Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts cast the deciding vote to defeat the controversial gaming licence application on South Surrey land.
The final decision came on the weekend after 13 hours of a gruelling public hearing over two nights.
According to Mayor Watts, she voted for the proposal to succeed three years ago because public support was evident. This time around she said that South Surrey residents solidly opposed it and so she supports the residents with her vote.
This casino application for political and economic reasons had the full support of the mayor and her council members from day one.
It is apparent that at the end of it all Mayor Watts got a case of political “cold feet” and she pulled her support.
Orvis Noel, Surrey
Semiahmoo casino will keep cash
The Semiahmoo First Nation in South Surrey was opposed to a nearby casino because it plans to build its own casino. What was not mentioned is that the revenue from their casino would not flow to the general, tax-paying community.
Casinos meet opposition for many obvious reasons, such as the influx of traffic, loss of pristine land, and addiction concerns. Yet they do generate economic activity for the community. I hope the Semiahmoo will benefit from their casino one day, but they cannot expect to pocket the money while the outside community pays for all their services.
Jim McMurtry, Surrey
