VERONA, ONEIDA COUNTY (AP) -- Oneida Indian Nation leader Ray Halbritter is pledging to bring 1,000 new jobs to central New York if a proposed $55 million land trust settlement with Oneida County is approved.
More than 200 residents at a public hearing Monday night offered a mix of praise and criticism for the deal, which must be approved by county and state lawmakers by June 30 or the deal will lapse.
The Oneidas would pay $30 million to local governments for taxes not paid since 1995. The county would receive an additional $25 million over a 10-year period.
In return, Oneida County would drop its legal challenge against the U.S. Department of the Interior's decision to place almost 8,800 acres of tribal land into federal trust, outside the control of state and local governments.
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