Communities, county to be compensated with gaming revenues
The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe of New York has reached an agreement with state lawmakers and St. Lawrence County to buy land in northern New York to add to its territory, officials say.
The tribe will purchase about 3,440 acres in the town of Brasher and about 1,360 acres in the town of Massena, both located along the Canadian border. According to the terms of the agreement, the state will compensate the municipalities for lost property taxes.
“For decades, the state and the Mohawks were at a stalemate,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said. “We can now look forward to years of mutual respect and cooperation.”
St. Lawrence County will get $2 million from the state and $1.5 million from the tribe, plus $4 million a year from casino revenues.
Jon Putney, chairman of the county board of legislators, said the agreement “protects the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe’s gaming exclusivity and provides millions of dollars to our local governments and school districts.”
Last year, Cuomo struck a deal with the Mohawks that protected their eight-county area of exclusivity from any new casino development. The tribe in turn agreed to resume paying 25 percent of future gaming revenues to the state, the Associated Press reported.
