Towns Sue Feds Over Onieda Land Into Trust Decision

The towns of Verona and Vernon are in the process of jointly filing a lawsuit against the federal government over its ruling that Oneida Indian Nation land be taken into trust.

Verona Town Board approved a motion at a meeting Monday to file the suit. Vernon will discuss and vote on the matter at its next town board meeting Monday, June 9.

The federal Department of Interior handed down its decision May 21 to place 13,004 Oneida Indian Nation acres into tax-free trust land. Approximately 8,000 acres of that land lies in Verona, much of it occupied by the $360 million Turning Stone Casino & Resort.

Vernon Supervisor Myron J. Thurston II said the town board knows of its option to join Verona in the suit and will consider it Monday.

"The board knows it’s an option, and I’ve heard nothing but favorable responses from the board members" about the lawsuit, Thurston said. "We want to take the steps necessary to have a lawsuit filed so we have all the possible options open to both communities."

Rossi said Verona is moving forward with the suit because the state refused to involve the town in the state lawsuit against the Interior Department.

"The state refused to add us as plaintiffs, so that’s why the towns are proceeding the way they are," he said. "Their suits will be added to those filed by other people, by the state and the counties, and at some point, they will probably be joined."

Mark Emery, spokesman for the Oneida Indian Nation, said the towns should be settling their differences with the Oneidas through negotiations and compromise, rather than filing lawsuits against the government.

"Verona obviously feels that litigation is better than negotiation," Emery said. "The Oneidas prefer a reasonable negotiations process, with a settlement that is reflective of all parties making compromises. How quickly people forget that the building where the vote took place was expanded and modernized by a gift of $300,000 from the Oneida people in 1992. Since then the Nation has contributed more than $10 million to meet the needs of the Verona community."

Among the various contributions, Emery said the Oneidas had given Verona $7.1 million in 1996 for a new water system, $1.1 million for a water study, $800,000 to Verona Fire Department and $4 million to Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Schools.

Verona Supervisor Owen E. Waller was unavailable for comment today.

Verona and Vernon would join several local governments and one citizens group in filing suits against the federal Interior Department. The deadline to file is June 19
.

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