Volume III, Number 1
Siletz News II
was later used to reduce the tax rate down to 1.5% in a
draft o f a Land Acquisition Bill that calls for the transfer
of an additional 11,500 acres of B.L.M. public domain
lands to the Tribe.
Additionally, the Grand Ronde Reservation Plan
(published in November, 1985) correctly identifies the
taxes paid by the B.L.M. to county governments. The
agreement reached between Grand Ronde and the three
counties affected by the creation the Grand Ronde Res­
ervation required the Tribe to pay $1 per acre tax each
year to the appropriate county for a period of twenty
years, regardless of timber harvested.
It seems certain that tribal officials signing yearly
checks as great as $ 133,000 to Lincoln County knew that
the Tribe just to the north was paying less than $12,000
a year in “continuing” payments to the counties in its
area.
Eight letters from the County’s Legal Counsel and
the Board o f Commissioners have been removed from
County files, an action that makes it impossible to
determine who knew what when at the County. But it
seems certain that Lincoln County financial officers
would have noticed that the first yearly payment re­
ceived from the Tribe in 1985 for the amount of
$180,171.08 for taxes levied on 3,620 acres o f former
public domain lands was far in excess of the $22,660
received the same year from the B.L.M., which still
managed and paid taxes on 20,080 acres of public
domain lands in Lincoln County.
W hile it is unclear whether the overpayments were
communicated to the Board of Commissioners, the
Commission repeatedly used the mistaken 5% tax rate in
page 3
public meetings and in official communictions to the
Tribe and members of the U.S. Congress during the
Tribe’s recent land acquisition efforts.
A resolution in favor of the Tribe ’ s effort to acquire
additional forest lands passed by the Board in Novem­
ber, 1988 makes no mention o f a specific rate, but it does
request that the final legislation include “retention of tax
revenues for provision of county services. Payments
should continue in perpetuity based on gross revenues
from timber sales at a percentage to be determined.”
TheGooseEggNow
Delores Pigsley, current Chair of the Siletz Tribal
Council, refused to comment on the payments.
Lincoln County Commissioner Andy Zedwick
suggested that tribal officials schedule time on the Board
of Commissioners’ workshop schedule to discuss the
matter.
“W hat we need to do,” Zedwick said, “is to go back
and produce those records and see what that land was
actually contributing to the tax roll and come up with a
fair percentage from that, which I am sure will be less
than the 5% amount.”
“We want to treat people fair,” Zedwick added.
Asked whether the County would be able to refund
any excess taxes paid by the Tribe, Zedwick was less
optimistic. “With the financial conditions the way they
are, I couldn’t obligate the County to pay back money.”
W hat about a line of credit for future payments?
“There might be something worked out that way,”
Zedwick said.
The Siletz News II is a publication of the Siletz Free Press, Inc., a non-profit organization controlled by
enrolled members of the Confederated Tribes o f Siletz.
This newsletter began in September, 1989 ju st after the editor of the tribal newsletter was fired for
refusing to comply with an order to censor the news.
Siletz News II aims to provide an uncensored and regular forum for people to express their views on tribal
matters. The paper also strives to be eyes in the bushes, making sure that tribal and federal officials remember
that people are watching and are eager to hear about unreported doings.
Support for this publication comes from sixty paid subscribers. Articles in this issue were written by Andy Viles (with the
exception of letters to the editor) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Siletz Free Press, Inc. All work for this issue was
volunteer. Special thanks go to Nicholas Viles, Head of the Subscription Department.
The Siletz Free Press, Inc. is located at 1541 Taft, Eugene, OR 97402. Year-long subscriptions are available on a sliding-
scale for individuals ($2 to $20). The institutional rate is $25.00 per year. Subscriptions include 3 (maybe 4) issues of the Siletz News
II mailed at first class postage. Donations are also welcome. Special needs: 5 1/4" computer disks, colored xerox paper, a stapler,
business sized envelopes, mailing labels, a tape recorder, and casette tapes.