It's Time 2009

1,000 New Jobs, Guaranteed.

rmoore — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:54:51 +0000

At a public hearing on Monday, Oneida Nation CEO Ray Halbritter announced that the Nation is committed to creating 1,000 new jobs in our region over the next five years if the Oneida County Partnership Plan passes. The Nation has been in talks with two major employers who are interested in relocating to Oneida County – boat manufacturer Genmar and a clean energy company.

In a May 7^th letter to Halbritter, Genmar owner Irwin Jacobs wrote of his interest in “growing the partnership we have formed with the Nation over recent years. Therefore,” Jacobs wrote, “I was pleased to learn that the Oneida Nation is on the cusp of stabilizing its relationship with its surrounding communities.”

The Genmar talks got a positive review from Mohawk Valley EDGE president Steve DiMeo, who endorsed the Oneida County Partnership Plan on Tuesday. Based in Rome, Mohawk Valley EDGE is the region’s main economic development agency.

Click here to read coverage of this major job creation announcement:

Oneidas promise jobs

EDGE supportive of Nation’s growth

Rome Sentinel Endorses Plan

rmoore — Sat, 16 May 2009 21:31:16 +0000

Last week, the Oneida County Partnership Plan got a significant boost: the endorsement of the Rome Sentinel. In an editorial entitled “The Art of the Possible,” the Sentinel deems the Partnership Plan “remarkable in its scope” and credits County Executive Anthony Picente and Oneida Nation CEO Ray Halbritter for their “courageous” efforts to come to an agreement promoting a “healthy, shared future” for our region. The Sentinel goes on to criticize some opponents of the plan – namely Board of Legislators Minority Leader Michael Hennessy and Assemblyman David Townsend – for “political gamesmanship” in their ongoing usage of “unrealistic hyperbole” to derail the Partnership Plan.

Click here to read “The Art of the Possible”

Oneida County Partnership Plan Announced

admin — Fri, 08 May 2009 12:20:49 +0000

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente announced a historic agreement today that will allow the people of Oneida County and members of the Oneida Indian Nation to move forward and finally solve a conflict that has festered for decades. The agreement allows the federal government to place 8,800 acres of nation-owned land into trust. In exchange, the Oneida Nation has agreed to:

Pay $55 million to Oneida County, which will be used for economic development and tax stabilization and shared by every community in the county;
Tax businesses on Nation lands at the same levels as state and local sales taxes on non-Indian lands. This will provide a level playing field with non-Nation businesses;
Refrain from making any further applications for trust land over the next five years.

The Oneida County Partnership Plan is a milestone that will end a long legal battle that has drained millions of taxpayer dollars, diverted the energy and attention of local government leaders, and damaged the relationship between local residents and members of the Oneida Nation. It’s time for a new era of cooperation and economic growth. It’s time to move forward.