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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2015
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City rakes in a record $21 million from casino Graeme Wood
Staff Reporter gwood@richmond-news.com
The City of Richmond took in a record $21 million share of River Rock Casino and Resort gaming revenues in 2014, according to end-of-year financial statements. The extra money may result in a boost to one-time community projects and grants. The 10 per cent share from the Rock bested the previous record of $17.6 million, set in 2013. 2014 marked the fifth straight year of gaming revenue growth for the city. Last October, city councillors asked planners to review the city’s policy for spending casino funds. They presented that review of gaming revenue and expenditures to the finance committee this week. However, debate was delayed due to the absence of two councillors. The review includes recommendations on future spending, such as the creation of a Community Initiatives account and a 70 per cent increase in community grants. The initiatives account would initially be funded with $3 million of unallocated funds. Subsequent years will see a two per cent cash injection from annual revenue, to the account, for various environmental,
heritage, safety, arts and culture projects. Another recommendation is to increase gaming grants to community groups by $550,000. Planners are also suggesting allocating 15 per cent of future casino revenues to all grants. That would, in turn, free up $1.4 million in the operating budget. Since 2004 the city has received about $148 million from the casino. Most of the money has been spent on infrastructure, such as $50 million on the Richmond Olympic Oval (33 per cent) and $56 million on various capital projects (fire halls, roads). This year marks the first of 10 annual $5 million casino cash payments toward the new Minoru pool and seniors’ centre loan ($50 million). Council has recently used excess funds for a $3 million loan for subsidized housing and a $1.8 million property tax break.
Proposed 2016 spending: Pool/senior centre - $5 million Capital reserves – $5.4 million Facility reserves - $3.8 million Grants – $2.7 million Four RCMP officers - $700,000 Community initiatives – $360,000 - Based on $18 million budget
Health care jobs on the block Philip Raphael
Staff Reporter praphael@richmond-news.com
Maya McGrath, of Science World’s Future Science Leaders, was among those students building wooden structures to celebrate National Engineering & Geoscience Month Saturday at Lansdowne Centre. Other competitors were tasked with using popsicle sticks to construct a bridge that was then tested to see which one could support the heaviest load. Photo by Gord Goble/Special to the News ! See more photos in the Pulse section on page 11.
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A total of 85 local jobs are among the 935 or so being lost due to a round of layoffs across a number of Lower Mainland longterm care facilities. According to the Hospital Employees’ Union, cleaning staff are affected at three Richmond locations: Richmond Hospital, Minoru Seniors Centre and Lions Manor. Aramark — the U.S.-corporation that
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