ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, N.C. — People came in droves to fill a meeting room Tuesday night.
It was all about a proposal to bring a casino to Rockingham County.
Many of the people who spoke at the meeting said they are against the idea. Only one person spoke up in support of the idea.
WFMY News 2's Itinease McMiller learned more about why people feel the way they do.
The controversy surrounding a possible casino in Rockingham County led to a standing room with nearly 500 people filling the pews at Ellisboro Baptist Church in Madison.
"Casinos are monuments that exploit the poor," an attendee shared.
"We didn't ask for it," another attendee added. "We're just asking folks to respect what's going on in our own neighborhood."
Last month, NC Development Holdings asked the county planning board to rezone nearly 200 acres off Highway 220.
The planning board denied the request, but county commissioners have the final say about rezoning the land.
Some in the community are doing everything they can to let county and state leaders know they don't want developments on the property.
They even called on Mark Walker, former U.S. Congressman and Republican candidate running for North Carolina governor.
"The thing that bothered me the most is the lack of transparency. The only play they have when you have powerful folks like Phil Berger, is to get on the phone is to unite is to engage," Walker said.
Republican lawmaker Phil Berger said a casino could bring $6 million into the county annually and nearly 1,750 jobs.
Although the development company hasn't shared what they plan to do with the land — paperwork filed with the state showed it's tied to a casino developer.
"Things associated with gambling we're going to see some good and we're going to see some bad," Sheriff Sam Page shared.
Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page spoke at tonight's meeting saying the county is already dealing with drug overdoses and human trafficking.
"Public safety has to be considered on the front end of these conversations," Sheriff Page continued.
Stephen James is a professional poker dealer and said he's seen good come from gaming.
"The casino in Cherokee has helped that tribe immensely," James said.
He was one of the few people at the meeting in favor of a casino.
"There will be hotels restaurants other establishments shopping," James said. "I think it's a big help to any community it ends up in."
Nothing is set in stone. New Legislation would first need to get passed to legalize casinos off of Native American land.
There is no timeline for when that legislation could be drafted.
As far as rezoning in Rockingham County, county commissioners are expected to vote on the rezoning august 21.
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