We have written about the Snoqualmie tribe's ineptitude before and other issues HERE and HERE. And their despicable actions to disenroll members HERE
Apologies to our friends at the Snow Valley Star for forgetting to link to their story, which has ALL the details.
The SNOW VALLEY STAR has the story on the Snoqualmie squabble:
A fight in the Snoqualmie Tribal Council prompted an unexpected $14 million buyout of the Snoqualmie Casino’s CEO, but doesn’t threaten the casino’s viability in the short-term.
The decision caught many members off guard because it came only two months after the council had voted to maintain casino CEO Mike Barozzi’s contract. The experienced casino manager had been an integral part of the tribe’s pitch to investors when they put together the casino’s financing.
Losing Barozzi could affect the interest rate the tribe gets when it has to refinance the casino’s debt in a couple years.
The controversy is the latest episode in a long series of internal troubles for the insular, tight-lipped tribe.
The council didn’t offer any explanation for its Feb. 13 vote.
The decision to buyout Barozzi, which passed 4-3, was a compromise between council members who “wanted to run him off so the tribe could get more control, operationally (and specifically over hiring and firing decisions related to native employees) and some on the council that wanted to support Mr. Barozzi unequivocally,” Tribal Administrator Matt Mattson wrote in an e-mail to the Star.
However, Councilwoman Maryann Hinzman offered a different view.
“It was his decision to leave,” she said. OP: Then why pay him $14 MILLION? I'd leave to if that was my goodbye present.
Some tribal members filed an emergency injunction in tribal court following the vote, claiming that the council couldn’t spend more than $2 million without approval from the general membership.
Mattson said he could not comment on ongoing litigation.
Barozzi had originally asked for $19.5 million, which the council decided was too much at a Dec. 19 meeting.
However, at least one councilman — Ray Mullen — was absent from the meeting and brought the matter up again at the February meeting.
This time around, Barozzi and the council settled on $14 million.
The motion was introduced in council by Hinzman and Mullen. Their council seats are up for election this year, and they have come under criticism in recent months from many in the general membership.
Both members declined to comment on the matter.
2 comments:
Hello,
Thank you for using our story about the Snoqualmie Tribe. Please credit the SnoValley Star and link to the story on our website: www.snovalleystar.com.
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Wow , Poor poor, Snoqualmie People, Mattson and Company just got alot richer from Barozzi and company which include's some council members that are still there. Why don't the Tribe get rid of Mattson , Hinzman's, Mullen's, and Barker's once and for all. Mr. Mattson all along has done nothing but seperate this tribe and the Snoqualmie People need to get rid of all the white's people even the one's that think they are 1/8th blood quantum by their CONSTITUION but this will never end till all of their Audit from ENROLLMENT Department and also Audit from their CASINO . Bring on the NIGC, FED's and even the A.T.F. and also the SWAT team to get this done I hear even the BIA will do nothing to help from the BIA from POrtland to Everett , Both Mr. Speaks and Ms. Joesph from the BIA are on DEAF EARS . And thought the BIA is suposse to help tribe's all but the Snoqualmie's. Sorry Snoqualmie People The white's just keep getting richer and it starts with Mr. Mattson of all an Attorney at Law wowwoowowowowowow. Oh I live in Snoqualmie and very close to the tribe but when a White man along with the Mullen's, Barker's, Hinzman's and Nina Repin all backing the white's this is so sad none of them even think of the ELDER's of the tribe not one of them. I hear alot of things and what Mattson said to the Times, Snoqualmie Valley Record Paper , and the Sno-Valley Star is just a bunch of lies. I did see a memo that was stated by Mattson and it was that he was going to quit his job and now I think he should have can't wait to see what happens in court on 3-8-11. Hope the 2 council member's win and take care of business. I think they should go after Mattson and Co.
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