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Tribal Council dodges alcohol vote
By Derek Hodges
In a move that surprised many, Cherokee Tribal Council members did not vote on a proposal to sell alcohol at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino.
Norma Moss, chairman of the Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise, had been expected to propose that Tribal Council members hold a referendum to see if Cherokee voters would approve alcohol sales at the casino.
Before Council members could consider the proposal, however, Moss said gaming officials wanted to withdraw it.
“There’s quite a lot of controversy around this issue,” Moss said. “We want to explore the options and wait to see if there’s a better time for this.”
Some in the standing-room-only crowd, many of them church members, brought a revival-type atmosphere to the meeting. Shouts of “There is no good time” were heard after Moss’ comments.
Tribe members who had come to the meeting intending to speak on the issue expressed displeasure over not getting that chance.
“We’re prepared to make our statement on this issue today,” said the Rev. Denny Crowe, pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. “If it’s going to be withdrawn and not brought up again, then that’s fine. If you’re going to bring it up again in a few months, then let’s just go ahead and do it today.”
Crowe’s comments brought responses, including “amens,” from the crowd.
Moss wasn’t ready to make any assurances about when the issue might be raised again, but said gaming officials have no intention of bringing it to the table without working on the proposal for a while.
“I’m not in a position to say it won’t come up again,” she said. “I don’t think it’s fair to say it will never come up again.”
Tribal Council members unanimously approved Moss’ request that the referendum be taken off their agenda.
Moss also asked Tribal Council members if she could withdraw a second agenda item – a proposed $254 million casino improvement project – but the council voted to table the matter instead.
The proposal includes renovations to the casino, including construction of a new entryway; the addition of a new restaurant/lounge area; a third hotel tower; and a new parking deck to accommodate the hotel space.
The proposal would incur extensive debt for the tribe, which would add to existing obligations from previous casino construction, Council members said.
“Where’s all that money going to come from when we still have outstanding debt on the casino?” asked tribe member Bill Reed.
Reed complained that the proposal to bring the casino to the reservation was never put to a tribal vote.
“Did it go to a referendum whether the people wanted that? No,” Reed said. “Sometime you’re going to have to start listening to the voice of the people. The people don’t want that casino, that’s the voice of the people. However you vote, from whatever township you come from, it still affects me as an enrolled member.”
Several Council members also voiced concerns about the proposal, and considered voting the idea down, before voting by a slim margin to table it.
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