Counties affected by Indian land claims are organizing a new monthly meeting to address the common consequences land claims have for county governments.
Various county legislators gave unanimous approval for the plan during the New York State Association of Counties' bi-annual conference last month.
The monthly meeting is intended to keep counties apprised of land claim developments in other counties and to create a coalition of county leaders on this policy area.
The suggestion for the monthly meeting came from Seneca County lawmaker Richard Ricci during a meeting of the counties Association's standing Native American Affairs committee.
"I think we're going to have a coalition of counties that have the same type of problems with Indian land claims and casinos," said Rocco DiVeronica, the chairman of the Native American Affairs committee and the Madison County Board of Supervisors.
The informal meeting will keep each county abreast of what is happening with other counties regarding their Indian land claims, Cayuga County Legislature Chairman Herb Marshall said.
Marshall said he will attend the informal meetings when he is able, and invite other county legislators as well.
Participating counties include Cayuga and Seneca counties, as well as Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Greene, Madison, Niagara, Oneida, St. Regis, Sullivan and Ulster counties.
"Everyone was in agreement that we're all in this and we all should be talking," Ricci said.
DiVeronica, who is president-elect of the counties association, said that potential points of common interest for the counties include tax parity; the effects of opening large-scale casinos; what right counties have to regulate zoning, building codes and other regulatory areas on sovereign land; and the effect of "checker-boarding" in a county if noncontiguous land parcels becoming sovereign.
"We're here to make sure our people get a fair share and get a level playing field for the retail people already here, Indians and non Indians," DiVeronica said. "We want to make sure all the counties are heard. Maybe by one voice, we can do that."
The first meeting will be held in Madison County and is tentatively scheduled for later this month.
Staff writer Amaris Elliott-Engel can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or at amaris.elliot-engel@lee.net
The monthly meeting is intended to keep counties apprised of land claim developments in other counties and to create a coalition of county leaders on this policy area.
The suggestion for the monthly meeting came from Seneca County lawmaker Richard Ricci during a meeting of the counties Association's standing Native American Affairs committee.
"I think we're going to have a coalition of counties that have the same type of problems with Indian land claims and casinos," said Rocco DiVeronica, the chairman of the Native American Affairs committee and the Madison County Board of Supervisors.
The informal meeting will keep each county abreast of what is happening with other counties regarding their Indian land claims, Cayuga County Legislature Chairman Herb Marshall said.
Marshall said he will attend the informal meetings when he is able, and invite other county legislators as well.
Participating counties include Cayuga and Seneca counties, as well as Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Greene, Madison, Niagara, Oneida, St. Regis, Sullivan and Ulster counties.
"Everyone was in agreement that we're all in this and we all should be talking," Ricci said.
DiVeronica, who is president-elect of the counties association, said that potential points of common interest for the counties include tax parity; the effects of opening large-scale casinos; what right counties have to regulate zoning, building codes and other regulatory areas on sovereign land; and the effect of "checker-boarding" in a county if noncontiguous land parcels becoming sovereign.
"We're here to make sure our people get a fair share and get a level playing field for the retail people already here, Indians and non Indians," DiVeronica said. "We want to make sure all the counties are heard. Maybe by one voice, we can do that."
The first meeting will be held in Madison County and is tentatively scheduled for later this month.
Staff writer Amaris Elliott-Engel can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or at amaris.elliot-engel@lee.net
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