The mayor’s office could either authorize or prohibit a new casino in Madison, but gambling is a sticky issue for Madison’s new mayor.

The Ho-Chunk Nation has been negotiating with Madison mayor Dave Cieslewicz for more than a month about turning DeJope Bingo Hall, located off I-90, into a casino. Under new tribal gaming compacts negotiated by Gov. Jim Doyle, the city and county must take a stand on the issue by Dec. 1. Otherwise, the governor has the authority to open a casino, and the city loses a say in the decision.

“If control is left in the state’s hand and the governor puts a casino up, then the city can’t negotiate with the tribes to receive any of the $113 million in city and county maintenance costs,” Cieslewicz’s communications director, Melanie Conklin, said.

The issue is a sensitive one for Cieslewicz because he is opposed to gambling. If the city can negotiate a profitable deal with Ho-Chunk, however, the referendum is likely to pass, Conklin said.

“Our concern is the addictive side of gambling and land-use implications,” she added.

Conklin also said that a casino in Madison might cause uncontrolled sprawl and competition with other tourist sites in the city, including Monona Terrace and the Alliant Energy Center.

Doyle has negotiated gambling compacts with nine of the 11 Native American tribes in Wisconsin. The tribes can now begin expansion of their casinos and provide more games.

The compacts call for the tribes to pay the state a set amount of money, in millions, during the next two years, and then annual amounts based on revenues. In return, the tribes are allowed to offer a wider array of games, including craps and roulette, and to expand operating hours.

Department of Administration Executive Assistant Sean Dilweg said Doyle is proud of the negotiations.

“The issue is to ensure [Wisconsin tribes] are financially stable because they are working in the state,” Dilweg said.

Ho-Chunk spokesperson Anne Thundercloud agrees that the expansion will give Native Americans in Wisconsin stronger economic stability.

“Our multimillion-dollar facilities offer services to our people, including education and youth programs and social services,” Thundercloud said.

Republican state legislators are opposed to the governor’s decision and have brought a lawsuit against Doyle, challenging his authority to negotiate gaming compacts with the tribes. They base their argument on a violation of a 1993 amendment to the state constitution, which restricts gambling expansions.

“We’re very concerned with [the lawsuit],” Thundercloud said. “The casinos are part of our livelihood, and it affects our people and vendors. There’s more at stake here than the Ho-Chunk Nation.”

Milwaukee County District Attorney Mike McCann could not be reached for comment, but Dilweg said the federal court system will likely decide whether Doyle has the sole power to negotiate state gaming compacts.

The Department of Administration’s goal is to finish the compacts with all tribes by June 2004 to fit the fiscal year.