Stanton Says ‘No Deal’ to Gambling House

Stanton’s City Council dealt a losing hand Tuesday night to a proposed card club after expressing concern that monitoring a gambling house would cost more than any extra revenues a club might bring to the city.

Last April, George Hardie, owner of a card club in Bell Gardens, had proposed a 60-table club, bar and coffee shop for Stanton. The club would have raised an extra $2.5 million next year in revenues for the city, according to estimates by the city manager’s office. The city has an annual operating budget of $6.5 million.

“It was felt there was no way to ensure to the public that the club would be an absolutely clean environment,” said City Manager James Buell, adding that he originally supported the proposal. But after visits to other California cities with card clubs, he said he opposed the proposal. “I just saw too many problems.”

The council voted 5 to 0 to reject the proposal, with several members citing fear of potential crime associated with gambling parlors.

“We would have had to hire another half dozen police officers to monitor the club,” Buell said.

In a cost-cutting move, the council also voted unanimously to shift operation of the 27-member city Fire Department to the county. Under terms of the $1.6-million annual contract, 26 city firefighters will become county employees. One secretary will continue working for the city.

Buell said the switch, expected to take place by summer’s end, will save the city almost $200,000 next year and became necessary because the city does not have enough money to add the extra firefighters and equipment needed in the next three years to keep pace with the city’s growth.