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Middleboro signs pact with Wampanoags; A sense of resignation preceeded vote

64% of Middleboro voters approve casino deal
Selectmen immediately sign contract with tribe

What's next?
With the favorable vote comes a pledge by the town support the casino in the next steps of the process, which could take more than a year. The casino developers must negotiate a “compact” with Governor Deval Patrick to set terms for a waiver of the state prohibition on slot machines in exchange for the state receiving a share of slot revenues. Most legal specialists also believe the state Legislature must approve the compact.Voters in Middleborough today approved a historic agreement to bring a casino to the semi-rural town 40 miles south of Boston.  By a margin of 2,387 to 1,335, voters approved the agreement between town selectmen and the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe that calls for the town to receive at least $11 million a year for hosting the $1 billion resort casino.

Town officials immediately took steps to sign the agreement.  The vote was announceed at about 3 pm at a town meeting held on the high school athletic field.  The voters, however, sent a mixed message yesterday. In a separate, non binding question before the town meeting, the residents voted no on a proposal to have a casino in the town. Town officials insisted that the open ended question -- approved by a voice vote -- had no impact on the agreement with the Wampanoags. But casino opponents were nonetheless cheered by that result...  Read the rest of thie Globe story here.
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A sense of resignation hung over voters

Voters at a massive outdoor Town Meeting today overwhelmingly approved a deal with the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe that could bring casino gambling to the state and millions of dollars to the town...  Saturday’s vote came after about 2½ hours of debate on the athletic field behind the high school where residents gathered for the historic Town Meeting. Casino advocates argued it was a lucrative deal and a tremendous opportunity for the struggling town to get needed funding. Opponents said the deal wasn’t generous enough and was reached without sufficient public input.

Residents carted in lawn chairs, food and umbrellas Saturday morning in anticipation of the lengthy meeting .  Town Meeting in Massachusetts dates back to the early 17th century, but Middleborough’s meeting was unusual in its size and scope. Roger Brunelle, the town’s information technology director, handled logistics and compared the security to a visit by a head of state. He estimated it would cost the town $100,000.

A sense of resignation that a casino was a done deal drove the decisions of several voters interviewed as they walked into the meeting...  Read the rest of this Standard-Times story here.