Example Of Cost of Doing Business

The Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians, operators of the Cache Creek Casino Resort in Yolo County, which is up by Sacramento, have a 2004 amended compact which allows them to operate an unlimited number of slot machines.

In exchange, the tribe pays into the state general fund and allows additional state regulation, environmental oversight, and worker and customer protections.

The tribe also has an MOU with Yolo County which requires the tribe to provide funds to reimburse costs associated with off-Reservation impacts and intangible expenses unrelated to mitigations of environmental impacts.

The cost of doing business with the state and county breaks down as follows:

•The tribe recently made a $6.25 million quarterly payment to the State of California and later this month will make another payment of about $4 million.

•$2.5 million for County roads improvements.

•$43,000 annually to the County to maintain road improvements.

•$500,000 to County to assist the City of Woodland with traffic-related improvements.

•$10,000 annually to the County to assist in maintaining these improvements.

•$1,900,000 to reimburse County for one-time costs associated with mitigations of off-Reservation impacts.

•Annual payments to County to mitigate off-Reservation impacts and intangible expenses. Since 2003, these payments have totaled $20 million, with at least another $5 million to be paid in October of this year.

In addition to the required funds the tribe also has made very generous charitable donations. For the first half of 2008, these donations have totaled more than $1.9 million in gifts and pledges.

"Through the compacts, we have made major financial commitments to the state and Yolo County and recognize these funds are important sources of revenue to local and state government," said Tribal Chairman Marshall McKay. "We take our agreements very seriously; the compact is key to the Tribe's ability to provide for our people now and in the future."