2013 Navajo Nation audit shows Twin Arrows Casino & Resort is “black eye”

NAVAJO COUNCIL NOW ON LEGISLATION 0115-14, 2013 audit of Navajo Nation government operating budget.

DELEGATE JONATHAN NEZ, sonsor of audit legislation
it says clean report.

LARGEST NOTE/LOAN IS FOR CASINOS, $174 MILLION FOR ALL CASINOS.

DELEGATE
this is not true state of Navajo Nation. only 1/3 of picture. we don’t include enterprises, 110 chapters. HOw do u give “clean” report? Are you being paid off?
I dk when get true 100 percent picture and it’s alarming.

since election time, i go home, and hear about delegate Tom being such a great man and bringing home money. page 23: this YJT negative bar. we did all these expenditures. we went into deficite. 22th Council paid the bills that former Delegate Young Jeff Tom accrued and we paid the bills.

how say clean when there are financial problems at Twin Arrows Casino & Resort. who lied to us? was it mr. winters? why is that Twin Arrows suffering. we were told it would be profitable but losing money.

how much paid to investment managers.

page 27: talk transparency and limiting 5 minute statements is anti-transparency. and balloon payment is coming soon and who approved? what about Navajo Department of Transportation funds? look at Permanent Trust Fund expenditure; there are no details of how expended. this audit is too general.

i’ll vote against.

DELEGATE DWIGHT WITHERSPOON
page 26, receivables, it has NNGE and has Permanent Fund and total expenditures, net change and then total fund. walk thru that and see scholarship funds, $4.2 millin and expenditures $2 million – total balance is $54 million. I QUESTION expenditures. if $4 m. revenue available, why spent $2 m and not meeting needs of scholarships.

DELEGATE RUSSELL BEGAYE
page 16, personnel remains same with little increase and others getting substantial increases.
page 18, where bottom out in 2009, went into negative and 22th Council had tremendous increase in Reserves. People out there think Council raided Reserves but went from Red into Black since then so thank 22th Council for being stewards of Reseves

Trust Fund is $1.5 billion and that has grown and i say thank you to Council and staff.

black eye is Twin Arrows Casino & Resort losses of $8.8 m and decreasing interest of 13 percent to 9 percent being paid to tribe.

in receiveables, land acquisition is $117 m to buy land. have $117 m to buy land that our pple need for homes and businesses.

veterans trust fund is $93 m so i appreciate that.

question on america bonds program, dk $61.2 million status. are we spending.

i see losses. Window Rock Fair lost quite a bit of losses and who covers losses, $381,000 and Treaty Days ran into deficite $265,000.

DELEGATE LORENZO CURLEY
I want to give my time to Delegate Leonard Tsosie

DELEGATE LEONARD TSOSIE
page 14, concern about Sales Tax and Tax revenue. we need to be careful as re-doing tax laws. mining revenue went down and it was number 1 revenue generating. but now its taxes. when just allocate without proper oversight. for example, we authorized one chapter to collect taxes and didn’t know what they did with taxes.

page 16: i don’t know if $9 m. for telephone -continue invest land lines or cell phones. and now tribal employees stingy with those numbers. time to adopt policy. look at travel too. $60,000 for chapters to travel was reported by auditor general but not in here. it’s about accountability and short changes services to pple.

Reserves was increases and Prez Shelly needs some of credit.

also federal grants involve federal funds reverting to the tribal government because tribal programs aren’t spending those funds.

DELEGATE ALTON SHEPHERD
looking at profile from auditors and dk if using as tool but last three years here found that no money, land claims trust fund, LGA are pennies in bucket. dk if this council or Budget and Finance look at how use these two trust funds and profile. we need to listen to local government. they have needs and primarily infrastructure. some have 90 percent but others none. and 50-50 forum for allocation of funds to chapters inadequate.

and how are we generating funds for chapters?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *