Tribe
aims for February opening of casino
As reported
by The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
Tama
--- Officials with the Meskwaki tribe have scuttled plans to reopen
their casino by Christmas, and now say February is more realistic.
The casino,
one of Tama County's largest employers, has been shut down since
May when federal regulators closed it for violating federal tribal
gaming rules.
Tribal attorneys
say the National Indian Gaming Commission is not expected to allow
the casino to reopen until the Bureau of Indian Affairs rules on
the legitimacy of tribal elections held in October and November.
A review of the elections now underway is expected to take four
months, officials say.
The elections were held to resolve a leadership dispute that began
in March when the elected tribal council was ousted by a group of
leaders selected by the tribe's hereditary chief. The elected leaders
were accused of ignoring recall petitions.
The appointed
council, led by chairman Homer Bear Jr., took control of government
and gambling operations until a federal judge upheld a gaming commission
order to close. The casino employs about 1,300 workers and earns
about $3 million a week in revenue.
The tribe held
separate elections in October and November, one by the appointed
council and the other by the elected group.
Initially, the
Bureau of Indian Affairs recognized the election organized by the
Bear council. The results of that vote put Bear and six other appointed
council members in power.
The other election,
sponsored by supporters of the elected group, produced different
results. Troy Wanatee was elected chairman and six others who were
supportive of the elected council were voted into office.
Leaders from
both councils and their attorneys still disagree over the validity
of the results.
"There
is clearly a leadership dispute at present," attorney Fred
Dorr, who represents the Wanatee council, wrote to the Bureau of
Indian Affairs last month.
Officials from
both sides say they will challenge the bureau's ruling in federal
court if they don't agree.
Meanwhile, unemployment
in Tama County was at 14 percent in October, up from 4 percent October
2002. The level is the highest in the state, according to officials
with Iowa Workforce Development.
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