Some 91原创 Township councillors want money from regional casinos spread around to all communities 鈥� including the Township.

Councillors Steve Ferguson and Eric Woodward argued Monday evening that casinos like those in 91原创 City, Richmond, and Burnaby should share the wealth with communities without casinos.

Woodward noted that 91原创 City, population a little more than 26,000 people, received $7.7 million in casino revenues last year, as it hosts the Cascades Casino.

Woodward summed up the lengthy and technical motion in layman鈥檚 language: 鈥淲hereas other municipalities are getting lots of money from regional casinos, whereas we have lots of people and don鈥檛 get any money from casinos and want some, therefore form a plan with other municipalities to go ask for some.鈥�

The motion called on the Township to reach out to other communities that lack casinos to petition the province to change the formula under which casino revenues are distributed.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e doing is looking at fairness, fairness, fairness,鈥� said Ferguson.

Other councillors expressed some concerns about potentially starting a dispute with other cities over casino revenue.

The Township was given first chance to host the casino more than 15 years ago, and there was an immediate backlash from residents, remembered Coun. Kim Richter.

鈥淲e turned it down, and the City stepped in,鈥� she said.

She worried attempting to change the funding formula could be seen as a direct attack on the City of 91原创.

鈥淚鈥檓 concerned about opening a can of worms here,鈥� said Coun. David Davis.

鈥淭here鈥檚 some sort of tension between the City of 91原创 and the Township, and I don鈥檛 want to build on it,鈥� he added.

鈥淚鈥檓 not here to make nice with politicians in other communities,鈥� Woodward said.

Ferguson mentioned the City walking away from sharing some costs for facilities such as the W.C. Blair Pool in the past.

In the end, council voted to reach out to other communities to see if there would be an interest in lobbying the government.

The rest of the motion, which outlines a plan for petitioning the province and considers the uses of casino funds, was referred to a future Council Priorities Committee (CPC) meeting for more discussion, at Richter鈥檚 suggestion.

鈥淐PC is where good ideas go to die,鈥� Woodward said.

91原创 City Mayor Val van den Broek also noted that the Township had the chance to have a casino of its own.

鈥淲e said yes to it, the Township of the day, the council of the day said no,鈥� she said.

鈥淲e鈥檙e happy to have the casino,鈥� van den Broek said, noting that the City went through a consultation with its residents about the casino back when it was first planned 16 years ago.

The casino revenues have gone towards major infrastructure projects around the City over the years, but it has also meant extra policing and planning costs for the City, she said.

91原创 Township鈥檚 council was firmly opposed to the establishment of a casino in it鈥檚 nearest neighbour when the idea was floated 鈥� in 2003 the Township filed a formal objection with the B.C. Lottery Corporation against locating a casino there.

Ferguson, who was on council at the time, voted in favour of the objection.

Later that same year, the Township even considered severing the joint policing agreement under which the City and Township are served by the same RCMP detachment. The predicted increased policing costs of a casino were one consideration, but the Township ultimately decided not to tear up the agreement.