OXFORD — A year after the local casino narrowly passed, voters Tuesday came out strongly against two referendums to bring more casinos into the state.
The Biddeford racino lost 1,055 to 154, according to results from Town Manager Michael Chammings. Residents voted even more strongly against a Lewiston casino, with 1,129 against and 154 in favor.
John and Lori Lyon said they voted against the other casinos.
“Let’s see how this goes,” Lori Lyon said, referring to the Oxford casino still under construction. “Let’s see the impact of this first.”
She said last year’s Oxford casino proposal was the first such referendum she’d voted for. Her husband said he’d supported casinos before, but he didn’t think Maine could support five casinos.
“We’re not the Las Vegas of the north,” he said.
David Green said he didn’t believe Maine could support another casino.
Gene Smith agreed that five casinos were too many for Maine. That’s why he voted for the Biddeford and Lewiston referendums. “I want to see this one go down,” he said, motioning south on Route 26 toward Pigeon Hill where the Oxford casino is being built.
Smith said a casino in Oxford would exacerbate poverty in the area. “What do they need it for?”
He said he’d like to see five casinos in Maine so they could “go at it.” He said that much competition would hurt all of them.
Michael Porter said he voted against the Lewiston and Biddeford casinos, but not just because he’s an Oxford resident. “I’d like to see how the others do,” he said.
Last month, members of the Economic Development Advisory Committee voted to buy newspaper ads encouraging people to vote against the two casino proposals on Tuesday’s ballot.
Chammings said the Board of Selectmen blocked the action.
He said the idea of towns buying political ads is a legal gray area, and that towns have been taken to court for spending taxpayer money on political ads.
“We try to stay out of gray areas,” Chammings said.
One woman said she voted against the casinos but wouldn’t give her name because she has family in Biddeford. “They know where I live,” she said, laughing.
Other Oxford towns voted just as strongly against the referendums, including Paris where voters rejected the Biddeford rasino 1,228 to 272 and the Lewiston casino 1,320 to 185. In Norway, the Biddeford casino was rejected 1,240 to 316 and Lewiston lost 1,352 to 203.
treaves@sunjournal.com
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