east metro

On Tuesday, other Anoka County commissioners were at first reluctant to include a demand for a stadium-plan payment as part of the racino resolution.

“That was long ago; I’m not stepping backwards,” said Kordiak, a member of the 2006 board that voted, 6-1, in support of a stadium in Blaine. Sivarajah was the lone dissenter then.

“If I could get money out of Ramsey County, I’d love to do that,” said Commissioner Dan Erhart, who said he has enjoyed working with the Ramsey County Board. But Erhart said that the positive publicity Anoka County got during its stadium push as “the county that gets things done” was worth the money it spent trying to lure the Vikings.

“Two million dollars’ worth of advertising?” Sivarajah responded.

“Ramsey County has taken Anoka County’s package,” Sivarajah said. “We paid for it as Anoka County taxpayers.”

Erhart, a member of the Minnesota Racing Commission, said the additional income from slot machines would help Canterbury Park in Shakopee and the Running Aces attract top horses. But some of the county commissioners balked, saying that an old agreement between the tracks could give Canterbury as much as 90 percent of any racino earning targeted for the two tracks. The board asked that Running Aces be given a more proportionate share.

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