Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 11, 1993 TAG: 9311110184
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Six groups submitted applications last month to build and operate the horse racing track. The aspirants range from a Covington dentist to the host of the sport's most famous event, the Kentucky Derby. They have until Jan. 3 to file any amendments to their plans.
Virginia voters approved pari-mutuel racing in 1988. The commission wants to grant a license in early spring and, given that timetable, racing could begin as early as 1995.
The commission planned to schedule a series of site visits and public hearings beginning next month to evaluate the proposals, but some committee members think they should wait until they have a full panel.
"We are a wheel with only four spokes instead of five," Arthur W. Arundel told his fellow members.
One seat became vacant recently when a member resigned. Gov. Douglas Wilder has the option of appointing a new member before he leaves office Jan. 15, and he said he plans to do so shortly.
But several members said they're worried about what will happen when Republican Gov.-elect George Allen moves into the executive mansion.
"The transition of the state government that we have now lands very much on us," Arundel said. The transition teams of the attorney-general- and governor-elect should "focus on this issue as a matter of very high priority."
A lawyer for one of the applicants, the Maryland Jockey Club, said he, too, is concerned about changing the makeup of the commission in midstream.
"I'm not sure if that happens, that all of the applicants aren't going to want to be able to say to those people, `Wait a minute, you all have to go back and start from zero,' " said William G. Thomas.
"If it's at a critical point, you're not going to want people who just dropped in by parachute to make a very critical decision," he said.
Ken Stroupe, a spokesman for Allen's transition team, noted that Allen has said he would "appoint individuals who share his ideology and philosophy of governing. Beyond that he simply has not reached the point where he's making decisions on the Racing Commission as of yet."
New governors usually make their own appointments and staff, but Wilder said it may not be advisable for Allen to clean house at the Racing Commission.
"You have to have some institution involved in state government that isn't changed just because a new governor comes in," he said. "I left a lot of things in place, intact, because of the very continuous nature of the operation."
The commission considered scheduling public hearings at or near potential track sites before Christmas.
But Ernest Oare, a former president of the Virginia Thoroughbred Association, said he didn't understand what the rush was all about.
"I find it very difficult sitting here for an hour and a half worrying about the next 30 days when I've been worrying about it for 20 years."
by CNB