Pflugerville Opposes Austin License Relocation

In a non-binding referendum, voters in Pflugerville, Texas, Saturday overwhelmingly opposed a proposal for relocating the Austin Jockey Club's license to the central Texas town.

The result showed 71% in opposition with 29% in support of the racetrack proposal. The vote, which drew a record turnout of 3,000 voters in Pflugerville, is symbolic because the final decision on relocating the license belongs to the Texas Racing Commission.

The commission on Nov. 22 deferred its decision on the Austin Jockey Club's request, giving its officials time to demonstrate that a track would be in the public interest.

According to news reports, Pflugerville Pfamilies Pfirst opposed gambling and argued that a track could lead to video lottery terminals, which would have to be approved by the Texas legislature. Supporters, including the city council, saw the track as a way to generate needed tax revenue in the fast-growing community, which is a suburb of Austin.