CALAIS – Marden’s may have to salvage its Washington County customer base after it was learned Friday that the company had contributed $10,000 to CasinosNO!, a political action committee that opposes a proposal by Passamaquoddy Indians to build a racino here.

Voters will decide by referendum on Tuesday whether the Passamaquoddy Tribe should be allowed to build a multimillion-dollar racetrack, casino, bingo parlor, hotel and conference center on 700 acres in the city to provide economic development in Maine’s poorest county.

Many Washington County residents see the racino as a major step toward solving the county’s economic difficulties. CasinosNO! has been working to defeat the racino, which is Question 1 on Tuesday’s ballot.

Several people said Friday they no longer planned to shop at the Calais stores – or any other Marden’s store, for that matter.

Calais businesswoman Nancy Gillis said she told the company in an e-mail that she would never set foot in another Marden’s store. Over the years, she said, she has spent more than $10,000 at the Calais store.

“Marden’s … makes a lot of money from Washington County residents, and I think they need to be very careful of what they support and what they don’t support. I think they should have remained neutral,” she said. She said she had not received a response from the company as of Friday afternoon.

Tribal state Rep. Donald Soctomah said Friday that the Passamaquoddys spent a lot of money at the salvage and surplus store. “I am really surprised to hear that Marden’s … would make this type of donation,” he said.

Messages left at several Marden’s stores requesting comment Friday were not returned, and Marden’s General Manager Paul LePage said he was unaware of the contribution.

“I am not aware that we did that. It certainly did not go through my desk,” LePage said.

The CasinosNO! campaign finance statement lists Marden’s Inc. of Waterville as the contributor. Harold “Ham” Marden, president of the company, also did not return a telephone call Friday.

CasinosNO! has received tens of thousands of dollars in contributions to assist its opposition to the racino, including thousands from donors in other parts of Maine and as far away as Texas.

Marden’s has two stores in the city: a retail store located near the downtown international bridge and a furniture and flooring store on North Street. The main store, with its discounted clothes and other items, opened about 10 years ago, and the North Street store opened just a few years ago.

Others in the city also were not happy Friday.

Baileyville resident John Hazelwood said he favored the racino and said he was surprised when he learned Marden’s was against it. Hazelwood said he thought an increased number of people in the city would benefit the store.

Anne Chabre, also of Baileyville, said a racino would create jobs for Washington County. “Right now we are in bad shape really with a lot of people unemployed, and we need something in the area to contribute to the work force,” she said.

Some speculated Marden’s had made the contribution because it feared losing employees if a racino opened. When asked about this possibility, Soctomah said he hoped not. If the Passamaquoddys are allowed to open the racino, he said, “We are going to offer workers a good salary, a good pension, a good retirement. They deserve that to raise their families. But if that is why [Marden’s made the contribution], then that’s a shame,” Soctomah said.

Motel desk clerk Shree Turner said she couldn’t understand why Marden’s had helped the opponents. When asked whether she shopped at the discount store, she said, “Not anymore. I am sure you are going to hear that a lot.”

Lorraine Mitchell of Calais said she was upset by the news. “Marden’s would gain from having a racino here,” she said. “I’m surprised and I don’t understand why.”

She suggested Washington County residents boycott the store. “It might send a message if just the local people boycotted Marden’s. It might make an impression,” she said.

No one who was asked about the Marden’s donation expressed support for it, but opposition to the racino does exist in Washington County.

Pastor Bob Hinton of the First Baptist Church in Calais has said the racino is “not the right thing for Washington County.”

“It’s just going to cause a lot more problems, and we have enough problems,” he has said.

Assistant City Manager Jim Porter said he was disappointed by the news of the Marden’s donation. “But that’s as far as I’ll go. I think it would be to their benefit to support it, certainly for their Calais stores,” he said.

Porter said company officials had not contacted the city to let it know of its opposition to the racino. However, he said, the city still supported the store.

Retired radio station owner Dan Hollingdale said he was surprised by the news. “I am amazed that that would happen,” he said. “I don’t know why they would come out against the racino in Washington County when it means so much to Washington County, knowing they have a store here and all. I suppose that one individual, even though he works for a retail company, may have his own feelings about gambling as such, but if it’s good for Bangor, why isn’t it good for Washington County?”

Hollywood Slots is building a new multimillion-dollar casino in Bangor, just a few miles from Marden’s Brewer store.

The company, according to its Web site, also has stores in Rumford, Portland, Biddeford, Sanford, Gray, Lewiston, Waterville, Brewer, Ellsworth, Lincoln, Houlton, Presque Isle and Madawaska.