A hearing on revoking the card room’s business license is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at American Canyon City Hall.

A spokesman for Napa Valley Casino owners on Wednesday fired back at American Canyon officials’ threat to revoke the card room’s business license.
Chuck Finnie of Whitehurst/Mosher Campaign Strategy and Media, a San Francisco public relations firm, said the threat by American Canyon officials was merely the latest intimidation tactic to force Napa Valley Casino owner Brian Altizer and his partners into paying admissions tax, the $2-per-visitor fee passed by voters last year.
“This is all clearly a charade,” Finnie said in a telephone interview, “but it’s more than a charade, because it’s playing with people’s livelihoods.”
Finnie said the card room employs 80 full-time and part-time workers and another 20 contract employees who would lose their jobs for the holidays if the city follows through on its threat.
On Friday, outgoing City Manager Richard Ramirez delivered a letter to Altizer saying the card room was out of compliance with state business regulations.
“The city has been informed that the Napa Valley Casino (NVC) has been placed on suspended status by the California Secretary of State,” the letter states.
According to the California Secretary of State website, a businesses’ “powers, rights and privileges” can be suspended by the agency for failure to file required information.
Finnie said Altizer and his partners — his wife, Von, and Keith Miller — were in compliance and accused the city of “bullying” by deliberately using an outdated listing. The state website shows BVK Gaming, Inc., the name of Altizer’s business, as “active,” while the status of the Napa Valley Casino listing is “suspended.” The contact person listed for Napa Valley Casino is Patricia Fiorini, a previous owner of the card room according to Finnie.
“It’s a tactic; it’s a ploy,” Finnie said.
William Ross, city attorney for American Canyon, deflected Finnie’s accusations.
“The secretary of state records speak for themselves,” Ross said by phone.
Last month, the city filed a criminal complaint against the casino for nonpayment of admissions tax, approximately $108,000, calculated by using the card room’s own attendance numbers verified by independent audit. In response, the card room owners filed a civil suit challenging the law’s legality.
Finnie called the admissions tax “patently illegal” and said the city was desperate.
“They’re throwing a bunch of haymakers at (Altizer). If one of them doesn’t land, they’re going to lose this (fight).”
Acknowledging that Altizer should have challenged the law in court sooner, Finnie echoed the card room owners’ contention that the owners couldn’t afford to pay the tax and stay profitable.
A hearing on revoking the card room’s business license is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at City Hall.
“Our hope and expectation is by the time Monday rolls around American Canyon city officials will acknowledge that in fact the owners of Napa Valley Casino are in full compliance with all filing requirements and will drop the threat to revoke a business license and put a company that employees 80-100 people out of business over the holidays,” Finnie said.
Ramirez, along with other city employees, is on furlough this week and was unavailable Wednesday for comment.
Copyright 2011 Napa Valley Register. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.