1. Council must solve
$413,000 shortfall for
2015 after $500,000
deficit in 2014 budget
STEVE KADEL
staff reporter
La Center City Council mem-
bers are discussing ways to offset
an anticipated $413,000 shortfall
in next year’s budget, a problem
due primarily to declining gam-
bling tax revenue.
“It’s not going to be easy,” said
Paul Lewis, the former City of
Vancouver finance director who
is facilitating La Center budget
hearings.
During a workshop with coun-
cil members Sept. 16, Lewis un-
veiled a list of potential actions
that include, among other things,
increasing the City’s gambling
tax on card rooms from 10 per-
cent to 11 percent.
In a related action last week,
Woodland City Council members
gave preliminary approval to re-
ducing that city’s gambling tax on
the Oak Tree Restaurant Casino
from 5 percent to 4 percent.
La Center’s fiscal dilemma
stems largely from the closure of
Chips Casino. That contributed
to a $500,000 decline in revenue
this year, and La Center Finance
Director Suzanne Levis said
council members will plug that
gap by taking money from the
City’s reserve fund.
However, council members in-
dicated during last week’s meet-
ing they are
reluctant to use
that remedy
again in 2015.
The fund cur-
rently stands
at $17 million,
Levis said.
Other po-
tential reve-
nue-producing options mentioned
by Lewis include adopting a 6
percent gross receipts tax on
electricity, natural gas and tele-
phone service providers to bring
in about $250,000. A similar tax
on water, sewer and solid waste
service providers would provide
another $100,000, according to
his projections.
ACTION AT the Oak Tree Restaurant Casino is shown when the casino was under previous
ownership. The current owners want the City of Woodland to reduce its grambling tax from 5
percent to 4 percent.
CH518837
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Sports �����������������������������������������B1
Legals �����������������������������������������B5
Classifieds ������������������������������B13
Health BEauty �������������������������C1
Youth Focus �������������������������������C5
Alpaca Farm Days ����������������������C6
Home Family ����������������������������C7
Opinion ����������������������������������������C8
Calender ����������������������������������C10
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The Reflector
P.O. Box 2020, Battle Ground WA 98604
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CH528156
Prairie High School
graduate remains in
rehab at hospital
JOANNA MICHAUD
staff reporter
On July 30, 18-year-old Jack
Fletcher was driving home from
Central Oregon to surprise his
family with an unplanned visit.
His parents, however, didn’t re-
alize just how big of a surprise
they were going to get.
“He was driving home to
surprise us,” said Jack’s mom,
Kelly. “And, well, he definitely
surprised us.”
The Prairie High School
graduate was six weeks into
a fire training program with
Crook County Fire Res-
cue in Prineville, OR,
when he decided to make
the drive home to visit his
family. But Jack didn’t quite
make it all the way home as
a Ford pickup truck driv-
en by 26-year-old Trevor
Hughes of Rhododendron,
Jack Fletcher making progress
Fire Cadet
Down
Fundraiser
What: Fundraiser for Jack
Fletcher, who was seriously
injured in a head-on collision
When: Wed., Oct. 1, during
regular business hours, 11
a.m.-11 p.m.
Location: Mill Creek Pub,
1710 SW 9th Ave., Battle
Ground, over by the Battle
Ground Cinema
Details: Mill Creek Pub will
hold a raffle to help raise
funds for the Fletcher family.
Do not need to be present to
win. Mill Creek will donate a
portion of the day’s sales
Contact: For more
information or to make
a donation, contact Bill
Martino, (360) 921-9179
at a glance
Photo courtesy of Emma Fletcher
Photo courtesy of Emma Fletcher
JACK FLETCHER, 18, has been in the hospital since he was involved in a head-on collision
on Highway 26 on July 30. He was recently transferred to the inpatient trauma and
rehabilitation floor at Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel.
A PRAIRIE HIGH School graduate, Jack Fletcher was six weeks into a
fire training program with Crook County Fire Rescue in Prineville, OR.
Fletcher took part in the Clark County fire cadet program and completed the
program in his second year.
Project hinges on lower
gambling tax rate
STEVE KADEL
staff reporter
Oak Tree Restaurant officials
are one step away from having
their casino’s city gambling tax
reduced from 5 percent to 4 per-
cent – a move that could allow
the company to build a 70- to 80-
room hotel, according to an Oak
Tree spokesman.
Woodland City Council mem-
bers voted Sept. 15 to give pre-
liminary support to the change,
which was sought by Oak Tree
consultant Wally Fitzwater as
a way to keep the town’s iconic
restaurant open.
Fitzwater told council mem-
bers at last week’s meeting the
Oak Tree is struggling with its
tax burden. The restaurant is
in financial trouble as a result,
he said.
“The Oak Tree can’t stand
on its own,” Fitzwater said.
“The way to do that is to have
a successful casino. But we
have to compete with the casi-
nos in La Center. We also have
to compete with the Cowlitz
(Tribe’s) casino people say will
open in four to eight years.”
In making his plea for the
reduced tax on card room rev-
enue, Fitzwater said the Oak
Tree wants to build a hotel to
Oak Tree officials eye
hotel construction
“Having 180 people
employed is good
for Woodland.”
– Marshall Allen
Woodland City Council member
Photo by Mike Schultz
La Center
struggles with
anticipated deficit
Jim Irish
See Fletcher on Page A3
See oak tree on Page A2
See la center on Page A3
IN Your paper this week
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