Smoke Signals
NOTICE Monthly Tribal Council Wednesday Meetings
DATE TIME
Wednesday, March 13 4 p.m.
Wednesday, March 27 4 p.m.
Please note that theme timet and date are subject to change if needed.
General Council meeting
Sunday, March 3 11 a.m.
Monarch Hotel & Convention Center
12566 S.E. 93rd Ave, Clackamas off Interstate 205
2 MARCH 1,2013
Dear Tribal members:
I am very disappointed in our adopted 2013 budget. As many of you may
know, I have been a staunch critic of the current Tribal budget method, and
budget process used in general. While ma ny of my criticisms relate to the tra
ditional line-item budgeting method used (or a derivation of the traditional
line-item method) as opposed to many other methods currently being used by
other Tribes, governments, corporations and nonprofit organizations (such
as performance, program, zero-based budgeting, or a combination budget
method that would meet our Tribe's specific fiscal needs), I would like to
comment on the budget process that we use each year, and the information
given to us in the proposed budget and the adopted budget.
Tribal members have very little information given to them regarding the
budget, program costs or relevant program operations that would allow us
to make informed comments to the preliminary budget or a meaningful
understanding of the adopted budget. Within both of these we are given
the line-item numbers (including the previous year's adopted budget, the
current year's preliminary budget and the proposed or adopted increase
or decrease amount), summary comments and cost center "blurbs" (for lack
of a better word).
With this information we can do nothing but assume and infer department
and program outcomes and needs, including the reason for an increase or
decrease from last year's budgeted amount (and needs). We also have the
annual Resource Directory and Annual Report, two separate documents that
give very minimal and extremely vague information about program services
and access requirements. Without knowing what benefits and services each
program provides, or how much each benefit and service costs (both in terms
of absolute costs and in terms of achieving Tribal priorities, which is an
allocated cost), it is literally impossible to comment on anything but the
increase or decrease in numbers; generic comments at best.
For example, the overall increase of 2 percent to the Social Services De
partment is truly meaningless, and it is impossible to make comments on or
understand this change since we do not know what is being funded within
each line item, how many Tribal members are being served by each line item
or how much it is costing to produce the outcomes under each line item.
I'm sure that Tribal Council is privy to information regarding justification
for increases, but the general membership is wholly in the dark when look
ing at proposed changes from last year's budget (which is also too vague to
make meaningful comparisons to). Therefore, providing this budget infor
mation to Tribal members is a complete waste of time and resources, and
tells us nothing of what is being done with our revenue; numbers without
meaning is a slight of hand.
What's more, and what's more offensive, is that Mr. Reyn Leno and Mr.
Julio Martinez, in their budget messages to Tribal members, did not even
mention the budget method used or budget management having direct and
indirect impacts on our "budgetary shortfalls and increases in programmatic
expenditures," instead choosing to focus on "decreasing revenues." However,
managing the budget properly and incorporating at least components of
alternative budget methods - would address decreasing revenues while
increasing benefits and services to all Tribal members.
I look forward to the Finance Department, under the guidance of Tribal
Council, looking at using progressive budget methods and providing mean
ingful budget information to Tribal members in the future. Without these
important changes, our benefits and services will continue to diminish with
our revenues.
Charles G. Haller II
Roll 1032
Veterans SEB schedules meetings
The Tribe's Veterans Special Event Board will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday,
March 5 and April 9, in the Tribal Community Center. For more informa
tion, contact Chair Gene LaBonte at 503-583-5222. B
Official Tribal Facebook pages
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde:
www.facebook.comCTGRgov
Grand Ronde Tribal Council:
www.facebook.comTheConfederatedTribesOfGrandRondeTribalCouncil
Tribal Library:
www.facebook.comCTGRLibrary
Grand Ronde Higher Education:
www.facebook.comgrand.r.ed
Grand Ronde Youth Education:
www.facebook.comCTGRYouthEducation
Spirit Mountain Community Fund:
www.facebook.comSpiritMountainCommunityFund
Grand Ronde Station:
www.facebook.comGrandRondeStation
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DEADLINE DATE ISSUE DATE
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(33B57
SMOKE SIGNALS, a publication of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Com
munity of Oregon, is published twice a month. No portion of this publication may be reprinted
without permission.
Our editorial policy is Intended to encourage input from Tribal members and readers
about stories printed in the Tribal newspaper. However, all letters received must be
signed by the author, an address must be given and a phone number or e-mail address
must be Included for verification purposes. Full addresses and phone numbers will not
be published unless requested.
SMOKE SIGNALS reserves the right to edit letters and to refuse letters that are determined
to contain libelous statements or personal attacks on individuals, staff, Tribal administration
or Tribal Council. Not all letters are guaranteed publication upon submission. Letters to the
editor are the opinions and views of the writer. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the
opinions of SMOKE SIGNALS, Tribal staff, Tribal administration or Tribal Council.
Members of: Native American Journalists Association
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2013 Tribal Council
1-800-422-0232 councilgrandronde.org
Reyn Leno D Chris Merrier
Tribal Chairman ext. 2305
ext. 2399 chris.merdergrandronde.org
reyn.lenograndronde.org n june sherer
D Jack Giffen Jr. ext. 1 444
Tribal Vice Chair june.sherergrandronde.org
- ext. 2300 n CneryIe A Kennedy
Jack.giffengrandronde.org ext 352
Toby McClary cheryle.kennedygrandronde.org
Tribal Secretary q Kathleen Tom
ext. 4555 ext 777
toby.mcclarygrandronde.org kathleen.tomgrandronde.org
D Steve Bobb Sr. n jon A George
- ext. 2353 ext. 2355
steve.bobbgrandronde.org jon.georgegrandronde.org