A new agreement between the county and the Rincon Band of Mission Indians in Valley Center was unanimously approved Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors and it could bring millions to North County for roads, public safety and other projects.
The agreement is part of a new gambling deal being negotiated by Rincon and Gov. Jerry Brown. Rincon has long sought to expand its Valley Center casino, but negotiations between the tribe and former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for more slot machines ended up in federal court.
Rincon sued the state, saying that Schwarzenegger was trying to extract an illegal tax that would be deposited into the state's general fund. The tribe said it would prefer to pay money to local governments to offset off-reservation problems caused by its casino, such as traffic, public safety and problem gambling.
Earlier this year, the tribe won the lawsuit against the state when the U.S. Supreme Court let a lower court ruling stand.
It is unclear exactly how much the county would get under the agreement because those details are still being worked out at the state level. The money that the region gets probably will be a percentage of what the casino makes on slot machines, said a spokeswoman for the tribe.
All five supervisors said they welcomed the new agreement.
"I applaud the tribe for their tenacity and stick-to-it-tiveness and I think everyone is going to benefit from this," North County Supervisor Bill Horn said.
Rincon Chairman Bo Mazzetti called the agreement historic and said it could open the door for other local tribes that may want to enter into similar agreements.
"This money that we're talking about today is several million dollars, every year, coming in," Mazzetti said. "This is the first time ever that two sovereign governments step together ... giving money that is going to address transportation, fire, sheriff's and problem gambling within the county."
Under the new agreement, the county would establish an account for the tribe to pay into.
Local organizations, agencies, cities and others would be able to submit proposals for funding, such as road improvements and equipment purchases, to a screening committee. Those projects have to address specific problems related to casino gambling.
The screening committee would be made up of two tribal representatives and three county representatives, who would make recommendations on which projects to fund.
A four-member selection committee, made up of two tribal representatives and two county representatives, would make the final determination on which projects get funding.
The funding process is similar to the one established for several East County tribes. Those tribes pay millions each year into the state's Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund. Some of that money comes back to counties for off-reservation projects, but those funds stay near the East County reservations.
North County tribes pay into a separate state fund, called the Indian Revenue Sharing Trust Fund. That fund pays about $1 million a year to each tribe that has no casino or has a small casino operating with fewer than 350 slot machines.
Contact staff writer Edward Sifuentes at 760-740-3511

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