Greetings Relatives/Frens,
I’m here at empty Navajo Council chamber waiting for Navajo Council to convene their 2014 Budget session.
The Council tabled the proposed 2014 tribal government operating budget on Friday, 9-6-13, after Delegate Jonthan Nez, who is also the Budget & Finance Committee vice chairperson, realized that the proposed 2014 budget with 30 amendments required approval by two-thirds of the 24-member Council which would be 16 “yes” votes.
BUT on Friday, there were only 16 delegates present and so 15 delegates voted yes and 1 opposed to table the budget. Delegate Nez called for the tabling motion with a directive for special Council session today at 1 pm.
The sole opposing vote on tabling the budget was Delegate Leonard Tsosie who supported Council approval of a continuing resolution of the 2013 budget.
The tribal government’s budget calendar begins on Oct. 1 and ends on Sept. 30 and so the Council needs to approve an annual budget with enough time for the president to review it and take action on it within the ten days that the president is allotted by tribal law.
I was going to write more about what the Council’s Resources & Development Committee did this morning but I got copies of some of the 30 amendments and so I need to copy really FAST cuz I have to return as soon as Council starts.
Here are links to Council committee meetings this week, including a meeting between Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and the RDC concerning energy development. NTUA is pushing for a coal gasification plant on the former Desert Rock location, which is near BHP Billiton coal mine. The proposed NTUA gasification plant is also on land that is under the jurisdiction of the Burnham Chapter.
Navajo Nation Council/Committees meeting schedule for week of 9-9-13
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7xhIWpNuJXiYWhFQWZvWjBDbzQ/edit?usp=sharing
Council’s proposed agenda for 9-9-13
http://www.navajonationcouncil.org/MeetingSchedules/2013/SEP/09SEP2013_NNC_Special_Session.pdf
Navajo Council website for pdfs of proposed Council/Committee agendas
