Greetings Relatives/Frens/Humans, I hope you are having a Most Nizhoni Day! The Navajo Council convened Day 1 of their 3-day annual Budget Session. I posted the Updated Legislation 0214-23 in this Blog Post, which includes all the Amendments/changes to 0214-23. I’ll be Posting info about today’s Navajo Council 2024 Budget Session on my FB page & on this Blog Post. Ahe’hee for Keeping an Eye on Navajo Govt! May Peace Prevail on Mother Earth!
11:10 am, 9.6.23 AMENDMENT 1 by Navajo Council Delegate Eugenia Charles Newton motions and seconded by Delegate Vince James for $50,000 for Ganado Fire District, $50,000 Kayenta Fire Dept to be transferred to $100,000 to Navajo TV & Film; Office of Ethics & Rules $10,000; Navajo Criminal Enforcement $14,092, remaining $12.150 into general funds (I rounded off figures. Amendment read really fast. LOL) The Navajo Council votes 14 in favor, 6 opposed on Amendment 1.
11:25 am, 9.6.23, NNC Delegate George Tolth motions for Amendment 2: Legislative Concern, Exhibit J, Personnel Management authority would be more efficient if implemented by each division & program and so Personnel shud present report by end of first quarter 2024 on how to do that and funds needed. Pool of applicants shud be created. Seconded by NNC Vince James. Navajo council approves Amendment 2.
11:37 am, 9.6.23, NNC Delegate Herman Daniels calls for a Cease Debate even though it was announced to the Council that there are Delegates working on their Amendments. Seconded by NNC Delegate Eugenia Charles Newton. Speaker Curley explains that there is No Debate on Cease Debate & 2/3 vote of NNC Delegates in council is needed to approve Cease Debate, which means that the Council is already Finished Debating the 2024 Budget. The Council votes 13 in favor, 7 opposed. 14 Yes votes were needed.
11:46 am, 9.6.23, NNC Delegate Vince James asks for a Recess until Day 2, 9.7.23, 9 am. Seconded by NND Delegate Norman Begay. NNC Carl Slater says that the Council shud recess for an hour & get 2024 Budget done today. Come prepared for Council Budget, Slater adds. And I’m a judge at Navajo Fair Fry Bread tomorrow & I don’t want Amendments presented when I’m not here. Council laughs. NNC Delegate Vince James asks if any Amendments ready. Speaker Curley says there are 2 amendments ready. NNC Delegate James withdraws his Amendment to Recess for the Day.
11:50 am, 9.6.23, Amendment 3 – NNC Delegate Danny Simpson asks for $250,000 from NN Housing Trust Fund to be moved to Crownpoint Office of the Dine Youth. NNC Delegate Casey Johnson seconds. NNC Delegate Otto Tso says that money was taken out of NN Housing Trust Fund and this Trust Fund is to build homes. I hope we are not taking too much from NN Housing Trust Fund, Tso says. NNC Delegate Eugenia Charles Newton asks for report from Office of Dine Youth. NNC Delegate Simpson says he hears there is about $135,000 available for allocation. OMB Director Domnic Beyals reports that the Navajo Nation Permanent Trust Fund Income Balance is $135,115.
Noon, 9.6.23, NNC Budget & Finance Committee chairwoman Shaadiin Parrish reports that $5 million was allocated to create NN Housing Trust Fund for future housing development after 2025. Info starts on page 8, Parrish says. This housing trust fund is to fund housing after ARPA and for housing for half of Dine’ who live off rez and want to return home, she says. BFC passed priorities and two priorities are housing & roads, which are priorities of President Nygren too, Parrish adds. I am really thinking about youth, children. We do not have enough housing on rez. There are no federal regulations and so up to Council on how to expend Housing Trust Fund dollars.
12:12, 9.6.23, NNC Delegate Germine Simonson motions for Amendment 3, which moves the salaries and benefits of the Legislative District Assistants for NNC Delegate Eugenia Charles Newton & Rickie Nez, which amounts to about $134,000. Simonson says the $134,000 is to be moved to Dine Youth Advisory Council. Seconded by NNC Delegate Cherilyn Yazzie.
12:20 pm, 9.6.23, NNC Delegate Andy Nez says that President Nygren has 6-7 staff assistant with salaries that total to about $1.6 million, which means about each staff assistant is earning about $100,000. I remember we brought youth to Navajo Council and so I support if Dine Youth Advisory Council works closely with Navajo Council. But I don’t support giving more funds to President Nygren, even if it is for the Dine Youth Advisory Council.
12:40 pm, 9.6.23, NNC Speaker Curley offers to end the debate on Motion by NNC Delegates Germaine Simonson & Cherilyn Yazzie to move the salaries of legislative district assistants for NNC Delegates Rickie Nez & Eugenia Charles Newton, about $134,000, to fund Dine Youth Advisory Council. Curley notes that her compromise is to work on moving the Dine Youth Advisory Council into the Office of the Speaker because she has seen that the youth council needs staff assistants/help and that there have many vacancies on the youth council for a long time. Speaker Curley notes her compromise is also to end some comments on the Simsonson-Yazzie Amendment by NNC delegates are getting disrespectful.
NOTE – During Naabik’iyati meeting yesterday, 9.5.23, Delegates Rickie Nez & Eugenia Charles Newton offered the salaries of their legislative district assistant to be used to fund Dine Youth Advisory Council instead of taking$75,000 from Miss Navajo Office. But now Delegates R.Nez & ECN are back peddling on their offer…
12:58 pm, 9.6.23, NNC Delegate Eugenia Charles Newton says that I have gotten reports of delegates who hired their family members. Who are the legislative district assistants? Delegate ECN calls for NNC Delegates Germaine Simonson & Cherilyn Yazzie to Throw In their LDAs’ salaries to fund the Dine Youth Advisory Council.
NOTE – I’m NNC Delegate Cherilyn Yazzie’s LDA. I texted Delegate Cherilyn Yazzie & said I would give up my salary and apply to Navajo Times, KTNN where I will continue to Live Stream. Better yet, I’ll start up my own Media Business since that is what I am doing now. I applied to Navajo Times & I was told there were No Open Positions. That was before I started working with Delegate Cherilyn Yazzie who Believes in the RIGHT of the Dine’ People to KNOW what their Navajo Government is doing in their NAME with their MONEY. My salary is from the Dine’ People & I work for the Dine’ People. I always have & always will. I have worked without a salary before & I can do it again!!!! POWER TO THE PEOPLE! May PEACE Prevail on Mother Earth!
1:30 pm, 9.6.23, The Navajo Council votes 14 in favor, 7 opposed to Cease Debate. Speaker Curley calls for the Second Reading of 0214-23 with all amendments. NOTE – After the Second Reading of 0214-23 is done, the Council votes on 0214-23, the 2023 Navajo Nation govt comprehensive operating budget.
1:26 pm, 9.6.23, NNC Speaker Curley Congratulates Navajo Council on approving Legislation 0214-23, 2024 Navajo govt budget. Navajo Council votes 20 in favor, zero opposed on 0214-23. Speaker Curley announces that the Navajo Council has a tent on the tribal fairgrounds where NNC delegates are welcome. Speaker Curley announces that NNC Delegate Carl Slater is a Fry Bready Contest Judge at 1 pm, tomorrow, 9.7.23, at the tribal fairgrounds in Window Rock, Az. Council votes 21 in favor, zero oppose to adjourn at 1:29 pm.
AGENDA OF THE 25th NAVAJO NATION COUNCIL COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET MEETING, Sept 6-8, 2023, 9 AM, Navajo Nation Council Chambers, Window Rock, Navajo Nation (AZ)
Call-in Number: (669) 900-6833
Meeting ID: 928 871 7160
Passcode: 86515
PRESIDING: Honorable Crystalyne Curley, Speaker, 25th Navajo Nation Council
- CALL MEETING TO ORDER; ROLL CALL; INVOCATION
- RECOGNIZE GUESTS AND VISITING OFFICIALS TO THE NAVAJO NATION
- REVIEW AND ADOPT THE AGENDA
(m) (s) (v) - OLD BUSINESS: NONE
- NEW BUSINESS:
A. LEGISLATION 0214-23: An Act Relating to the Budget and Finance Committee, the Naabik’íyáti’ Committee and the Navajo Nation Council; Approving the Navajo Nation Comprehensive Budget for Fiscal Year 2024; Waiving Resolution No. CJY-66-23 and 12 N.N.C. §820 (F), §820 (I), §820 (O), §840 (B) and §860
SPONSOR: Honorable Shaandiin Parrish
(m) (s) (v) - CLOSE OF SESSION; ANNOUNCEMENTS; ADJOURNMENT
THIS AGENDA IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE: The public is advised that the Navajo Nation Council Agenda and the Agendas of the Standing Committees are not final until adopted by a majority vote of the Navajo Nation Council or the Standing Committee at a Navajo Nation Council or a Standing Committee meeting pursuant to 2 N.N.C. §§ 163 and 183, Navajo Nation Council Rule of Order No. 7, and Standing Committee Rule of Order No. 8.
Livestream will be available online at:
www.youtube.com/navajonationcouncil
