HERE AT NAABIK’IYATI COMMITTEE WHERE COMMITTEE HAS STARTED DEBATING ON LEGISLATION 0232-14, 2015 COMPREHENSIVE NAVAJO NATION GOVERNMENT OPERATING BUDGET. NOTE – I TRIED GETTING A COPY OF THE ENTIRE PROPOSED 2015 BUDGET BUT NO SUCCESS SO I’M PUTTING FORTH MY BEST EFFORT IN KEEPING UP WITH THE VERBAL REPORT BY BUDGET & FINANCE COMMITTEE VICE CHAIRPERSON JONATHAN NEZ, WHO IS BEING ASSISTED BY NAVAJO NATION CONTROLLER MARK GRANT, NAVAJO NATION EXECUTIVE OFFICE CHIEF OF STAFF ARBIN MITCHELL, NAVAJO NATION OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGETS DIRECTOR DOMINIC BEYAL.

NAABI CONTINUES TO DEBATE THE REMOVAL OF ALL REGIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICES AND TRANSFERRING THE $2,821,674 BUDGETS FROM THOSE RBDOs, WHICH INCLUDES EMPLOYEES, TO THE DED PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OFFICES.

DELEGATE LORENZO CURLEY
It’s going to take courage to do what we are trying to do here. The RBDOs are dinosaurs; they’re outdated. The RBDOs were created to assist people with writing business plans but our young people know how to do all of that with their laptops and the use of internet.

DELEGATE MEL BEGAY
eliminating workers from the nation in a hasty manner and by instinct is not the proper way. the proposals for business planning is in the hands of the RBDO and they are ready and available. But there is no planning money for the RBDO staff. Unfortunately it’s the division director that should give guidance and that is where the failure is. and look at our budget…$173 million is going off reservation to the border towns if talking about money that shud come back to nation.

DELEGATE DWIGHT WITHERSPOON
i talked with division director albert damon about regional business development office and he favored their termination two years ago. these RBDOs are responsible for creating business and obtaining funding and they are not getting the job done. these employees shud know how to develop business plan, get start up funding. but those individuals that know how to do that are not going to work for the tribe because we don’t offer them the same salaries that they are getting off reservation. to make business, you have to spend money. we need to generate money and by getting no businesses that is absolutely unacceptable because then there is no collection taxes, employment, etc. I support this amendment. This is the opportunity to create change.

DELEGATE ALTON SHEPHERD
Many of us saw the tribal primary election results. and when we came into office we were headed in the right direction. someone talked about courage but we are taking money from personnel. and at last minute we are zeroing out budgets without plans. the community land use planning is there but where is that planning going to go without water and electricity. we are basically saying we are going to do away with RBDOs and pile money over here. we say we support decentralization but we are transferring money to Navajo Division of Community Development which is here in Window Rock. if this is not the way, we need to do Condition of Appropriation but COAs have no teeth. When we were going oversight budget at Naabik’iyati Committee, we talked about the presidential line-item veto power and then a new administration is coming in. Perhaps we need to just start all over the budget and enjoy the tribal fair next week.

NNABIK’IYATI COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON PRO TEMP LORENZO BATES
in the event this body wants to do a Continuing Budget Resolution, the council would have to do on Day One of the Council’s Budget Session and as soon as the Council votes down this 2015 Budget, then there has to be a Continuing Budget Resolution ready to be voted on by the Council.

VOTING ON AMENDMENT ONE, REMOVAL OF ALL REGIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICES AND TRANSFERRING THE $2,821,674 BUDGETS FROM THOSE RBDOs, WHICH INCLUDES EMPLOYEES, TO THE DED PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OFFICES.
10 IN FAVOR, 9 OPPOSED
Time is now 4:42 pm

REMEMBER THAT ANY CHANGES TO PROPOSED 2015 BUDGET MOVES TO NAVAJO COUNCIL, WHICH HAS FINAL ACTION ON PROPOSED 2015 BUDGET AND PRESIDENT SHELLY HAS LINE-ITEM VETO POWER. NAVAJO COUNCIL’S BUDGET SESSION IS SCHEDULED FOR SEPT. 2 TO 5, 2014. BY THE WAY, THE NAVAJO NATION FAIR IS SEPT. 1 TO 7, 2014.