Next month a new casino will open in Vicksburg.

That will make five. Vicksburg won’t approach the full-fledged resort status of Tunica, tapping the Memphis market and offering nine casinos, or the Mississippi Gulf Coast, offering 11. But we’re also distinct from the “rope and a gangplank” markets in Natchez, Greenville and Lula.

As a middle market in the state — not the largest but nowhere near the smallest — the case needs to be made for more focused and directed planning on how what we call “the boats” figure into this area’s future.

No jurisdiction where casinos are allowed got off to a better start. This was the only city that adopted a comprehensive gaming ordinance before the ribbon was cut to open the Isle of Capri near the foot of Lee Street in August 1993. Not only were safety, design and cost-sharing rules made clear from the start, public treasuries had a revenue stream flowing from that first day.

To date, the 3.2 percent revenue tax and gaming position fees along with property taxes have made available for local use about $165 million.

If that’s not a number that takes your breath away, it should be. It’s enough to run the City of Vicksburg — completely, with no property or sales tax revenue — for five years. It’s enough to run Warren County — completely — for 10 years. And it’s enough to fund the Vicksburg Warren School District — with no federal, state or local funds — for more than two years.

As everyone knows, any “savings” to local folks has come, if at all, in the form of local taxes not rising as fast as they might have otherwise.

‘If it’s safe to assume the next 15 years will see another $165 million, more or less, coming from the casinos, and it is, should the city, county and schools continue as now, or should a strategic plan be developed?’

Warren County supervisors have allocated most of their casino windfall to capital or one-time expenses, rather than day-to-day operational costs. The City of Vicksburg, which gets the largest chunk of revenue taxes, has also used casino cash for new buildings and such, but has fully integrated the money into its operational accounts. Same for the Vicksburg Warren School District, which built two schools and has an ongoing capital expense budget for band halls and more that might not otherwise be possible.

As for the citizenry in general, the boats are an unimposing fact of life. “Zoned” as they are to the water’s edge, people don’t even have to see them unless their routes take them near the river. Property values have risen, but otherwise there’s been little effect on local housing stocks, traffic or school enrollment.

If memory serves, in the years before the Legislature up and made Mississippi a casino state in 1990, study after study, year after year centered on the future of downtown, the future of waterfront property. Under the Leyens administration, many of the ideas, especially at City Front, have come to fruition through private efforts. Downtown has had a praiseworthy makeover.

But what about going forward?

If it’s safe to assume the next 15 years will see another $165 million, more or less, coming from the casinos, and it is, should the city, county and schools continue as now, or should a strategic plan be developed?

Since I’m the one writing about this, it’s obvious I believe there should be. And even though any plan may get derailed, my view is that there should be an overall balancing of benefits to local taxpayers and local governments and schools. There should also be a lot of thought given to ways to better parlay the investments casino developers have already made here to even more.

After Vicksburg set a distinct foundation for casino development, not much has been done by local leaders other than to find ways to spend the money.

That has resulted in drift, which is not a good thing.

It’s not about making us Las Vegas. It’s about making the most out of the potential and not sitting around, taking the monthly checks for granted.

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Charlie Mitchell is executive editor of The Vicksburg Post. Write to him at Box 821668, Vicksburg, MS 39182, or e-mail cmitchell@vicksburgpost.com.