Tribe gives overwhelming approval in vote to change Ute financial plan

FORT DUCHESNE, Uintah County — Members of the Ute Indian Tribe have overwhelmingly given their approval to numerous changes to their 4-year-old financial plan and also passed several other items in the process. In a vote of 584 in favor and 109 opposed, the referendum vote is now law and cannot be rescinded by future tribal leaders should they opt to do away with its provisions.

Although the tribe's election laws prescribe that each referendum election can only address one ordinance or resolution, last Thursday's referendum required tribal members to vote to repeal five prior ordinances.

The ordinance that was approved also included an extension of employment contracts for tribal financial advisor John Jurrius and his firm through 2009, as well as giving permission to withdraw the tribe's Water Settlement Funds from accounts managed by the federal government. It also stabilizes the tribe's finances so that government operations can continue should the tribe's oil and gas revenues cease to exist.

The overwhelming message given to tribal members prior to the vote was that a "yes" mark on their ballot would mean more money in their own pockets. One of the ordinances that was rescinded was the $200 dividend cap on individual payments to tribal members. But the ordinance also made it clear that money would be distributed only after other financial affairs were taken care of including funding of tribal government operations, which includes a $62,500-a-month payment to Jurrius.

The referendum specifies how payments will be made to tribal members beginning with the tribal elders age 65 and older. Payments to the elders could exceed their current $1,500 a month by an additional $650 due to the passage of last week's referendum. Younger tribal members could see a substantial increase in their monthly dividends from oil and gas revenue as well, but only if the money is available.

However, the ordinance to amend the financial plan anticipates less-favorable economic times for the tribe and mandates that the tribe's "energy estate" be invested in a way that will perpetually sustain tribal government and related services. This is done to ensure the tribe's financial existence even when their natural resources "have been depleted," the ordinance states.

Some tribal voters boycotted the vote, similar to tactics deployed in 2002 when the original financial plan was voted on in a controversial referendum. That vote passed as well, but by a smaller margin.

Joy Grant said members of her family did not vote because of the way the complex ordinance was pushed through so quickly without having it first explained to the people.