But six months ago, the tribe once again stopped the payments, this time because it believed it was under no obligation to make them, under the terms of its compact.<\/p>\n
Its initial compact was signed in 2002 and expired last year. A clause in the 2002 agreement stipulated it would, after 15 years, automatically be extended for another seven years, provided there was no objection from either party.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nThere wasn\u2019t, and the agreement rolled over, but the tribe is now making a bold legal claim: that the original agreement contained no specific stipulation that revenue share payments would continue beyond 2016.<\/p>\n
The state says there is \u201cno legitimacy\u201d to these claims and last week declared the tribe to be in violation of its compact, serving it with an 11-page demand for legally binding arbitration.<\/p>\n
Future Payments \u201cUncertain\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe tribe reassured its host communities in June that its argument is with the state and that it remains \u201ccommitted\u201d to financially supporting them, but three months later, the Comptroller\u2019s office isn\u2019t so sure.<\/p>\n
“Due to the current impasse with the Nation, it is uncertain whether the city will receive any future casino revenue,” wrote its auditors.<\/p>\n
But the city\u2019s mayor, Paul Dyster, denied the it was in such dire straits and hinted that the dispute would be resolved and payments would resume.<\/p>\n
“While the City of Niagara Falls is not in the same [healthier] financial position as the previous time the Seneca Nation of Indians suspended payments required under the compact to New York state, we believe we have adequate reserves in place to last over the course of this current dispute,” he wrote in a letter to auditors, dated September 8.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Seneca Nation\u2019s casino-rev share payments to the City of Niagara Falls have dried up, and the city will be broke by December, according to an audit published by the state Comptroller\u2019s Office. The audit has urged city officials to \u201ctake immediate action to address the city’s fiscal problems” in the absence of the host […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":59077,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,10,61],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Niagara Falls Will Be \u2018Broke by December\u2019 Due to Seneca-New York Casino Dispute<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n