Campaign09

MIAMI (CBS4) ― As Miami Dade voters go to the polls, they will be asked more than just their pick for president.

On the ballot will be a controversial property tax amendment, whether to make the property appraiser's job an elected position rather than an appointed position and a referendum to allow Las Vegas style slot machines at Miami Jai-Alai, the Flagler Sports and Entertainment Center dog track and Calder Race Course, with tax dollars going toward the state's education fund.

Amendment 1, which needs a 60-percent approval to become law, doubles the Homestead Exemption on primary homes valued at more than $50-thousand but only for non-school taxes. A "portability" provision would allow homesteaders to take existing Save Our Homes benefits along when they move. Save Our Homes limits annual assessment increases to 3 percent but only for primary homes.

If the amendment succeeds, the average Florida homeowner would save between $220 and $240 a year. The savings will differ substantially depending on a home's value and local tax rates. Critics have argued that the relatively small savings won't be worth the potential cuts to schools and other public services. They also say it will increase the existing unfairness in Florida's tax system and end hopes for developing a better plan.

Three years ago, Miami-Dade County voters rejected a slot machine referendum, while voters in Broward County approved them for its jai-alai fronton and horse and dog racetracks.

Critics have said that gambling targets the poor in the community, erodes family values and is not the answer for Florida's education needs. Supporters counter that the slots will generate needed money for education and can help bolster a sluggish economy. They point out that slots are already available in Broward and on gambling boats that leave Miami for international waters.

"Since 2006, slot machines have been operating at three Broward County "racinos" -- Gulfstream Park, Pompano Park Race Track and Mardi Gras Racetrack and Gaming Center -- generating more than $100 million for the state's Educational Enhancement Trust Fund," said Sam Farkas, spokesman for the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering.

Slot machine revenue is taxed at 50 percent in Broward County, and that same rate would apply to Miami-Dade if the slot machine referendum is approved.

A study done by Coral Gables-based Washington Economics Group said more than 64-hundred jobs could be created by the slot machines in their first year of operation, according to Yes for a Greater Miami-Dade, a slot machine proponent. The study projects $26 million in tax revenues will go to the county and the cities of Miami and Miami Gardens in the first year.

Among those who support the slots measure are Flagler Sports and Entertainment Center owner Barbara Havenick, former U.S. Representative Carrie Meek and state Sen. Alex Villalobos, R-Miami.

Former Governor Jeb Bush, who campaigned against the slots measure in 2005, and former governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham oppose Miami-Dade slots.

"As a lifetime citizen of this community, I am saddened at the continued attempts to define our beautiful community's future as tied to a slot machine. We are better than that," Graham wrote.

Even the Humane Society of the United States has chimed in, donating $500,000 for the anti-slots campaign because of the potential economic benefits the machines present for dog racing, which it strongly opposes.

State figures show there are about 3,285 slot machines running in Florida. The addition of slots in Miami-Dade could potentially add 2,000 to that total.

Some industry observers note that the slot machines in Broward have not met expectations, partly because of the high tax rate and competition from the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The Seminoles have seven casinos in the state, including the Hard Rock hotels and entertainment centers in Tampa and Hollywood. In November, the Seminole Tribe and the state agreed to allow Las Vegas style slots, blackjack and other card games at the Indian casinos, in return for tax dollars generated by those games.
Legislative leaders have challenged the agreement in court.

Joseph Weinert, senior vice president of Spectrum Gaming Group in Northfield, N.J., said Wall Street investors and slot machine manufacturers have been nonplussed with the amount of money generated by Broward's slots.

"Given the relatively poor performance of slot machines in Broward, I don't think that too many people see slot machines in Miami-Dade as being an instant bonanza," Weinert said.

If Miami-Dade pari-mutuels get slot machines, they will join Broward's facilities in competing with the vast experience and deep pockets of the Seminoles, Weinert said.

"Whatever the racinos can do from a marketing perspective, the Seminoles can do three times better," Weinert said.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)