Former Albury mayor Kevin Mack said the money would go towards bolstering the children's treatment area or the wellness centre at the $70 million hub being built in Borella Road.

Feedback is being taken on the expenditure and Cr Mack asked ratepayers to realise the emotional and financial value of such a contribution. 

"I encourage the community, when they look at this particular proposition, when it goes out on exhibition, to think about how they would feel if they had someone in that hospital, because a lot of people have been touched by this particular cancer disease and I think it's really something we all need to consider," Cr Mack said.

"I think it's important for the ratepayers to understand it's $2 a person and it's not a lot of money when you think of it that way."

The money will go to the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre Trust Fund which is aiming to raise $2 million by the end of 2017 to support services.

Cr Mack said he hoped Albury's action would inspire other councils to donate.

"The regional footprint of this cancer centre goes all the way out to the Greater Humes and the Corowas and the Tumbarumbas and certainly up to Indigo and Towong and certainly Alpine and Wangaratta," he said.

"We've got to consider what that means to them and certainly they would be accessing services here once the centre is open.

"I encourage all those councils to come on board, it's just not Albury, it's just not Wodonga, it's Wangaratta, it's out to Greater Hume, it's out to Corowa and it's certainly up to Indigo and Towong and Alpine.

"It's important that we understand it's a regional facility and regional people will access this facility and we shouldn't always have to put our hands in our pockets.

"Let's start the ball rolling and see how we go."

Councils contacted by The Border Mail in response to Cr Mack's call were reticent to commit to donating.

Corowa Shire mayor Paul Miegel said his council had a budget meeting on Wednesday and it may be discussed there.

He said there was a cloud over such funding because of Corowa council facing the prospect of amalgamating.

"We're limited in what we can and can't do because of the merger proposal, it makes it difficult to do much outside the regular budget," Cr Miegel said.

Towong Shire mayor David Wortmann said rate capping in Victoria made it unlikely that his council would be able to help.

"We'd like to give them some money, it's such a great facility for the region, but given our budgetary constraints it would have to be doubtful," Cr Wortmann said.

"We're trying to fit in a 2.5 per cent cap and we're going to have to cut services.

"I would love to see us support it but given the financial situation I don't think so."

The trust fund had originally sought a $500,000 donation from Albury council.