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Rohnert Park Casino Won't Face Ballot

SAN FRANCISCO -- A controversial casino proposed for the city of Rohnert Park can proceed to the next step in state and federal negotiations without further input from local voters, a state appeals court has ruled.

The Sonoma County suburb of Rohnert Park signed a $200 million agreement with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria to build a casino near city limits in 2003. Once the city council approved the deal, casino opponents gathered signatures to bring the agreement to a popular vote.

But the Court of Appeal in San Francisco held Thursday that the agreement could not be challenged in a referendum because the deal did not create policy. Rather, the three-judge panel said, it spelled out how much the tribe would pay the city to soften the casino's effect on local traffic and law enforcement.

Copyright © Las Vegas Sun. Inc. Republished with permission.

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