Jacobs could get $80,000

Staff and wire report

PEMBROKE - The Lumbee Tribal Council is considering whether to pay $80,000 to the former tribal administrator who was fired.

The Tribal Council has asked its lawyer to look into the possibility of paying Darlene Jacobs, who had one year left on her contract when she was fired in January by Tribal Chairman Jimmy Goins.

The council will hear a report at its Dec. 16 meeting.

Jacobs was hired on a two-year contract in March 2003 by former Tribal Chairman Milton Hunt.

David Carter, speaker of the Tribal Council, said a council member had asked to place Jacobs' contract on the agenda. Council members then requested additional information about the contract from the tribe's lawyer, Donald Bullard.

"We are still waiting on a response from our attorney," said a council member who didn't want to be named.

Jacobs' contract was for March 1, 2003, through Feb. 28, 2005. If the contract was terminated, it called for Jacobs to be paid for any remaining time on her contract either in a lump sum or equal monthly installments.

Several council members have questioned whether the contract is valid because it was not approved by the council.

Jacobs was fired Jan. 17 after officials with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found evidence that the tribe violated federal policies when buying mobile homes, buying land and soliciting bids for the tribe's housing program.