Quechan getting financial relief
Agreement also includes property management
California Gov. Jerry Brown signed tribal-state gaming compacts between the state, Elk Valley Rancheria, Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation and Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation.
The more-than 140 page document includes prerogatives on what table games and games of chance include, as well as the reimbursement of resources to local governments for the collection of quarterly contributions and income sharing agreements.
Each of the individually-negotiated new compacts include updated provisions for licensing, compliance enforcement, mitigation of off-reservation impacts and protection for patrons and employees that are consistent with other recent compacts.
The agreement also includes property management and control of operations by the tribal bans on minors’ permit requirements relations with employees’ financial sources for the operation of the casino and background investigations to those who apply for employment in addition to the denial of suspension and revocation of permits, among others.
According to the content of the document, the Quechan Tribe has lived immemorially in the lower part of the Colorado River where the border between California and Arizona is currently located.
This reservation, which has about 3,900 members, was created around 1885 by the Department of the Interior of the United States.
Currently, the reservation has an approximate territory of 45,000 acres.
Historically, the tribe has been engaged in agricultural work by growing products such as pumpkin, maize, beans and cotton.
However, the income generated by agricultural production and other mining activities has been insufficient to support the members of the tribe.
Because of this, the tribe signed an agreement in 1999 with the state of California to offer table games and card games to the public for the first time. This agreement was renewed in 2006.
The Californian government stated that the tribe has registered major financial problems to balance its income obligations with the state as it must pay a $200 million debt for the construction of its current facilities and at the same time provide social services for its members.
Among these services include the Cortes Police Department, public works, alcohol and drug prevention programs, diabetes awareness program, day care, education and more. The state government decided to reduce the annual collection to the tribe by approximately 4 million dollars.
At the same time, the state government granted the tribe a greater ability to generate income through the operation of games by giving it the right to open new facilities and equipment.
The state government considered that this new agreement allows the tribe to face the financial difficulties that have registered with the agreement of 2006.
The tribe expressed its commitment to improving the environment, education, health, safety and the general well-being of its members and the communities around it.
The new agreement maintains the exclusive rights of the tribe to operate their games in a competitive environment free of competition on lands that are not owned by indigenous tribes in California.
The tribe reaffirms its commitment to the state and local jurisdictions to fair reimbursement and mitigation of problems generated by its facilities through revenue.
The parties agreed within their sovereign interests to ensure that gambling activities remain free of criminal or undesirable elements.
According to the content of the document, the tribe will be in a position to assume primary responsibility for regulation in their casino and to improve the economic development and self-sufficiency of the indigenous members.
In total, the tribe will be able to operate up to 1,600 gaming machines according to the agreement authorized by the governor.