels.

Local leaders came to realize they'd better invest the money wisely while they have it. "We're seeing economic growth around us, and we looked in the mirror and said, 'What can we do differently to be as successful as some of our neighbors have been?' " said Ritzmann, CEO of United Community Bank in Lawrenceburg. "Given the advantages we think Dearborn County has, we felt like we needed a unified effort, to give us a much greater chance of success."

The economic development initiative is shaping up on several levels. Ritzmann, Rozow, Cunningham and other business and government leaders passed the hat for the initiative, and have begun drawing up a strategic plan.

"In the past, economic development has been attempted through various efforts of cities and towns and the county," Ritzmann said. "But no single entity had the budget or the talent, the horsepower to be as effective as we think we can by creating this public/private partnership amongst all the cities and towns and the county, and hiring a professional economic development director."

In addition, the county is updating its comprehensive plan, which is required by Indiana law for any region that has a zoning ordinance. The last full update came more than 20 years ago, and some parts of it have little relation to today's Dearborn County.

For instance, the old plan says land along the main state routes through the county is good for residential development. But that's not practical today, because some of those roads are choked on weekends with casino traffic.

Rural infrastructure

Bringing jobs to Dearborn County won't be as simple as only advertising. The county has few ready industrial sites with roads, sewers and utilities. Most of the county still uses septic systems.

Dearborn County also has competition from western Hamilton County. Henkle Schueler Realtors, for instance, is developing Harrison Commerce Center, a 160-acre industrial park in Harrison.

On the plus side, Dearborn County is barely 15 miles from the airport, and the gaming revenues provide a pot of potential incentives to new business.

Those connected with the initiative admit they're starting from scratch, but Rozow said that can be an advantage, because it allows Dearborn County to build the right image. "We have pretty much a clean slate," he said.

The group expects the economic development director it hires in the next few weeks to "guide our efforts and coordinate the efforts so that we can create good jobs, increase our tax base and create opportunities" for the county's young people, Ritzmann said.

E-mail johnb@enquirer.com