On Thursday, the Tribal Council voted 15 to 3 to override Chairman Jimmy Goins’ veto of an ordinance that sets a time limit for a tribal chairman to hire an administrator. Since April 2007, the daily operations of the tribal government have been in he hands of an interim administrator.
It was one of two overrides of Goins’ vetoes by the council on Thursday.
Larmari Louise Mitchell, chairwoman of the council’s Constitution and Ordinance Committee, said the ordinance will become effective Feb. 1. It calls for the tribal chairman to hire a full-time administrator within 45 calendar days of when the position becomes vacant.
Mitchell said that the tribe’s constitution already provides for the position of an administrator. It does not specify, however, a time limit for the position to be filled.
“We need this ordinance so that we don’t get to the place where this position is not filled again for another three years,” she said.
In a letter to the council, Goins said with his term of office ending, it would be more appropriate that the next tribal chairman have the opportunity to fill the position. He also noted that since the ordinance specifies a time frame in which the chairman must hire an administrator, it is more restrictive than the tribe’s constitution.
Those council members agreeing with Goins were James Taft Smith, Laura Sampson and Helen Locklear.
The council also voted unanimously to override the chairman’s veto of an ordinance that placed a 10-year restriction on the hiring of felons as tribal employees, contractors or consultants from the day of their conviction. Instead, the council members agreed to amend the ordinance to change the restriction to five years from the time a felon completes his sentence, including parole and probation.
Earlier this year, in a written statement to the council, Goins strongly opposed the 10-year restriction.
“Enforcing a felony restriction for all felony classes for a 10-year period is too long,” he said. “Depending on the felony class, a 10-year restriction would be appropriate, but for some classes a lesser period restriction would be applicable ... . As chairman of the Lumbee Tribe, I recommend you consider a five and 10-year variable, depending on the felony class.”
The recommendation to reduce the time restriction to five years from the completion of a sentence was made by Councilman Steve Sampson.
“I have always said that this (10 years) is too harsh,” Sampson said. “Young people make mistakes and learn from them. With this (10-year restriction) we would be beating them over the head.”
Councilwoman Sharon Hunt told the council that if the ordinance is changed to the five-year restriction, the tribe’s housing policy will have to be changed to meet the same standards. The tribe’s current housing policy restricts a felon from receiving housing services for 10 years from the time of their conviction.
“You can’t have a double standard,” she said.
Mitchell said that changes to the tribe’s housing policy will be considered when the Housing Committee holds its next meeting.
In other business:
— The council approved a resolution allocating funds for an annual Christmas dinner for elders.
— Chairman Jimmy Goins urged the council to work in cooperation with the tribe’s newly elected chairman. He invited members to a meeting Monday where Swett will be addressing tribal employees.
— Elections Board Chairman Ertle Oxendine said after the meeting that the Elections Board will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday to certify the results of Tuesday’s general election. The meeting had been slated for Wednesday.
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