Two years after voting to oppose an Indian casino in south Yuba County, the Marysville City Council may reconsider their position in exchange for a cash deal. Officials from Enterprise Rancheria, the tribe backing the casino, told council members Tuesday that Marysville could receive $3.5 million if the City Council agrees to support their controversial plan. The money would be given out in annual installments over a 15-year period. Each payment would be divided into quarters devoted to police and fire protection, education and discretionary spending, said Glenda Nelson, the tribe's treasurer. "We knew Marysville was hurting economically, and we felt we would approach them to say, as a good neighbor, 'We can help you,'" said Gary Montana, an attorney representing the tribe. Critics, however, called the offer a deceptive attempt to win support for the $90 million gambling and hotel complex, which would be located on 40 Mile Road south of Olivehurst. "It's the second-oldest occupation in the world," Yuba County Supervisor Dan Logue said in a telephone interview. "They're trying to buy votes. They're looking at the town of Marysville and saying, 'You need some things, so we'll throw you some bread crumbs.'" The tribe's visit to the City Council was not on Tuesday night's agenda, so the council did not hold a formal discussion. They appointed an ad-hoc committee to review a memorandum of understanding from Enterprise Rancheria that will be presented to the city. The memorandum would require the city to write a letter of support for the casino in exchange for $3.5 million, Montana said. The committee members who analyze the memorandum will be Councilmen Jim Kitchen and Benjamin Wirtschafter. Neither official was in office in December of 2003, when the council voted 3-2 against supporting the casino. At the time, those opposed to the plan included ex-Mayor Dirk Helder, former Councilman Paul McNamara and incumbent Councilman Jerry Crippen, who was not at Tuesday's meeting. McNamara said he is glad to hear the tribe has offered the city money. "I'm glad to see they made an offer to the city," McNamara said. "Now the door's open and a conversation can begin." Wirtschafter said he still needs to look at the plan to decide whether he would support the memorandum of understanding. "I'm anxious to have the meeting with them to see what the proposal is," Wirtschafter said. Kitchen said he is not opposed to the casino and that he believes the money might help mitigate the costs of increased traffic brought by the casino. "I want to work it out and see what they're offering," Kitchen said. "We're certainly going to get traffic, and we're going to have to mitigate that." Skeptics, though, say $3.5 million over a 15-year period would do little to help Marysville, which is struggling to keep up its city services. Among other things, the city has had to do away with its recreation department to save costs. Lou Binninger, a community activist who opposes the casino, said the tribe's offer wouldn't make up for "quality of life" costs associated with having a casino nearby. Binninger believes the casino would increase family strife and crimes such as prostitution and embezzlement. "Statistics will prove that the money you get never catches up with the money you lose," Binninger said. "The city is not prospering right now like we wish it would, but there are no quick fixes through gambling." Enterprise Rancheria officials said the casino will help the area by bringing down unemployment in Yuba and Sutter counties, a metropolitan area that in November had the third-highest jobless rate in the nation. "What is your answer to unemployment and bringing jobs to the county?" Montana asked opponents. "The only thing (opponents) know is they're against gaming." Marysville resident Allan Miners, a member of Enterprise Rancheria, believes the city could gain if the casino moves forward. "For me, that's giving jobs to people who don't have work," Miners said. Appeal-Democrat reporter Scott Bransford can be reached at 749-4713. You may e-mail him at sbransford@appeal-democrat.com <mailto:sbransford@appeal-