Attorneys for Cayuga and Seneca counties and the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York on Wednesday released details of the proposal to settle all issues relating to the nation's pending applications with the U.S. Department of Interior to take lands in trust in the counties.
If accepted by both counties and necessary legislation is passed, the nation would withdraw its pending trust application and relinquish its right to seek trust status for lands in the counties in the future. In return, the Cayugas will be permitted to designate up to 10,000 acres of land it owns in the counties that would essentially be sovereign and therefore tax exempt. Up to two-thirds of that land could be located in Cayuga County and one-third located in Seneca County.
The tribe also would be able to build a casino somewhere in the state and would share revenue from a proposed gaming facility with the counties and state.
The location of the gaming facility is yet to be determined, but it would not be located in the counties without their approval. State sources have told the Associated Press that a central New York casino is a possiblity.
The agreement would call for the Cayugas to drop their original 64,000-acre land claim, which includes land in both counties. The lawsuit filed by the Cayugas and Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma was effectively dismissed in 2005 by a federal appeals court, and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of that decision.
As a result, tribes have applied for land they own to be taken into federal trust, a move that had been opposed by both counties.
Under the new deal, the nation may not build gaming facilities in counties without county approval.
If a casino is built, counties will receive annually roughly $12.8 million from revenue sharing regardless of the amount of land actually designated as tax-free by the nation. Additional funds would be shared based on the proportion of the tax-free land.
The proposal was presented to the county Legislature and Seneca County Board of Supervisors Tuesday. They are both expected to vote on the proposal at a public meeting in June.
For more details and reaction to the announcement from local officials, read Thursday's edition of The Citizen.
The tribe also would be able to build a casino somewhere in the state and would share revenue from a proposed gaming facility with the counties and state.
The location of the gaming facility is yet to be determined, but it would not be located in the counties without their approval. State sources have told the Associated Press that a central New York casino is a possiblity.
The agreement would call for the Cayugas to drop their original 64,000-acre land claim, which includes land in both counties. The lawsuit filed by the Cayugas and Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma was effectively dismissed in 2005 by a federal appeals court, and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of that decision.
As a result, tribes have applied for land they own to be taken into federal trust, a move that had been opposed by both counties.
Under the new deal, the nation may not build gaming facilities in counties without county approval.
If a casino is built, counties will receive annually roughly $12.8 million from revenue sharing regardless of the amount of land actually designated as tax-free by the nation. Additional funds would be shared based on the proportion of the tax-free land.
The proposal was presented to the county Legislature and Seneca County Board of Supervisors Tuesday. They are both expected to vote on the proposal at a public meeting in June.
For more details and reaction to the announcement from local officials, read Thursday's edition of The Citizen.