A Northwood, Iowa man is proposing bringing a riverboat casino to Worth County &045; but not on a river.

&uot;There are two reasons for a casino,&uot; said Steve Miller, who is lobbying for the idea. &uot;One is jobs. The other reason is to generate funds for schools in Worth County.&uot;

Miller, who moved to Northwood last fall from Cambridge, Minn., has been speaking at town meetings, before the city council and county board, and at school board meetings on behalf of the casino idea for the last few months.

He teaches e-commerce at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC). He said he got the idea for a casino from a fellow teacher who was trying to think of a way Worth County could boost its economy and help the school district.

Miller says a casino would provide at least 300 jobs, generate money for local schoolsand stir the Worth County economy and community development.

According to officials at the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, there are many steps Miller would needs to go through to get the OK to start a casino.

First, he must get a petition signed by a percentage of the county’s population to show support of the casino. Miller said he is well on his way to making that number on his petition.

Second, the county board must approve the idea.

Third, the state would have to authorize giving out one more casino license. At the moment, they are at their limit. It is unclear how difficult that might be.

There are other hoops the proposal would have to go through, the most visible of which is that it would have to be put on a boat on water. Miller said this may mean using an old quarry for a man-made lake.

Though there are a lot steps to go through before a casino might be realized, Miller said it is important for Northwood to get out in front of the issue.

&uot;There are casinos in East, West, South and Central Iowa,&uot; he said. &uot;But there is none in northern Iowa. With the budget issues that have come up and the slow economy, it would make sense to build one in this region.&uot;

Miller also touched on a point which has been noted by Albert Lea citizens from time to time. The region could be a great location for a casino because there is no competition.

&uot;There is a 144,000 population within 25 miles of Worth County,&uot; he said. Miller maintains that with Austin, Albert Lea and Mason City nearby, as well as towns farther away, that there is a large opportunity for casino visitors.

Iowa state law mandates that certain percentages of income from casinos must go to local city or county governments, as well as a gambling addiction program.

Miller said that single casinos in Iowa give anywhere from $150,000 to $250,000 in funds to these entities each year.

But he has also proposed that ten percent of the income go to Worth County school districts and 5 percent go to non-profit community development funds.

Miller’s idea has been welcomed by many, but not all. Some critics feel the casino would bring many problems to the area.

Miller is currently collecting signatures and hopes to bring his petition to the county board soon after the list is done.

&uot;It’s not just going to help out Worth County but all the counties around us,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s something that should be embraced by southern Minnesota and Northern Iowa. If we think outside of the box a little we can make good things happen.&uot;