Middleborough Set to Up the Ante

Middleborough officials say they are raising their demands from a Cape Cod tribe looking to build a casino in the rural South Shore community, asking for a more lucrative deal that could put hundreds of millions of dollars in the town's coffers.

The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, which is considering building a resort style casino in Middleborough, originally agreed to pay the town $7 million annually as well as $150 million for infrastructure upgrades. In exchange, town leaders said they would support a casino bid at the state and federal levels. Critics said that amount would not provide enough money to make the necessary improvements in the town's water, sewer, and roads.

A revamped agreement calls for the tribe to give the town at least $250 million plus a percentage of the casino's annual slot machine revenues, which could pay for new roads and utilities.

Selectman Adam Bond says the ongoing talks indicate the tribe's predilection to strike a deal with Middleborough. "I am committed to pursuing the discussion to see if we can end up on the same page, with mutual benefits," Bond says.

Middleborough has not yet presented the revised agreement to the tribe, but speaking yesterday before the new deal was announced, Mashpee tribe Chairman Glenn Marshall said he believes the original agreement is fair.