A provision in the new state budget allows the Oneida Indian Tribe to seek liquor licenses directly from the state, completely bypassing local municipalities.
Budget writers singled out the Oneida Tribe for this benefit by saying it must be a reservation “no less than 60,000 acres not more than 70,000 acres.” The Oneida is the only tribe in Wisconsin to meet that criteria.
Hobart Administrator Elaine Willman says she’s worried the new provision could cost the village thousands of dollars.
“The liquor license is the only mechanism we have for holding the tribe accountable for monies owed each year to the village,” said Willman.
In January, Hobart withheld the liquor license for the Thornberry Golf Course, owned by the Oneida Tribe, until more than $500,000 in back fees and taxes were paid. Oneida paid in the spring, and Thornberry now has its liquor license.
However, the Oneida Nation’s Chief of Staff says they became concerned when Hobart wanted payment for taxes incurred by the golf course’s previous owner, which the tribe says wasn’t part of the bankruptcy plan.
“If that was going to be an issue that was going to be revisited on a regular basis, certainly there was a potential for problems there,” said William Gollnick, the Oneida Nation’s Chief of Staff. “We began looking at, what are the alternatives to bring this down to a level playing field?”
Gollnick says the Oneida Nation plans to continue with local licensing, unless it feels its’ license is being withheld without just cause. He says the Oneida Tribe hopes to build a positive relationship with the village of Hobart.
State Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) and Representative Tom Nelson (D-Kaukauna) voted for the budget, but could not be reached for comment.
However, the spokesperson for Senator Majority Leader Russ Decker (D-Schofield) told Channel 5’s Jenna Sachs that Decker supported the provision, because he worried about future job loss at the golf course.
“In the future, we don’t want workers caught in the middle of a battle while litigation is pending on whether the golf course can maintain its liquor license,” said Decker spokesperson Carrie Lynch.
State Senator Rob Cowles (R-Allouez) disagrees, and says this issue should have been resolved through public hearings.
“This is one of those outrageous things that should never have been put in the budget,” said Cowles. “The state is taking away the ability of Hobart to negotiate favorable terms for itself in the future.”
The new provision would also impact deals with Green Bay, Ashwaubenon and Pittsfield.
Willman says she’s more upset with her local state legislators than anybody else, for not contacting her about the provision while it was under discussion. Willman heard about the provision only after the bill could no longer be amended.
