A committee is indeed important to work out the due dollars to be paid to the local government from the Firekeepers Casino. The leaders from the local region are working to establish a team of reliable managers in this regard.

The careful focus in the matter has been probably because the state is trying to work over on the long existing compact between the tribes and the state since 1998. Per the compact, the tribe is supposed to be paying 2% of their slot machine revenues to the state.

The leaders from the Calhoun County and Emmett Township of late started over on a road trip to evaluate and get to know how the rest of the town is getting casino revenues of 2% are spending it.

There were several other towns, which were influenced by the compact of 1998. Some of them were the Manistee in Manistee County, Petoskey in Emmet County and New Buffalo in Berrien County; however, in New Buffalo, there arouse a political dispute involving the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and the revenue sharing board and this in turn caused a few amendments to be involved in the compact.

The casino committee of Calhoun County's and Gene Adkins, the Emmett Township supervisor made a road trip to the three casino towns involved in the 1998 compacts to know how they are using the 2% proceeds.

The representative of the state, Kate Segal of D-Battle Creek stated that statewide uniform compacts is being a topic of discussion now and again and very frequently so that we can continue to decide "apples to apples."

Fire Keepers, will be owned by the Athens Township-based Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi. The Firekeepers are going to open in early August at Interstate 94's Exit 104 in Emmett Township.

The FireKeepers will home nearly, 2,500 slots machines at a 236,000 square feet area. Millions of tourists each year are expected to keep the show running. We are yet to see if it will materialize, it probably will.