Oneida County Minority Leader upset with Indian Nation negotiations
Story Created:
Mar 11, 2009 at 5:00 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Mar 11, 2009 at 6:17 PM EDT
ONEIDA COUNTY, N.Y. (WKTV) - Oneida County Democratic Minority Leader, Michael Hennessy, is criticizing Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente for recent negotiations with the Oneida Indian Nation.
Hennessy says he is upset the most with the fact that the recent negotiations, between Picente, Oneida Indian Nation officials, and State of New York officials, have all been done without public input.
Hennessy figures the Oneida Nations owes around $400 million, in back taxes dating back to 1993, when the casino first opened.
"We want to make it very clear, the past money that is owed, and the money going forward needs to be paid so we can have a level playing field." Hennessy said.
However, Hennessy is concerned the county will not get what is properly owed to them, because he and other lawmakers have not been involved in the recent negotiation talks.
"This county executive has stepped forward and caused a lot of hysteria, and a lot of nervous anxiety in the community, and doesn't even have a plan on a pad of paper," said Hennessy.
Picente would not specify who was at the negotiation table, but did say there were representatives from the county, the state and the Indian Nation.
"You can not negotiate a complex deal like this in public. Again you can not have everybody at the table, it doesn't work that way." said Picente.
Picente says he has remained consistent in saying the county will be better off with a negotiated settlement, as opposed to spending millions on a lawsuit that he says could take some time.
Hennessy, who has never supported private negotiations, says he still disagrees.
"Every casino west of the Mississippi river is paying some kind of equivalent tax. They may call it a different name, but they are paying it. We are the only ones that haven't collected any money." said Hennessy.
"No deal has been cut, I am just optimistic that we will get something because that is what I believe i need to do to move this county forward." Picente said.
Picente says if and when a deal is made it would have to then go to the full board of Oneida County legislators for approval.
As for the current lawsuits, Picente says if a deal is reached in the future, the lawsuit that has been filed by the state and County together would be dismissed.
Most Popular