Wonderland erases debt; hearing set for today on ’09 racing schedule

REVERE – Paid in full: Wonderland Greyhound Park wired $752,301.22 to the city Wednesday to pay off an adjusted bill for overdue property taxes and sewer bills.”We have it and all taxes are paid off,” said Chief Financial Officer George Anzuoni.The payment ends a two-year effort by the city to collect the track’s back taxes that escalated in the last four months when the city pressed foreclosure proceedings against Wonderland and threatened to pull its liquor and other licenses.”We’re happy to be current again and we thank the mayor and License Commission for working closely with us unlike some local officials who wanted to make it a political storm,” said Wonderland President Richard Dalton.He did not name City Council President George Colella, but it was Colella who chastised Mayor Thomas Ambrosino and other city officials on Oct. 6 for not lowering the boom on the track’s delinquent payments.”The administration’s credibility with the average taxpayer is at stake by letting Wonderland go on its merry way,” Colella said during that evening’s council meeting.Dalton called “the timing coincidental” on the track’s decision to pay up one day before the state Racing Commission’s hearing on Wonderland’s request for 2009 racing dates. The hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. today in City Hall.He also discounted any connection between the payment and next Tuesday’s vote on ballot Question 3, which seeks to phase out greyhound racing by 2010. Dalton expressed confidence voters will defeat the proposal.He did say track owners and Suffolk Downs principals wanted to demonstrate to the Racing Commission that the option agreement the tracks signed during the summer translated into “financial strength going forward” for the both entities.”The deal was in the works for six months. It was important to have it done by the date of the (today’s) hearing.”In their Aug. 13 announcement of the agreement, tracks owners said it gives Suffolk Downs an option to purchase Wonderland and for the tracks to share in the potential benefits from future development at both sites.They said the agreement’s goal is to protect the “thousands of existing jobs at both sites and strengthen the effort to bring a resort-style casino to the East Boston-Revere area should the state decide to expand gaming.”