Amaris Elliott-Engel / The Citizen

In 2004, the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma pitched a casino resort complex to rival the Oneida Nation's Turning Stone facilities at five different sites: their property on the intersection of Route 90 and Routes 5 and 20 in Aurelius, somewhere along Route 34 in Sennett, somewhere in the city of Auburn, in downtown Rochester and in the Catskills.

It seems that 2006 has brought the return of the tribe's pitch to multiple municipalities.

Auburn Mayor Tim Lattimore announced Friday the Seneca-Cayugas are interested in building a casino and convention center in Auburn.

It was just a little under two months ago that Paul Spicer, chief of the Seneca-Cayugas, told The Citizen the Miami, Okla.-based tribe was not losing interest in a proposed multi-million dollar casino and entertainment complex on Route 34 in Sennett. The tribe first sent a letter with the Sennett proposal in August to then-Cayuga County Legislature Chairman Herb Marshall. It made presentation to the Sennett Town Board in February. But then the Seneca-Cayugas declined an invitation to hold a public meeting with regular citizens in April.

Now Spicer has sent a letter suggesting Auburn host the casino and accepted Lattimore's offer to make a public presentation in the city, according to Lattimore's news release.

Spicer and Thomas C. Wilmot, owner of Caywil New York LLC, the tribe's development partner, will make a presentation to the Auburn City Council Thursday, June 22.

Just why the Seneca-Cayugas are eyeing Auburn instead of Sennett for a casino project is unclear. Spicer, in office since last year, refused to explain anything about the change.

"I'm not going to elaborate," Spicer said when reached at his Oklahoma tribal offices Friday evening.

Read the full report in Satuday's edition of The Citizen.