Do you support a donation of $500,000 from municipal coffers towards a CT scanner for Delta Hospital?

That's the question Delta council decided Monday evening to pose to voters when they head to the polls in November.

The money would come from municipal surplus funds and would help the Delta Hospital Foundations' goal of raising $1.7 million for the CT scanner, which will be temporarily supported for a year by the Fraser Health Authority.

Council's vote in favour of adding the question to the ballot comes after Friday's announcement by B.C. Health Minister George Abbott and Delta-South MLA Val Roddick that Delta Hospital's capacity for acute care is being restored.

Twelve new acute medical beds will be added to the hospital and 38 existing sub-acute beds—which currently focus on rehabilitation—will be converted to acute status.

Acting Mayor Scott Hamilton said a CT scanner is critical to the operation of an acute care hospital so patients are not transfered to hospitals in White Rock or Richmond for the diagnostic service.

He said a municipality contributing to its hospital's capital costs is not unprecedented, citing Surrey's support of $2.6 million for expansion of the Surrey Memorial Hospital.

"I think it will be something that will be supported in the community," said Hamilton, "but given the amount of money that we're asking about it is a question I felt should go to the public."

Councillors George Hawksworth and Vicki Huntington voted against adding the question to the ballot.

Hawksworth said while he respects the Delta Hospital Foundation greatly, donating to a non-profit could set a precedent for charitable contributions from the municipality that could be difficult to refuse.

"I think the question that the public should be asked is, if council feels it has half a million dollars that it can afford to donate to the foundation it could also afford as an alternative to reduce the tax bill by half a per cent, thereby putting the money back in the pocket of the citizens who could use it any way they like."

He added he would consider establishing a policy in which council could set aside money each year to support charitable organizations rather than propose a donation "out of the blue."

Executive director Teresa Cooper said the Delta Hospital Foundation has so far raised $800,000 in received and committed donations