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Date: 7/26/2021
WEST SPRINGFIELD – The town of West Springfield was recently notified of an award of $200,000 in Community Mitigation Funds from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC).
This award was in addition to the annual community mitigation payment of $375,000 that West Springfield receives directly from MGM Springfield to offset the impacts of its casino on the community.
Every year, based on the CPI index, the annual funding will increase.
Mayor William Reichelt said this is the second year they have received $200,000 from the MGC for public safety. The MGC grants have a few different categories in which a community can apply for a specific impact grant.
Since 2016, West Springfield has received nearly $1.8 million in Community Mitigation funds from MGC.
Additionally, Reichelt said they have done some other things with funding. “We received $1 million for constructing Park Avenue, a few hundred thousand dollars for the design of Park Avenue, design of Elm Street and the planning study for our police department of $440,000.”
He explained, “The Gaming Commission takes the money in from the three casinos that we have. They use that revenue that they get – gaming revenue – and give it out as grants to impact the community.”
Reichelt said, “My administration has been diligent in pursuing these funds and we have been able to successfully demonstrate legitimate funding needs year after year.”