Council members botch issue

December 12, 2007 EDITORIAL Morningstar

It was completely obvious Monday that four Vernon council members dropped the ball on behalf of their constituents. Approving the relocation of Lake City Casino was the right move just on land use principles alone. But Mayor Wayne Lippert and Councillors Pat Cochrane, Jack Gilroy and Patrick Nicol did little else that could be deemed positive. Prior to agreeing to relocation, there should have been negotiations to try and get additional money from Lake City Casino for community benefit, primarily programs that assist those addicted to gambling.

It is not a new premise as Vancouver was able to work out a $200,000 side-deal with a casino operator there. But that didn’t happen in Vernon and any attempts to negotiate an agreement now could be difficult because the city’s leverage and power are gone. It has allowed Lake City Casino to move. End of story. Instead of using extra cash directly from Lake City Casino for addiction services, the four council members agreed to spend $50,000 on problem gambling. It’s an admirable move but it will be coming straight out of the money the city receives from casino revenue, taking cash away from major infrastructure initiatives such as roads.

There was a chance to assist gambling addicts without it impacting the city’s financial bottom line but the four council members failed miserably. Credit goes to Councillors Barry Beardsell, Buffy Baumbrough and Juliette Cunningham for standing their ground and attempting to get the best deal possible for the residents of Vernon. In the end, Lippert, Cochrane, Gilroy and Nicol showed all their cards. And with skills like that, they should stay away from Las Vegas.