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American Canyon threatens to shut down Napa Valley Casino
MICHAEL WATERSON Napa Valley Register | Posted: Wednesday, November 23, 2011
The city of American Canyon has served notice it plans to pull the business license of Napa Valley Casino, the city’s longtime card room.
A letter sent Friday to Casino owner Brian Altizer from outgoing City Manager Rich Ramirez said: “The city has been informed that the Napa Valley Casino has been placed on suspended status by the California Secretary of State.”
The letter goes on to say the card room’s business license will be revoked unless Napa Valley Casino can present evidence it is authorized to do business in the state.
Last month the city filed a criminal complaint against the card room for nonpayment of card room admissions tax, a $2 per visitor tax passed by voters last year.
Both City Attorney William Ross and Ramirez stated that the actions of the Secretary of State were unrelated to the city’s criminal complaint.
“It’s completely unrelated,” Ramirez said. He said business license hearings were very common.
Ross emphasized that the suspension by the state was a fluid situation and could quickly change.
“The suspension status changes daily,” Ross said.
Ross referred to the office of the Secretary of State for clarification on what suspended status means and why it was put in place.
A press release by Napa Valley Casino owners said a shutdown would put up to 100 card room employees out of work, and quotes Altizer as saying Ramirez has “run amok.”
“It’s time for the elected leadership of American Canyon to ask the outgoing city manager to step aside and let cooler heads find ways for employers like Napa Valley Casino and the city of American Canyon to work together for the betterment of all,” the email quotes Altizer as saying.
A hearing on revoking the card room business license is scheduled at City Hall conference room Monday at 10:00 a.m.