Public Hearing on Partnership Plan a war of words
Story Created:
May 18, 2009 at 3:40 PM EST
Story Updated:
May 18, 2009 at 10:16 PM EST
VERONA, N.Y. (WKTV) - The controversy continues over the proposed agreement between Oneida County and the Oneida Indian Nation. On Monday night, a war of words over the public hearing on the issue.
Some democratic legislators who are against this proposed plan are calling Monday night's public hearing at 6:30 p.m., an "organized pep rally" by the Oneida Indian Nation and the Oneida County Executive.
"I'd rather not get into calling it anything other than it is," said Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente. "It's a public hearing."
It was just ten days ago, when Picente announced the agreement in principle between he and Ray Halbritter, the CEO of the Oneida Indian Nation.
The agreement calls for the Nation to give Oneida County $30 million up front, then two and a half million per year for the next 10 years.
In exchange, the county will end its legal challenge to 8,000+ acres of Nation land currently in trust with the federal government. There are numerous other points as well, but that is the main one.
There are many opponents to this proposal, including a number of county legislators who will ultimately have to vote on the legislation.
"I expect we have the vast majority of our democratic caucus voting against this," said Oneida County Legislator Michael Hennessy. "
The actual vote by the county legislature is expected to take place at their next meeting on May 27.
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