PEMBROKE — The Lumbee Tribal Council on Thursday approved the tribal chairman’s nominee for tribal administrator, filling a position that had been vacant for two years..
On a 12 to 8 vote, Tony Hunt, a Hoke County commissioner, school administrator and past Tribal Council candidate, was confirmed as the tribe’s top administrator. He immediately takes over the administration of the tribe’s day-to-day operations.
Thursday was the fourth attempt by Chairman Paul Brooks to get a nominee of his choice confirmed by the 21-member council. Hunt is the third nominee, with the other candidates being Gervais Oxendine, a Lumberton businessman, and Steven Hunt, who was recently named CEO of the Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation.
Hunt was named interim administrator last week by Brooks when not enough council members for a quorum attended a special meeting to consider his confirmation.
Hunt will be paid an annual salary of $96,000, $4,000 less than originally proposed in the contract. The change was made after council members learned that a 2011 ordinance had been approved setting the administrator’s salary between $88,000 and $96,000.
“I look forward to the challenges that come along with this very important role with the tribe,” Hunt said in a statement. “I want to make sure our tribal members continue to receive exemplary customer service and to improve in the areas we need to improve in order to help this government continue to grow.”
The tribe has been without an administrator since 2011. The council did not renew the contract of the last administrator, Rose Marie Lowry-Townsend, after it was learned that former Chairman Purnell Swett had hired her at a higher salary than the 21-member council had agreed upon.
Tribal Speaker Pearlean Revels said the hiring turns a page for the tribe.
“I hope as of today we can go forward,” Revels said. “There have been some issues that have been holding the government back.”
At the recommendation of Councilman Steve Sampson, the council at the last minute approved striking language from Hunt’s contract that would have given Brooks’ sole authority as chairman to raise Hunt’s salary to match any offer of better pay to take a job elsewhere.
The council on Thursday also voted 13 to 7 to override Brooks’ veto of the tribe’s budget. A two-thirds vote of the 21 council members is needed to override a veto, and because only 20 members were present, there was discussion about whether the override was valid. The decision was eventually made that it was.
Councilman McDuffie Cummings, chairman of the council’s Finance Committee, said the budget is comprehensive.
“All of the projects that have been approved for any of the districts are in this $23 million budget,” he told council members.
The council in March approved a $24.9 million budget for the fiscal year that began last October.
In other business, Dr. Ronny Bell made a brief presentation on the Lumbee Rite of Passage project, a collaborative program between the Wake Forest School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke and the Lumbee Tribe.
Bell told the council that the program has two goals — to examine the behavioral health needs and availability of services for Lumbee youths, and to measure the effect of tribally-operated cultural enrichment classes on factors associated with suicide in Lumbee people ages 11 to 18.
I think you may need to take a few refresher courses on basic math and please make sure Mcdaffie is not teaching it. And I have no desire to run for Council at this time. I am coming to an conclusion of my professional career, and have plans to run then. With hope, the council will be reduced to 7 or so by then and it actually has members that are qualified, not politically driven, and actually have the capacity to think beyond their simple minded-selves and grasp the larger picture. I whole-heartily believe that once we do have fellow Lumbees with this mentality that we can excell as an Indian Nation, and not be the butt of jokes, or punch lines of how Indians are self destructive.
ps. And you were saying something about punch lines and being the butt of jokes...
I would much Rather be the butt of a joke then the crack of it. (Use your small kindergarten imagination.) we all know your understanding is no greater than the clowns we are speaking about on the council.. Yet someone has to be the village idiot. I know it's a hard roll. And Ross is Right for the job.
I see recognition as perhaps a way to give our children and young people a source of pride, like I see in other demographics (I know for example a boy that goes to school with my son who has scottish ancestry of which is very proud. His parents have put it in his mind and though process that he represents his family (clan, and this ain't the KKK clan folks)his family grown, badge, etc. it would be great to see Lumbee kids feel the same way.
But unfortunately until all the internal bickering stops, we are just going to keep fighting among ourselves and be a laughing stock of outsiders. Mr, Brooks is a good man. I think that all would do,well to try to support him rather than holding grudges.
Ok, follow me here, I ride a Harley, you ride a Honda. Do I think my "howg" is better than your "rice burner", sure, do I tell you...nope. You will see it on my face when I ride. Talking about one over the other is a bit tacky too, this is why I think it should be in the heart and the home, not worn on your sleeve.
If you pulled up to a light on your Honda and I pulled up with a crowd on Harley's and we looked at you and began revving our engines, you'd feel a little intimidated and uncomfortable. Again it ain't necessary.
This is why I prefer the pride stuff be kept to ourselves. I can ride with you on your Honda or ride with my friends on my Harley's and it wont matter either way.
Now, lets turn and burn, smile with style and ride.... no matter what the other is riding, who cares.
ps. Actually that had nothing to do with motorcycles.....
I propose an amendment to the "constitution"(too funny), no money for no one. We want to show the government that we are capable of survival without their money!
We have pride!
Pearlene, the only major problems I see are you, and 3 other tribal council members trying run the show. Your up for re election, and I dont see you winning another term my dear.
was one-third of a 100.He said that if I wanted to get two-thirds of 20 I would multiply it by 66.66 which would give me 13.33.To explain our
differences you could have had a chinese math
teacher. Some people use chinese math in doing
their taxes.
And futher more, people a lot smatter than me,but
not you,figure out what to do when you get 13.33.You round it off to the next whole number which is 13
Had it been 13.51 it would have been 14.You knew this Hawk. Your like some of those council members and employees at the Turtle Bldg.they "make out" they don,t know but they do.
Please do not run for Council because you are using Paul's pencil.Two-thirds of 20 is 13.33
which is two-thirds of the established Quorum
required by the constitution to conduct business.
Your hate and bitterness is obvious.
8 4 2
- divided by common denominator - = -
12 4 3
Enough said. Throw them small computers away.