Greene County’s decision for a proposed casino doesn’t happen until June, but the decision on Linn County’s proposed casino is this week.

It follows the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s site visit and public forum in Cedar Rapids earlier this month with over 1,100 people in attendance for the public forum.

A few Greene County officials were also there and saw first-hand what the comments were like.

Guy Richardson with Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation, the non-profit partner with Wild Rose Entertainment, said he was undecided how he thought the Commission would decide on Linn County’s casino after a four-hour public forum.

He believed there were 41 speakers during the forum and about 16 were against Linn County’s casino with most of the opposition being from surrounding casinos and public officials from the areas with those casinos.

Richardson spoke about how whether or not the decision of Linn County’s casino will impact Greene County’s decision by the Commission.

“I don’t think the outcome of the vote on the Cedar Rapids casino affects what happens here in Greene County.  I think they’re (IRGC) is looking at them as two separate projects with separate pitfalls and at the same time with advantages.  I’m still very optimistic about our chances.”

Despite what the feasibility studies showed during the March meeting in Altoona of where both consultant companies that were hired by the Commission reported that Iowa didn’t need anymore casinos, economic development director Ken Paxton said that could still weigh in the minds of the five-member Commission Board.

However, Paxton believes that if Linn County is denied a casino, then Greene County’s chances may look more positive before their decision is heard on June 12th.

Linn County’s decision will be made at the IRGC’s next meeting which is Thursday, April 17th in Council Bluffs.