Robesonian

Questions swirl on vets office

PEMBROKE — Tribal Administrator Tony Hunt assured members of the Lumbee Tribal Council on Thursday that he is looking into allegations that documents were being shredded at the Veterans Services Office earlier that day.

Tribal Council member Al Locklear said during Thursday night’s meeting of the council that he had heard that Veterans Services Office staff was shredding documents and telling people that they were moving out of the office because tribal funds are no longer available to support veterans programs.

“I found this to be very disturbing,” Locklear said.

Hunt told Locklear and the rest of the council that he had heard the same information.

“I called over there and told them that no one in the administration has decided to close that office,” Hunt said. “I told them if they were doing that, that they were to stop.”

Hunt said that he assumes that whatever was occurring at the office stopped after he called.

“I am meeting with them tomorrow morning to find out what is going on,” Hunt said.

Questions about what workers at the veterans office are up to came just as council members were considering an administration request to amend the council’s budget to provide the Veterans Services Office $82,837. The budget currently has nothing in it for the office because council members have been waiting to find out if HUD will approve federal money to be used for funding the office. HUD earlier this year cited the office for using federal dollars for activities not directly related to housing and is requiring the misused funds to be paid back. The tribe is appealing that order.

In defense of the administration’s request for the Veterans Services Office to be funded, Hunt presented council members with a letter that said the funds are approved by HUD as part of its approval of the tribe’s Indian Housing Plan.

Because they just received the letter, council members voted to send the proposed budget amendment back to the Fiance Committee for review and a recommendation.

“I’m not against veterans,” Locklear said. “We have to fund that office.”

In other business, the council on Thursday accepted a grant from the “Duke Energy Helping Home Fund” to be used to address health, safety, and weatherization needs of tribal members, as well as HVAC repair and replacement and replacement of appliances.

The grant provides $24,794 for Robeson County,and $16,884 for Cumberland County.

The grant also calls for Robeson County to get $57,854 for HVAC repair and replacement, while Cumberland County will get $39,394.

Al Locklear
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_IMG_0311_cmyk.jpgAl Locklear

By Bob Shiles

bshiles@civitasmedia.com

Bob Shiles can be reached at 910-416-5165.