Blackbear

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FROM: THE UTICA OBSERVER DISPATCH NEWSPAPER

http://www.uticaod.com/archive/2005/...ews/26353.html

Oneidas Receive First Tax Bill Today

Assessment of resort not disclosed yet
Tue, Apr 26, 2005

KRISTA J. KARCH
Observer-Dispatch

VERONA -- Property taxes are due for the Turning Stone Resort and Casino, and
the Oneida Indian Nation will receive a bill for the first time in 12 years
when Verona Town Supervisor David Reed hand-delivers it this morning.

"They know I'm coming," Reed said.

Reed said the town filed the assessed value with Oneida County officials
Monday morning, but declined to disclose the information.

He said he prefers to wait until the Nation has seen the bill before making
it public, and county officials said they would defer to Reed's decision.

Reed said he would release the assessment figures at a news conference at 10
a.m. Wednesday at the town's office building.

"I can't tell you until I tell them," Reed said. "That's not fair."

New York State Committee on Open Government Executive Director Robert Freeman
said he is not aware of any statute that would prevent full disclosure.

The Observer-Dispatch filed Freedom of Information Law requests for the
assessed value with the town and the county Monday evening.

Oneida County Commissioner of Finance Anthony Carvelli, reached at home
Monday night, said he had not yet seen the FOIL request and would wait to follow
proper procedure today.

The tentative assessment roll for the town of Verona -- including the casino
property -- was submitted to his office Monday, he said, and the information
still needs to be checked and verified.

The appraisal company hired by the town was not given permission to formally
evaluate the resort, so an appraiser entered as a tourist.

"He took some photos and walked around and looked at all the facilities
there," Reed said.

The town voted to exempt the resort from taxes in 1993 in an effort to garner
additional state school aid. Town officials reconsidered the exemption after
a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision declared the Nation liable for property
taxes within the city of Sherrill.

Early this month, the Nation applied to have its 17,220 acres transferred to
a federal, tax-exempt trust, sparking a process that could take several years.

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