The State Gaming Commission issued the first quarterly payment of gaming tax revenue in late April, and Sullivan County and the Town of Thompson have three big plans on how to use the unbudgeted funds.

Both Sullivan County and the Town of Thompson put reducing taxes for residents as priority number one. Town of Thompson Supervisor William Rieber says that if revenue from the casino goes as planned, they could reduce residential taxes by 5 to 6 percent.

Economic development is also very important for both the county and the town. Sullivan County wants to build additional industries outside of tourism, and Thompson wishes to revitalize the town so that more people want to live there, and more businesses want to invest there.

The Town also wants to expand its parks and recreational offerings, with plans to create two additional parks within the town and the Village of Monticello, respectively.

"We have an initiative right now on parks and healthy living," said Town of Thompson Supervisor William Rieber. "Sullivan is 61 out of 62 counties in quality of health. We want to be a big part of fixing that."

The Sullivan County Legislature and the Town of Thompson Board will ultimately determine how the funds are spent in accordance with state law.