Think of it like your neighborhood. When somebody moves in and spends a lot of money on a behemoth structure, you hope to develop a good relationship and that they will be thoughtful neighbors.
Now imagine that neighbor spending $510 million on a 368,000-square-foot facility that will have a vast impact on the region’s economy, environment and traffic. That is what the Cowlitz Tribe did with the ilani casino and resort, which opened in 2017 near La Center. Now, in raising questions about payments promised to Clark County and the possibility that those payments are not being made, tribal members are living up to their duty as conscientious neighbors.
In 2007, tribal leadership signed an ordinance calling for payments to the county amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. The simplistic explanation: When land for the casino was placed into trust for the tribe, it was removed from the county’s property tax rolls. Because the tribe is sovereign and does not pay standard property taxes, it agreed to payments in lieu of taxes.
David Barnett, a member of the tribal council who previously was involved with the casino project, recently met with county leaders and The Columbian to alert them to the possibility that those payments are not being made. “I couldn’t sleep knowing that this is being withheld from them,” he said. Philip Harju, the tribe’s attorney and council vice chair, said parts of the ordinance are subject to interpretation and that the tribe is negotiating with the county. “All this is being worked out,” he told The Columbian.
We trust that it will be worked out and that the tribe will fulfill its commitment to Clark County. But the situation does raise some questions.
Pre-eminent among those is how the county could overlook an expected payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Since the ordinance was signed by the Cowlitz, county leadership has seen much turnover. A voter-approved charter reconfigured county government, a county chair was established, and there has been turnover in the county manager’s office and the prosecuting attorney’s office.
Eileen Quiring, previously a council member, took over as chair in January. Once officials figure out where the oversight occurred, she should lead the way in establishing protocols to ensure that such payments are not overlooked — and that revenue from other sources is coming in as expected. It will be difficult to pinpoint blame for an oversight that predates Quiring’s time on the council; the important thing is to make sure it does not happen again and that changes in county government will not open the possibility of such a lapse.
In addition, it is essential to develop a strong relationship with tribal leadership. The county for years opposed construction of the casino — a reasonable stance given the impact the facility will have on the region. But once ilani received federal approval, county leaders of the time were slow to welcome their new neighbors; it wasn’t until 2018, after the casino was in operation, that the county rescinded a resolution opposing it.
The casino is not going anywhere. Recognizing that and working in cooperation with the Cowlitz can provide mutual benefits for tribal members and residents throughout Clark County.
In developing the casino project with his late father, John, Barnett said the Cowlitz made a promise: “We would always give more to the county than we would take from it.” That sounds downright neighborly.
