United Auburn Indian Community rejects petition for recall

Monday, November 14, 2011  

Members of the United Auburn Indian Community of California are upset that their recall petition has been rejected.

Tribal members thought they gathered enough signatures to force a recall of the entire council. But the election committee said some of the signatures weren't notarized and properly dated.

"The denial of this election is unfortunately par for the course by a tribal council that is afraid to give an undeniably large number of its members a right to vote them out of office,” former chairwoman Jessica Tavares, who led the effort, said in a statement to The Roseville Press-Tribune.

Tavares and other critics are upset with the direction of the tribe, including the fees being paid to longtime attorney Howard Dickstein. They say he has taken $25 million from the tribe, a figure disputed by a spokesperson.

Dickstein employs three attorneys who spend 70 percent on their time on the tribe, the spokesperson said. The tribe has 280 members.

Get the Story:
Thunder Valley owner’s tribal council recall bid denied (The Roseville Press-Tribune 11/11)

Council at United Auburn Indian Community faces recall effort (11/8)