Local Bars Hesitant on Proposed Video Gaming Ordinance

PEORIA - Peoria establishments could soon pay more to run video gaming machines.

But local bar owners think it's too soon for the city to create a new fee.  

A proposed city ordinance would require a new license for establishments that want to have video gaming. According to city manager Patrick Urich that would include annual fee - originally pitched at $500.

"Our perspective will be that we would set aside these revenues and try to utilize that for the 'Don't Shoot' campaign," said Urich.  

Urich says city leaders are considering the possible labor costs for issuing licenses, before voting on a fee.

"That's really looking at the amount of administrative time that we have for processing the licenses, police time that might be involved in making sure the establishments are appropriate for this type of activity," he said.  

However, Dan Solomon, owner of the Red Barn, a Peoria bar, isn't too sold on the idea.

"Well I think that it's just kinda' jumping the gun a little bit because nobody really knows what these are going to do," said Solomon.  

Solomon just turned on his machines in December and thinks the city should wait to see how impact on local businesses, first. Besides, the state already requires the city get five percent of all earnings.

"I think that they ought to consider the fact, like I said, that they are already getting some money from these machines and that they might want to consider that," said Solomon.  

A request to push back a vote on the ordinance is on Tuesday's city council agenda. The city manager says city leaders want more time to determine the cost of service for issuing the licenses. Solomon says that wouldn't change much. He'd rather the city wait at least six months.

"Well I think two weeks is still way too soon because there's not enough information coming in yet about what these machines are going to do. Nobody knows," he said.