Taunton Residents Vote Whether To Roll The Dice On Casino Proposal

The proposal, pitched by the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, calls for a $500 million resort casino to be built at the junction of routes 24 and 140.

Response to the plan has been strong and has clearly divided the community.

Supporters point to the potential economic benefits of a casino. Derek Sinclair lives right next door to the proposed site.

"Taunton needs something to revive the city," Sinclair said. "I don't think we should let this chance slip through our hands. We need the jobs for sure, and I just think it would be great to put Taunton on the map."

But opponents of the plan, like longtime resident Tom Tanguay, call it a smokescreen.

"I'm very concerned that we'll be inundated by traffic, traffic accidents, drunken driving. There's nothing about this casino that says this is good for the Taunton community," Tanguay said. "It's the wrong place at the wrong time."

Saturday's referendum is nonbinding, but Taunton's mayor says he'll respect the outcome and withdraw the casino proposal if voters reject it.