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Cherokee Nation committee raises per-councilor community meeting allowance to $15,000
Summary
The Cherokee Nation Executive and Finance Committee approved a policy change increasing each counselor's annual community meeting fund from $7,000 to $15,000 per year; unused funds will continue to roll over under existing policy.
The Cherokee Nation Executive and Finance Committee voted to increase the annual community meeting allocation for each counselor from $7,000 to $15,000 per year.
The action was taken during the committee's discussion of budget-related items. Committee members and staff said the increase responds to rising costs for meeting expenses such as food and venue needs and to the growing number of community events some districts hold.
Committee staff member Jody explained the increase is being processed as a formal change to council policy rather than a budget-only adjustment; under existing policy, unused community meeting funds roll over from year to year. Counselors present said the higher allocation is intended to ensure coverage for more frequent or larger community meetings without requiring repeated budget adjustments.
Members clarified that a separate line item, titled "community assistance funds," will be adjusted through a budget modification (budget mod) rather than by policy and therefore will return for approval through the normal budget process. Committee discussion also noted that final budget figures for related communications and contract services will be included in the forthcoming budget mod and voted on at a later meeting.
Votes at a glance
- Motion to increase community meeting funds from $7,000 to $15,000 per counselor per year — approved by the committee during the meeting. No formal roll-call tally with names is recorded in the transcript excerpt; the chair called for “all those in favor,” and the motion passed.
The committee chair and staff said counselors will receive formal notice when the budget modification and related documents are filed for final processing and that the policy change will be implemented going forward.
