Bates: Tribe losing money by not using it

By John Christian Hopkins
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation needs a unified system for accepting state funds, or risk losing ever more money, according to the Budget & Finance Committee.

“There’s no mechanism on the Navajo side to deal with Arizona money,” Chairman LoRenzo Bates said.

During recent meetings with Arizona state representatives — including Sen. Albert Hale and Rep. Albert Tom — he was made aware of a situation where $1 million was earmarked for the Nation — but never used, Bates said.

The problem seemed to be that everyone seemed to be pulling in a different direction, Bates explained.

Within 30 days, Bates wants to see something in writing regarding a plan for utilizing state money.

He told Controller Mark Grant to work with the Office of Management and Budget, Capital Improvement Office and related departments to develop such a plan.

The chairmen of the Nation’s standing committees should also consider developing policies for departments they oversee, Bates added.

The Nation is dealing with the state of Arizona , seeking funding for a variety of projects, including in the communities of Birdsprings, Whitecone, Dilkon and Leupp.

“Nothing is set in stone,” Bates said. “There will be a lot of horsetrading going on.”

Part of the problem seems to come from the controller’s office, where staff doesn’t always seem to know details, CIO Director Arbin Mitchell said.

“Mr. Grant understands, but sometimes it’s a problem with the people doing the paperwork,” Mitchell said. There is often too much — and unnecessary — paperwork involved in accessing state money,” Mitchell said.

Maybe the Nation should spend state money first, and then worry about using its own funds, he suggested.

“But, Mr. Grant says we have to spend money evenly. If it costs $10, you have to take $5 from one side and $5 from the other,” Mitchell said.

Some chapters accept state funds on their own, without consulting with the Nation, Mitchell said.

Before the Transportation and Community Development Committee accepts joint-power agreements with the state, it needs to grill the sponsors on how the project will be paid for, Mitchell said.

Often, a chapter will get a small amount for a project, with no strategy in place to fund the entire project, he said.
Instead of piecemeal improvements, the Nation’s capital improvement plans should be Nationwide, OMB Director Domenic Beyal said. Now, too often, project spending become political, Beyal said.

If one chapter has some money for a project, but not enough to complete it, that money could be used by another chapter, Beyal explained.

But that can’t happen unless the first chapter agrees to it — and that’s the snafu, Beyal said.

“None of the chapters, none of the delegates are going to let that happen,” he said.

Another problem is that the departments or chapters don’t follow through and do their part, Grant explained.

Then, as the funds are amount to expire, they try to come in and rush projects through, Grant said.

Grant pointed to plans for a judicial building, as an example of wasted time.

The department didn’t follow through on its end, and wanted to expend money even before the project was official — and wanted to start paying contractors before bids were even sent out, Grant said.

“They have to spend $2 million by June 30, and so far they haven’t spent a dime,” Grant said. “They come and say ‘You’re holding us up’, and I say ‘yeah, what have you been doing for the last four months’?

“A lot of time when they point fingers at the controller’s office, it’s not us.”