Mayor Martin J. Walsh once again blasted the state gambling commission Thursday, this time accusing the board’s acting chairman of bias against the city and claiming that the panel has illegally manipulated the casino licensing process.
Walsh called for the people who selected the commissioners — Governor Deval Patrick, Attorney General Martha Coakley, and Treasurer Steve Grossman — to step in and take action against the board, which is in the middle of deliberations over granting the Greater Boston resort casino license.
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“I think we need intervention from the people who appointed them,” said Walsh, who sent a letter to the commission Thursday outlining his grievances. “They’ve clearly gone beyond their duty.”
Walsh’s criticism came two days after a Wynn Resorts casino proposal for Everett emerged with stronger overall grades in the commission’s ranking system, jeopardizing a lucrative compensation deal Walsh negotiated with the rival proposal by Mohegan Sun in Revere. Walsh could not reach a compensation deal with Wynn and then refused to participate in arbitration hearings, leaving the city’s compensation from the Wynn project in the hands of the commission. Boston would probably be compensated far less if Wynn earns the license.
Despite his clear disdain for how he said Wynn handled negotiations, Walsh insisted that he did not care which project prevailed; he said that he was concerned with ensuring that Boston is treated fairly.
The commission declined to respond directly to Walsh’s charges, pointing out that it has not been determined how much compensation Boston would receive from the Wynn project, if it should win.
“We are confident that our decision-making has been and will continue to be based strictly on merit and thoughtful analysis, as we hope has been evident by our extraordinary commitment to transparency, fairness, and incorporation of community participation,” the board’s spokesman, Hank Shafran, said in a statement. “The commission remains steadfast in its commitment to maximize benefits and minimize impacts of expanded gaming for the citizens of Eastern Massachusetts, as well as the entire Commonwealth.”
The mayor’s allegations of bias are similar to earlier charges he lodged against the gambling commissioners, who in the spring rejected the mayor’s efforts to win more power over the two competing casino proposals on the city’s border.
In his blistering letter to the commission Thursday, Walsh’ alleged that the commission has “consistently engaged in conduct that unequivocally demonstrates its bias against Boston.”
Walsh said that acting chairman James McHugh accused him earlier this year of abandoning Charlestown by not participating in the arbitration, which Walsh claims is wrong: It is the commission that has abandoned the city by “unlawfully” denying Boston the right to hold referendum votes on the two projects, according to the letter.
The mayor also believes that the arbitration process, set up by the commission to resolve disputes over compensation, exceeded the commission’s authority under the law.
Walsh further claimed McHugh played a key role in frustrating Boston’s claim to be a “host community,” under state law, for the casino projects on its borders. Host communities have tremendous power over casino proposals, including the right to hold a binding referendum on each project.
Walsh also cited McHugh’s comments this week that the commission’s deliberations on the Greater Boston license will not end in a 2-to-2 tie, a mathematical possibility with only four members participating in the decision.
The board’s chairman, Stephen Crosby, has recused himself from the deliberations due to potential conflicts.
“For a commissioner who is not supposed to know what the future of gaming is in the Boston region, he’s making public statements that he knows it’s not going to be a tie,” Walsh said, suggesting the acting chairman sounds like he already knows how the board will vote.
“In my opinion he has been very unfair to the process and is not doing justice to the commission and not doing justice to gaming in Massachusetts,” the mayor said.
Commission members months ago discussed the possibility of a deadlock, and said they planned to continue talking for as long a necessary to come to a decision.
Walsh further said the Wynn project comes with too many unanswered questions, citing allegations that the current owners of the Everett property may have undisclosed partners.
The commission’s enforcement arm has investigated the allegations, and the commission has approved Wynn’s revised agreement to buy the land.
Walsh, during a 45-minute interview at the Globe, urged the commission to halt its deliberations, which began Monday.
“The best thing for gaming in Massachusetts would be to postpone this until the Gaming Commission can get their act together,” Walsh said. His letter, however, contained no mention of a delay.
The commission has already declined an earlier call by the mayor to delay the granting of the Boston area casino license until after voters decide in November whether or not to repeal the 2011 casino law.
Walsh declined to take a position on the repeal on Thursday.
The commissioners are scheduled to choose a winner for the Greater Boston license as soon as Monday.
The commission was designed by law to be an independent board, and it is unclear how the elected officials who appointed the members could intervene in its work, as Walsh suggested.