Tunica County voted against a proposal to house unaccompanied migrant children at the former Harrah’s casino site.
Mississippi State Rep. Cedric Burnett told ABC24 the Tunica County Board of Supervisors had opposed the proposal in a 3-2 vote.
According to those familiar with the proposal, the repurposed site could have housed as many as 2,000 migrant children and teens at the hotels that were part of the complex, which closed in 2014.
“Tunica can help, just not at that location,” said Burnett before the vote. "That location is prime for development."
Burnett, whose district includes the property, believed the project would not bring enough revenue to Tunica County to be worth disrupting the gaming industry.
“There would only be two people that would make money: the guy selling the property and the group proposing this project. They'll receive hundreds of millions of dollars; Tunica won’t see a dime,” Burnett said.
The Tunica County Sheriff’s Office also came out strongly against the proposal. Sheriff K.C. Hamp had said before the vote the county simply did not have the resources to support the plan.
“Everyone needs a safe haven, but there has to be strategic planning. And in this case, when its concerning public safety, Tunica County does not have the resources to accommodate something of this magnitude without planning,” Hamp said.
According to Burnett, the company behind the project is known as H&S.
