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3.7 Socioeconomic Conditions 

This section addresses the economic, demographic and social conditions in Madison 

County and Oneida County, New York, and provides an overview of the Nation’s 

Government and Enterprises. Unless specified otherwise, the Study Area in the 

Socioeconomic Conditions Section is defined as the counties and municipalities in which 

the Nation owns land, which includes Madison and Oneida Counties and 16 of their 

constituent cities, towns, and villages. In Madison County, municipalities include 

Canastota Village, the Towns of Cazenovia, Fenner, Lenox, Lincoln, Smithfield, 

Stockbridge, and Sullivan, and the City of Oneida. In Oneida County, the Nation owns 

land in the Villages of Sylvan Beach and Vernon along with the Towns of Augusta, 

Vernon, and Verona, and the City of Sherrill. 

3.7.1 Employment and Income 

Historically, the economies of Madison and Oneida Counties have been based on 

agriculture and manufacturing. Madison County’s topography, soil, and climate were 

well-suited to develop an economy dominated by producing hops and dairy products. The 

two industries were often intertwined, as the dairy cows were used to produce fertilizer for 

the hops fields. In Oneida County, agriculture also played an important role in the local 

economy. By the mid-1900s, manufacturing also began to develop in the region. 

Companies including General Electric, Univac, Utica Drop Forge and Tool, Bendix, 

Special Metals and Oneida Ltd. built factories in the counties. 

While these sectors and industries have been integral to the region, they have not been 

sufficiently competitive and strong to grow and strengthen the region’s economic base or 

serve as major anchors for attracting or retaining migrating populations. Whether cause 

or effect of the region’s relatively static economic performance, neither county’s 

population base has grown substantially over the last 30 years. In Oneida County, 

population has actually declined (a loss of nearly 40,000 persons) while Madison County 

has experienced little population growth (7,000 persons). These trends compare 

unfavorably with population growth rates for the United States, which grew by 43 percent 

during that same period. 

There has no been net employment growth during this period. As shown in Table 3.7-1, 

both Madison and Oneida County have experienced an increase in the number of private 

sector jobs in the past 30 years, while the number of government jobs only modestly 

increased in Madison County and decreased in Oneida County over the same time period. 

However, this overall growth in employment in the past three decades tends to mask the 

fact that nearly all of this growth occurred before 1990. From 1990 to 2003, Madison 

County and Oneida County added 3,660 and 3,852 private sector jobs, respectively. The 

number of government jobs declined in both counties, but more substantially in Oneida 
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County (3,992 jobs were lost) where the closure of the Griffiss Air Force base led to the 

loss of 4,500 jobs in the mid-nineties. 

The Nation’s emergence in the 1990s as a major employer in the region has mitigated 

some of the difficulties caused by structural economic changes and the closure of Griffiss. 

The Nation employed approximately 2,900 persons in 2000 and 4,000 by 2003 in 

Madison and Oneida Counties. Oneida Nation jobs are reported as government 

employment and account for 11 and 13 percent of total government employment in the 

two-county area in 2000 and 2003, respectively, reported in Table 3.7-1. Prior to 2001, 

the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported employment at Native American 

establishments as private employment. Employment at the Nation Government was 

classified as employment at membership organizations while employment at the Nation 

Enterprises was classified under the relevant private industry components. Starting in 

2001, the BEA reported the employment at Native American establishments as local 

government employment and has reclassified all employment back to 1969 to local 

government employment. Thus, in all tables in this report that present BEA data, 

employment at the Nation Government and Enterprises is reported as local government 

employment. 

Thus, the reported loss of government employment jobs would have been significantly 

worse had the Oneida Nation not added jobs over this period to the region. 

The region’s recent economic difficulties are clearly evident in comparisons with New 

York State and the United States (see Table 3.7-1). New York State’s job growth picture 

over the 1990-2003 was somewhat better than the two-county region with faster levels of 

non-farm and private sector job growth and smaller levels of government job cuts. But 

New York’s job growth fares badly in a direct comparison to the rate of the United States 

job expansion during this period which generated both faster rates of private sector and 

positive rates of government sector job growth. 
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Table 3.7-1 

Total Population and Employment, 

1970-2003 Madison and Oneida Counties 

 1970 1980 1990 2000 2003 

Population 63,001 65,257 69,300 69,453 70,275 

Total Non-Farm 

Employment 15,952 19,189 25,658 29,730 28,885 

Private Employment 11,686 14,536 20,684 25,289 24,344 

Government Employment 4,266 4,653 4,974 4,441 4,541 

Madison County 

Employment/Population 

Ratio 0.25 0.29 0.37 0.43 0.41 

Population 273,586 253,560 251,191 235,244 234,368 

Total Non-Farm 

Employment 112,368 113,658 131,082 133,328 130,942 

Private Employment 82,640 85,945 100,557 110,013 104,409 

Government Employment 29,728 27,713 30,525 23,315 26,533 

Oneida County 

Employment/Population 

Ratio 0.41 0.45 0.52 0.57 0.56 

Population 336,587 318,817 320,491 304,697 304,643 

Total Non-Farm 

Employment 128,320 132,847 156,740 163,058 159,827 

Private Employment 94,326 100,481 121,241 135,302 128,753 

Government Employment 33,994 32,366 35,499 27,756 31,074 

Two-County Total 

Employment/Population 

Ratio 0.38 0.42 0.49 0.54 0.52 

Population 18,271,605 17,566,754 18,020,784 18,998,889 19,228,031 

Total Non-Farm 

Employment 8,392,952 8,538,024 9,751,506 10,395,185 10,393,279 

Private Employment 7,042,627 7,200,246 8,220,791 8,911,313 8,893,728 

Government Employment 1,350,325 1,337,778 1,530,715 1,483,872 1,499,551 

New York State 

Employment/Population 

Ratio 0.46 0.49 0.54 0.55 0.54 

Population 203,798,722 227,224,719 249,622,814 282,193,477 290,850,005 

Total Non-Farm 

Employment 87,320,600 110,433,200 136,227,900 163,645,800 164,456,500 

Private Employment 71,239,600 91,658,200 114,995,900 140,701,800 140,828,500 

Government Employment 16,081,000 18,775,000 21,232,000 22,944,000 23,628,000 

United States 

Employment/Population 

Ratio 0.43 0.49 0.55 0.58 0.57 

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts; U.S. Bureau of Census. 

Note: Farm Employment is not included in this table; Employment at the Nation Government and Enterprises in 2000 

and 2003 is included in Madison and Oneida County government employment. 
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County and Oneida County added 3,800 and 3,900 private sector jobs, respectively. The 

number of government jobs declined in both counties, but more substantially in Oneida 

County (4,000 jobs were lost) where the closure of the Griffiss Air Force base led to the 

loss of 4,500 jobs in the mid-nineties. 

The Nation’s emergence in the 1990s as a major employer in the region has mitigated 

some of the difficulties caused by structural economic changes and the closure of Griffiss. 

The Nation employed approximately 2,900 persons in 2000 and 4,000 by 2003 in 

Madison and Oneida Counties. Oneida Nation jobs are reported as government 

employment and account for 11 and 13 percent of total government employment in the 

two-county area in 2000 and 2003, respectively, reported in Table 3.7-1.1

 Thus, the 

reported loss of government employment jobs would have been significantly worse had the 

Oneida Nation not added jobs over this period to the region. 

The region’s recent economic difficulties are clearly evident in comparisons with New 

York State and the United States (see Table 3.7-1). New York State’s job growth picture 

over the 1990-2003 was somewhat better than the two-county region with faster levels of 

non-farm and private sector job growth and smaller levels of government job cuts. But 

New York’s job growth fares badly in a direct comparison to the rate of the United States 

job expansion during this period which generated both faster rates of private sector and 

positive rates of government sector job growth. 

3.7.1.1 Economic Base 

This section describes a regional Study Area comprised of Madison, Oneida, and 

Onondaga Counties. These three counties are the major counties where employees 

working for the Nation reside and a major share of the many vendors providing goods and 

services to the Nation are located within this region. This section will also examine the 

characteristics and trends of the “Study Area Municipalities” within which the Nation has 

land holdings. 

Employment 

In 2003, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that 

approximately 459,830 people were employed in the three-county region comprised of 

Oneida, Madison, and Onondaga Counties. Full-and part-time employment, including 

farm employment, in Oneida County in 2003 was 132,696. Oneida County, together 

 

1

 Prior to 2001, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported employment at Native American 

establishments as private employment. Employment at the Nation Government was classified as 

employment at membership organizations while employment at the Nation Enterprises was 

classified under the relevant private industry components. Starting in 2001, the BEA reported the 

employment at Native American establishments as local government employment and has 

reclassified all employment back to 1969 to local government employment. Thus, in all tables in 

this report that present BEA data, employment at the Nation Government and Enterprises is 

reported as local government employment. 
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with Herkimer County, belongs to the Utica-Rome metro area and accounted for 84 

percent of the metro area’s employment. Employment in Madison and Onondaga County 

in 2003 totaled 30,056 and 297,079, respectively. Both counties belong to the Syracuse 

metro area, which also includes Oswego County and which totaled 372,944 jobs in 2003. 

Madison and Onondaga Counties accounted for eight and 80 percent of total employment 

in the Syracuse metropolitan area, respectively (see Table 3.7-2). 

As described in more detail in Section 3.7.53, the Nation employed approximately 4,000 

workers in 2003 in Madison and Oneida Counties. These jobs are included in the counts 

presented in Table 3.7-2. 

Table 3.7-2 

Full- and Part-time Employment 

Madison County, Oneida County, Onondaga County, 

Utica-Rome Metro Area, and Syracuse Metro Area, 2003 

 # of Jobs % of Metro Area % of Three-County Area 

Oneida County 132,696 84% 29% 

Utica-Rome Metro Area 158,274 100% N/A 

Madison County 30,056 8% 7% 

Onondaga County 297,079 80% 65% 

Syracuse Metro Area 372,944 100% N/A 

Three-County Area 459,831 N/A 100% 

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts. 

Note: Includes Farm Employment; Nation employment is included in Madison and Oneida County employment. 

Employment compiled at the ZIP code level from the U.S. Bureau of Census shows that, in 

2003, there were approximately 18,193 workers in the areas that roughly correspond to 

the local municipalities where the Nation owns land (see Table 3.7-3). 

The U.S. Bureau of Census created the ZIP code level employment dataset based on 

information from the employer’s Federal Withholding Tax Returns (IRS Form 941). In 

2003, Non-Native American Nation employees were reported in the IRS Form 941 of the 

Oneida Employment Services Inc , an unrelated company that provides payroll and other 

services to the Nation and was then located in Zip Code 13032. Native Americans 

including but not limited to Nation Members account for about 4 percent of the Nation’s 

total employment. 
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Table 3.7-3 

Private Sector Employment, 2003 

Study Area Municipalities 

ZIP Code Name Municipality 2003 

13134 Smithfield * 

13157 Sylvan Beach 176 

13461 Sherrill 1,245 

13476 Vernon 835 

13477 Vernon Center 47 

13478 Verona 289 

13054 Durhamville 77 

13425 Augusta 317 

13032 Canastota/ Lenox/Lincoln 5,766 

13035 Cazenovia/ Fenner 2,505 

13037 Sullivan 1,528 

13421 Oneida 5,100 

13409 Stockbridge 308 

Total 18,193 

Source: Source: U.S. Bureau of Census, ZIP Business Patterns 

Note: Nation employment was classified as private sector employment by the U.S Bureau of Census in their Zip 

Business Patters data series and was reported as part of Zip Code 13032 in 2003 because that was the location of the 

payroll processing conducted for Oneida Employment Services Inc.,. *Zip 13134, Smithfield has less than 9 jobs, the 

exact number of jobs is not reported by the U.S. Bureau of Census. 

Earnings 

The BEA reports that total earnings in Madison County in the year 2003 were $860 

million. In that same year, earnings totaled $4.454 billion and $12.379 billion in Oneida 

County and Onondaga County, respectively (see Table 3.7-4). Total earnings include 

wages and salaries, other employee compensation and proprietors’ income. 

Nation employees’ earnings are included in the earnings in Madison and Oneida Counties 

reported in Table 3.7-4. As explained in more detail in Section 3.7.5.3, the Nation’s 

payroll in 2003 totaled $99.4 million, not including pension and insurance contributions. 

Table 3.7-4 

Earnings in Madison County, Oneida County, and Onondaga County, 

2003 in ($000s) 

Madison 

County 

Oneida 

County 

Onondaga 

County 

Three 

County Area 

Wages and Salaries 637,272 3,410,773 9,315,864 13,363,909 

Other Employee Compensation 142,067 783,101 2,290,878 3,216,046 

Proprietors' Income 80,981 260,844 771,828 1,113,653 

Total Earnings 860,320 4,454,718 12,378,570 17,693,608 

Average Annual Wage $28.3 $29.7 $35.8 $ 33.6 

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts. 

Note: Includes farm employment; “Other Employee Compensation” includes employer contributions for employee 

pension and insurance funds and for government social insurance; Earnings of non-Native Nation employees are 

included in Madison and Oneida County earnings. 
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According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, the annual payroll of employees working in the 

ZIP codes that roughly correspond to the Study Area municipalities in 2003 was about 

$480 million (see Table 3.7-5). As noted, the Nation’s payroll was reported as part of the 

ZIP Code 13032 payroll in the year 2003. The Nation’s payroll was estimated to be just 

under $100 million in 2003 (see Figure 3.7-15) 

Table 3.7-5 

Annual Private Sector Payroll 

ZIP Codes of Study Area Municipalities, 2003 

ZIP Code Municipality Annual Payroll 

(in $000s) 

13134 Smithfield * 

13157 Sylvan Beach 3,384 

13461 Sherrill 34,311 

13476 Vernon 23,215 

13477 Vernon Center 1,678 

13478 Verona 6,525 

13054 Durhamville 1,987 

13425 Augusta 10,347 

13032 Canastota/Lincoln/Lenox 147,459 

13035 Cazenovia/Fenner 63,560 

13037 Sullivan 41,609 

13421 Oneida 137,768 

13409 Stockbridge 7,881 

Total $ 479,724 

Source: U.S. Bureau of Census, ZIP Business Patterns 

Note: Nation payroll is part of the ZIP 13032 payroll. *Zip 13134, Smithfield has less than 9 jobs,, the exact number of 

jobs is not reported by the U.S Bureau of Census. 

Industrial Structure 

In both Madison and Oneida Counties, more than 20 percent of all industry earnings in 

2003 were concentrated in government employment, which includes employment at the 

Nation government and enterprises (see Table 3.7-6). Other large industry sectors, in 

terms of earnings, in Madison County were durable goods manufacturing, retail trade, and 

professional and technical services. In Oneida County, large industry sectors included 

health services and social assistance, durable goods manufacturing, retail trade, and 

finance and insurance. Although government was also the largest sector in Onondaga 

County, durable goods manufacturing accounted for an almost equal share of earnings. 

Health care and social assistance, professional and technical services, wholesale trade, 

finance and insurance, and retail trade were other large sectors in Onondaga County. 

Industrial Specialization 

Location quotient analysis is an analytical method for assessing the strengths and 

weaknesses of a local economy. The location quotient identifies local specializations by 

comparing the local industrial structure with that of the entire U.S. An industry’s location 
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quotient is calculated by dividing the industry’s share of local earnings by the industry’s 

share of national earnings. Location quotients can also be used to identify a local 

economy’s economic base or export base. Industries with a location quotient above 1 are 

considered “export” industries or “basic” industries, which can be viewed as major 

wealth-generating industry sectors, attracting non-local sales or other flows of funds into 

to the region (e.g., governmental aid). According to economic base theory, these basic 

sectors are critical to local economic growth. Industries that are particularly concentrated 

in the local economy, and thus have location quotients greater than one, represent local 

strengths or specializations. Table 3.7-7 lists the industries with the highest level of 

specialization in each county in 2003 based on industry earnings data. 

Oneida County’s main areas of specialization include primary metal manufacturing, state 

government, and social assistance. Oneida County’s location quotient of 5.28 for primary 

metal manufacturing shows that this industry’s share of total earnings is more than five 

times larger in Oneida County than in the U.S. as a whole. The industries that are 

particularly highly concentrated in Madison County are non-store retailers and plastic and 

rubber manufacturing. Agriculture is also important in Madison County, as currently 48 

percent of the land is used for farming with over 700 active farms. Nation employment is 

part of employment in local government, a sector which represents a local strength for 

both Madison and Oneida County. Onondaga County’s competitive strengths include the 

utilities industry, machinery manufacturing, and education. 
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Table 3.7-6 

Industrial Structure: Share of Earnings by Industry Sector, 2003 

Madison, Oneida and Onondaga Counties 

 

Madison 

County 

Oneida 

County 

Onondaga 

County 

ThreeCounty 

Region 

Farming 1.0% 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% 

Forestry, fishing, related activities 0.4% 0.1% n/a 0.1% 

Mining 0.4% 0.1% n/a 0.0% 

Utilities n/a n/a 2.9% 2.0% 

Construction 4.8% 3.7% 4.9% 4.6% 

Durable goods manufacturing 9.5% 9.1% 13.5% 12.2% 

Nondurable goods manufacturing 4.4% 2.3% 3.8% 3.5% 

Wholesale trade 4.4% n/a 6.8% 5.0% 

Retail trade 8.5% 7.7% 6.2% 6.7% 

Transportation and warehousing n/a 3.0% 2.9% 2.8% 

Information 1.2% 2.8% 3.0% 2.8% 

Finance and insurance 4.0% 7.2% 6.6% 6.6% 

Professional and technical services 7.3% 4.1% 7.0% 6.3% 

Management of companies and enterprises 0.7% 1.0% 2.5% 2.0% 

Administrative and waste services 1.6% 3.4% 3.0% 3.1% 

Educational services n/a 1.4% 2.9% 2.4% 

Health care and social assistance n/a 15.0% 10.7% 11.3% 

Arts, entertainment, and recreation 0.5% 0.5% 0.6% 0.6% 

Accommodation and food services 2.7% 2.2% 2.3% 2.3% 

Other services, except public administration 3.1% 2.7% 2.8% 2.8% 

Government and government enterprises 21.8% 28.4% 15.9% 19.3% 

All Industries 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts. 

Note: Employment at the Nation Government and Enterprises is reported as government employment in Madison and 

Oneida Counties. 
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Table 3.7-7 

Areas of Specialization, 2003 

Madison, Oneida and Onondaga Counties 

Location 

Quotient 

Earnings 

($000s) 

Share of Total 

Earnings 

Madison County 

Non store retailers 3.44 9,831 1.2% 

Plastics and rubber products manufacturing 3.40 16,378 1.9% 

Other information services 2.47 613 0.1% 

Waste management and remediation services 2.38 4,958 0.6% 

Food manufacturing 2.08 17,205 2.0% 

Nursing and residential care facilities 1.80 16,950 2.0% 

Local government 1.78 130,206 15.3% 

Health and personal care stores 1.67 6,628 0.8% 

Motor vehicle and parts dealers 1.60 19,068 2.2% 

State government 1.59 44,485 5.2% 

Social assistance 1.57 10,966 1.3% 

Farming 1.56 8,576 1.0% 

General merchandise stores 1.50 11,960 1.4% 

Oneida County 

Primary metal manufacturing 5.28 102,848 2.3% 

State government 3.23 467,959 10.5% 

Social assistance 2.71 98,117 2.2% 

Other information services 2.43 3,122 0.1% 

Nursing and residential care facilities 2.27 110,956 2.5% 

Miscellaneous manufacturing 2.15 61,277 1.4% 

Insurance carriers and related activities 2.05 213,154 4.8% 

Furniture and related product manufacturing 1.90 27,302 0.6% 

Transit and ground passenger transportation 1.86 13,154 0.3% 

Non store retailers 1.77 26,226 0.6% 

Waste management and remediation services 1.69 18,305 0.4% 

Local government 1.63 614,948 13.8% 

Onondaga County 

Utilities 2.81 359,284 2.9% 

Machinery manufacturing 2.26 296,859 2.4% 

Educational services 2.22 360,160 2.9% 

Insurance carriers and related activities 1.96 564,825 4.6% 

Electrical equipment and appliance manufacturing 1.80 85,957 0.7% 

Miscellaneous manufacturing 1.73 137,542 1.1% 

Computer and electronic product manufacturing 1.68 364,628 3.0% 

Other information services 1.60 5,722 0.0% 

Transit and ground passenger transportation 1.58 31,069 0.3% 

Furniture and related product manufacturing 1.52 $ 60,761 0.3% 

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts. 

Note: Employment at the Nation Government and Enterprises is reported as local government employment in Madison 

and Oneida Counties. 

Employment Change 

Between 1970 and 2000, employment in the three-county region increased at an average 

annual rate of 1.1 percent, which is the same as Upstate New York’s average annual 

employment growth rate during that time period but lower than the U.S. rate of 2.8 

percent. Madison County’s growth rate of 2.4 percent exceeded Upstate New York’s 

while Oneida County lagged behind with 0.6 percent average annual employment growth. 
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An overview of employment change by decade and for the 2000-2003 period is presented 

below. 

• In the 1970s, employment in both the three-county region and Upstate New York 

as a whole grew at an average annual rate of about one percent, while U.S. 

employment grew at an average annual rate of 2.5 percent (See Table 3.7-8). 

Madison County’s employment average annual growth rate of 1.9 percent during 

this same period substantially exceeded that of the three-county region as a whole, 

while employment in Oneida County remained stagnant. 

• In the 1980s, employment growth in the three-county region outpaced Upstate 

New York as employment increased at an average annual rate of 2.0 percent and 

1.7 percent, respectively. Madison County experienced an average annual 

employment growth of 2.9 percent, outpacing the U.S. as a whole where 

employment grew at an average annual rate of 2.2 percent during that time period. 

• While U.S. employment grew at an average annual rate of 2.0 percent in the 1990s, 

Upstate New York experienced only a modest growth of 0.5 percent, and 

employment in the three-county area was stagnant. Employment in Madison 

County, however, increased at an average annual rate of 1.3 percent. 

• Between 2000 and 2003, employment decreased in both the three-county area and 

Upstate New York, the average annual decrease of 0.7 percent in the three–county 

area exceeding Upstate New York’s 0.4 percent average annual decrease. In the 

U.S. as a whole, employment was relatively stagnant. 

In summary, while employment growth in Upstate New York has lagged U.S. growth 

throughout the 1970 to 2003 period, between 1970 and 2000, Madison County 

performed better than Upstate New York as a whole, while Oneida County lagged behind. 

After 2000, however, Madison County performed worse than Oneida County and Upstate 

New York as a whole, but all areas lost employment. 

Since the opening of the Turning Stone Casino in 1993, Nation employment has increased 

steadily from 1,350 in 1993 to 4,611 in 2005. Nation employment was about 2,900 in 

2000 and 4,000 in 2003. Nation jobs are included in the Madison and Oneida County 

employment counts presented in Table 3.7-8. (For more information on Nation 

employment, see Section 3.7.5.3) 
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Table 3.7-8 

Change in Full- and Part-time Employment 

Madison, Oneida and Onondaga Counties, 1970-2003 

 1970 1980 1990 2000 2003 

Employment 

Madison 17,722 21,061 27,078 30,653 30,056 

Oneida 114,624 116,140 132,974 134,625 132,696 

Onondaga 223,480 250,751 305,811 303,934 297,079 

Three-County Area 355,826 387,952 465,863 469,212 459,831 

Upstate New York* 2,521,772 2,770,513 3,229,959 3,379,685 3,343,560 

United States 91,281,600 114,231,200 139,380,900 166,758,800 167,174,400 

Average Annual 

Employment Growth 70-80 80-90 90-00 00-03 70-00 

Madison 1.88% 2.86% 1.32% -0.65% 2.43% 

Oneida 0.13% 1.45% 0.12% -0.48% 0.58% 

Onondaga 1.22% 2.20% -0.06% -0.75% 1.20% 

Three-County Area 0.90% 2.01% 0.07% -0.67% 1.06% 

Upstate New York* 0.99% 1.66% 0.46% -0.36% 1.13% 

United States 2.51% 2.20% 1.96% 0.08% 2.76% 

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts. 

Note: Includes farm employment; Nation employment is included in Madison and Oneida County 2000 and 2003 

employment. 

*Upstate New York includes New York State with the exception of New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley 

(Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester Counties. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, employment in the ZIP codes that correspond to 

the Study Area Municipalities increased at an average annual growth rate of 4.7 percent 

between 1994 and 2003, which is the first and the last year for which the data was 

available (see Table 3.7-9). Most of the area’s 5,409 additional jobs were reported for ZIP 

code 13032 (Canastota, Lincoln, and Lenox) and ZIP code 13461 (Sherrill). Nation 

employment was included in the ZIP 13032 employment count during this period. It 

should be noted that while employment data from different sources cannot be directly 

compared due to distinct technical differences in methods of employment counting, private 

employment in Madison and Oneida County as reported by the Bureau of Economic 

Analysis, increased at a slower average annual rate of 1.1 percent and 0.3 percent, 

respectively during that same time period 
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Table 3.7-9 

Change in Employment, 1994-2003 

Study Area Municipalities by Zip Code 

Employment Employment Growth 

1994 2003 94-03 

ZIP Code Name Municipality Number Number Change 

Average 

Annual % 

Change 

13134 Smithfield 3 * 

13157 Sylvan Beach 145 176 31 2.38% 

13461 Sherrill - 1,245 1,245 0.00% 

13476 Vernon 675 835 160 2.63% 

13477 Vernon Center 34 47 13 4.25% 

13478 Verona 293 289 (4) -0.15% 

13054 Durhamville 93 77 -16 -1.91% 

13425 Augusta 394 317 (77) -2.17% 

13032 Canastota/Lincoln/Lenox 2,190 5,766 3,576 18.14% 

13035 Cazenovia/ Fenner 2,457 2,505 48 0.22% 

13037 Sullivan 1,377 1,528 151 1.22% 

13421 Oneida 5,053 5,100 47 0.10% 

13409 Stockbridge 86 308 222 28.68% 

 Total 12,797 18,193 5,396 4.69% 

Source: U.S. Bureau of Census, ZIP Business Patterns 

Note: Nation employment is part of ZIP 13032 employment. ZIP 13134, Smithfield has less than 9 jobs in 2003; the exact 

number of jobs in 2003 is not reported by the U.S Bureau of Census ** Does not include ZIP 13134, Smithfield 

Changes in the industrial composition of Madison, Oneida and Onondaga Counties in the 

past 30 years correspond to the larger nationwide shift of employment from 

manufacturing to services. Manufacturing employment’s share of total employment in the 

three-county area declined from 23 percent to 11 percent of total employment between 

1970 and 2000, while the services sector’s share of total employment nearly doubled 

during that time period (from 17 percent to 33 percent of total employment). 

Employment at the Nation Government and Enterprises is included in 2000 Madison and 

Oneida County government employment. 

A few key industrial composition changes can be seen in Table 3.7-10 for the subject 

region between 1970 and 2000: 

• In Madison County, employment in agriculture decreased from 10 percent of total 

employment in 1970 to only four percent in 2000, while services grew in relative 

importance from 21 percent in 1970 to 33 percent of total employment in 2000. 

Government employment also became less important; its share declined from 24 

percent of total employment in 1970 to 14 percent in 2000. 

• In Oneida County, manufacturing employment’s share of total employment 

declined by 11 percentage points, while service jobs experienced a 20 percentage 
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point growth. Until the 1990s, the federal government was a large employer in the 

area, providing a steady source of jobs. However, the decommissioning in 1993 of 

Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome was a major blow to the region, leading to a direct 

employment loss of approximately 4,500 military and civilian jobs in the 

government sector. 

Through the use of “shift-share” analytical methods, it is possible to determine whether 

these employment shifts are a nationwide trend or if they are peculiar to the local 

economy. Under this methodology, change is broken down into (1) the national effect, 

which is based on the national employment growth rate; (2) the industrial mix effect, 

which shows whether the local economy is composed of industries that grew at a rate that 

is higher or lower than the national average; and (3) the local effect, which indicates to 

what extent local conditions were responsible for the growth or decline in employment 

(See Figure 3.7-1). The change in employment between 1988 and 2000 was decomposed 

into these three effects for each of the three counties. These years were selected because 

they represent the same point in the business cycle (peak). A change in the industry 

classification system (from the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system to the North 

American Industry Classification System (NAICS)) prevented including years after 2000 in 

this analysis. 

The “shift-share” method shows that although employment increased between 1988 and 

2000, the growth rate in each of these three counties trailed the national average. While 

part of this slower growth in Oneida County can be explained by its industrial structure 

(i.e., a negative industry mix effect), the same cannot be said of Madison and Onondaga 

Counties, where employment is concentrated in faster than average growing industries 

(i.e., positive industry mix effect). For all three counties, slower than average growth is 

generally attributable to local factors (i.e., negative local effect) with most employment 

concentrated in local industries that grew at a slower pace than the national average. 

Nevertheless, there are some industry sectors that performed better locally than their 

national counterparts (positive local effect), including federal civilian employment in 

Onondaga County and manufacturing and services in Madison County. 
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Table 3.7-10 

Change in Industrial Structure Percent of Full and Part-Time Employment 

Madison, Oneida and Onondaga Counties, 1970-2000

Madison County Oneida County 

1970 1980 1990 2000 

% Point

Change 

70-00 1970 1980 1990 2000 

% Point 

Change 

70-00 

Total 17,722 21,063 27,088 30,945 114,625 116,142 132,996 135,098 

Total Change 

Per Decade -- 3,341 6,025 3,857 --- 1,517 16,854 2,102 

Farm 

Employment 10.0% 8.9% 5.3% 3.9% -6% 2.0% 2.1% 1.4% 1.3% -1% 

Government 24.1% 22.1% 18.4% 14.4% -10% 25.9% 23.9% 23.0% 17.3% -9% 

Private 

Employment 65.9% 69.0% 76.4% 81.7% 16% 72.1% 74.0% 75.6% 81.4% 9% 

Agricultural 

Services 0.7% 0.9% 1.3% 1.4% 1% 0.3% 0.3% 0.5% 0.5% 0% 

Mining 0.3% 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% 0% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0% 

Construction 4.8% 4.3% 6.3% 5.6% 1% 4.3% 3.0% 4.2% 3.4% -1% 

Manufacturing 9.4% 9.9% 9.9% 10.7% 1% 23.1% 19.2% 14.0% 11.7% -11% 

Transportation 

and Utilities 2.4% 1.9% 2.5% 2.1% 0% 4.6% 3.6% 3.4% 3.2% -1% 

Wholesale trade 2.2% 5.9% 4.4% 3.4% 1% 3.4% 4.6% 3.9% 3.7% 0% 

Retail trade 17.4% 15.9% 19.8% 20.3% 3% 14.5% 15.1% 17.1% 16.9% 2% 

FIRE 7.6% 6.2% 4.5% 4.7% -3% 6.9% 7.0% 7.3% 7.2% 0% 

Services 21.1% 23.7% 27.5% 33.3% 12% 14.8% 21.1% 25.1% 34.8% 20% 

Total 223,480 250,751 305,811 303,934 355,827 387,956 465,895 469,977 

Total Change 

Per Decade -- 27,271 55,060 -1,877 -- 32,129 77,939 4,082 

Farm 

Employment 0.7% 0.7% 0.5% 0.4% 0% 1.6% 1.5% 1.0% 0.9% -1% 

Government 15.6% 15.0% 13.0% 13.4% -2% 19.3% 18.0% 16.2% 14.6% -5% 

Private 

Employment 83.7% 84.3% 86.6% 86.2% 2% 79.1% 80.4% 82.8% 84.5% 5% 

Agricultural 

Services 0.2% 0.3% 0.5% 0.6% 0% 0.3% 0.3% 0.6% 0.6% 0% 

Mining 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0% 

Construction 4.6% 3.7% 5.5% 4.6% 0% 4.5% 3.5% 5.2% 4.3% 0% 

Manufacturing 24.6% 19.9% 13.9% 12.4% -12% 23.4% 19.1% 13.7% 12.1% -11% 

Transportation 

and Utilities 6.2% 5.6% 5.7% 5.8% 0% 5.5% 4.8% 4.9% 4.8% -1% 

Wholesale trade 7.0% 7.5% 6.2% 6.2% -1% 5.6% 6.5% 5.4% 5.3% 0% 

Retail trade 14.7% 14.8% 17.0% 16.4% 2% 14.7% 14.9% 17.2% 16.8% 2% 

FIRE 8.5% 9.8% 9.0% 7.8% -1% 7.9% 8.7% 8.3% 7.4% 0% 

Services 17.8% 22.8% 28.6% 32.2% 14% 17.0% 22.3% 27.6% 33.0% 16% 

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts. Note: FIRE is an acronym for the Finance, Insurance and Real Estate 

sector. Employment at Nation Government and Enterprises is included in 2000 government employment for Madison and Oneida Counties 
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Figure 3.7-1 

Employment Growth: Components of Shift-Share 

Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga Counties, 1990-2000. 

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts 

Figure 3.7-2 depicts the industrial composition of the region, highlighting industries that 

experienced major growth or decline between 1990 and 2000 as well as their relative 

significance to the region’s total earnings in 2000. The figure shows the location quotient 

in year 2000 (y-axis) and the average annual growth rate in earnings between 1990 and 

2000 (x-axis). The total amount earned by select significant industries in 2000 is 

represented by the size of the bubble. Thus, the larger the bubble’s size, the more 

significant the industry is in terms of its contribution to regional earnings. More 

successful regional economies may contain several larger industries (i.e., larger bubbles), 

with a cluster of such industries further right on the x-axis (exhibiting growth), and 

upward on the y-axis (exhibiting competitive advantage). 

Social services and health services are of particular interest, as these industries were highly 

concentrated in the three-county region in 2000 and their earnings increased markedly 

(adjusted for inflation) between 1990 and 2000. The significance of the health services 

industry in terms of its size also is noteworthy. By contrast, the region was highly 

specialized in instrument manufacturing, but real earnings in this industry declined 

between 1990 and 2000. Other growing industries were fabricated metal products 

25,592

293,800

6,136

31,112

70,447

419 6,103

(1,494)

(24,100)

(66,416)

(2,141)

(100,000)

(50,000)

-

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

Madison County Oneida County Onondaga County

Employment

1988 Employment National Effect Industry Mix Effect Local Effect

129,754
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manufacturing and amusement and recreation services but they were not as highly 

concentrated in the region or large in their relative significance to regional earnings. 

Employment at the Nation Government and Enterprises is included in local government 

employment. Although the sector represents a local specialization and has relatively large 

earnings, local government earnings (after adjusting for inflation) decreased between 1990 

and 2000. 
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Figure 3.7-2 

Earnings in Select Industries in Madison County, Oneida County, and Onondaga 

County, 1990-2000 

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts. Note: Nation jobs are included in Local 

Government 

Future Employment Outlook 

Woods and Poole Economics, Inc., a commercial economics forecasting firm, projected an 

average annual employment growth of 1.08 percent between 2003 and 2030 in Madison 

County, leading to a total of 39,860 jobs in 2030 (see Table 3.7-11 and Figure 3.7-3). 

Oneida 

 Military

 Instruments and related

products manufacturing

 Rubber and plastics

products mfg

 State government

Construction

 Retail trade

 Fabricated metal 

products manufacturing

 Health services

 Local

 government Wholesale trade

 Social services

 Amusement and 

recreation services

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

-0.1 -0.05 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2

Annual Growth (1990-2000)

Location Quotient
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Figure 3.7-3 

Historic and Projected Employment 

Madison and Oneida Counties 

Source: Woods & Poole Economics, Inc. 

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 2028 2030

Year

Employment (in 000s)

Madison County Oneida County
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Table 3.7-11 

Projected Change in Employment by Industry 

Madison County and Oneida County, 2003-2030 

 Madison County Oneida County 

 

Absolute 

Change 

 (in 000s) 

Average 

Annual 

Change 

Absolute 

Change 

 (in 000s) 

Average 

Annual 

Change 

Farm Employment -0.045 -0.14% -0.135 -0.29% 

Non-Farm Employment 9.063 1.13% 33.743 0.95% 

Private Employment 8.49 1.25% 31.764 1.08% 

Agricultural Services 0.174 1.47% 0.085 0.53% 

Mining 0.021 1.23% 0.019 0.84% 

Construction 0.259 0.53% -0.125 -0.10% 

Manufacturing 1.066 1.23% -1.154 -0.32% 

Transportation, Communication, and Utilities 0.173 1.19% 1.158 1.07% 

Wholesale Trade 0.208 0.74% 0.789 0.61% 

Retail Trade 1.559 0.99% 2.082 0.35% 

Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate 0.217 0.46% 1.916 0.73% 

Services 4.813 1.71% 26.994 2.02% 

Government Employment 0.573 0.46% 1.979 0.32% 

Federal Civilian 0.041 0.99% -0.646 -1.21% 

Federal Military 0.024 0.91% 0.071 0.59% 

State and Local 0.508 0.44% 2.554 0.46% 

Total Employment $ 9.018 1.08% $ 33.608 0.93% 

Source: Woods and Poole Economics, Inc. 

Note: Employment at the Nation Government and Enterprises is included in State and Local Government Employment 

County employment is projected to increase at an average annual rate of 0.93 percent 

during that same time period, resulting in a total of 167,190 jobs in 2030. By comparison, 

between 1970 and 2000, employment in Madison and Oneida County grew at an average 

annual rate of 2.43 and 0.58 percent, respectively. To achieve the future employment 

levels projected by Woods and Poole, Oneida County will have to significantly outperform 

growth levels experienced over the last 30 years. 

Industry-level projections are presented below and in Table 3.7-11. Employment at the 

Nation Government and Enterprises is included in the state and local government 

employment projections for Madison and Oneida Counties. 

• In Madison County the majority of the 9,018 additional jobs are in the services 

sector. Other sectors that are projected to experience significant growth in 

Madison County are retail trade and manufacturing. Projections show a relatively 

modest increase in state and local government employment of 0.44%. 

• In Oneida County, the majority of the 33,608 additional jobs are also in the 

services sector, followed by state and local government employment, retail trade, 

the finance, insurance and real estate sector and transportation, communication, 
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and utilities. The average annual growth rate for state and local government is 

0.46 percent. 

Major Employers 

According to the 2006 Central New York Business Journal, the Nation is the third largest 

employer in Central New York. Central New York is defined by the Business Journal as 

consisting of the following counties: Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, 

Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Seneca, St. Lawrence, 

Tioga and Tompkins. 

The only employers larger than the Nation are Cornell University in Ithaca and State 

University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. As shown in 

Table 3.7-12, the Nation is the second largest employer in the three-county region 

comprised of Oneida, Madison and Onondaga counties. 

The Nation is the single largest employer in Madison or Oneida Counties and, of the top 

15 employers, there are very few located in these two counties. While Onondaga County 

has about 19 employers with more than 1,000 employees, the Nation is the only employer 

with more than 1,000 employees in Madison County and one of four in Oneida County. 

Other large employers in Oneida County include two health care facilities (Faxton’s Saint 

Luke’s Health Care and St. Elizabeth Medical Center) and a human services agency 

(Upstate Cerebral Palsy). 

3.7.1.2 Labor Force and Unemployment 

In the past 15 years, the unemployment rate for the two counties has fluctuated, but the 

number of employed residents has remained fairly steady (see Figures 3.7-4 and 3.7-5). 

The unemployment rate, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is calculated 

by dividing the number of unemployed (residents who are available to work and are 

actively looking for a job) by the labor force (the sum of all employed age 16+ residents 

and all unemployment age16+ residents). The unemployment rates of Madison and 

Oneida County track very closely with the overall unemployment rate of New York State 

(non-New York City) and of the United States, although Madison County’s 

unemployment rate has been persistently higher than New York State (excluding New 

York City). The same is true for Oneida County, with the exception of the brief periods 

from 1992-95 and 1999. While the unemployment rate of New York State (non-New 

York City) and Oneida County have been lower than the U.S. unemployment rate 

throughout the 1990-2004 period, according to Greater Syracuse Economic Growth 

Council Resource Center (no date)Madison County’s unemployment rate exceeded the 

U.S. rate in 1991-92, 1995 and 1997-1999. 
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Table 3.7-12 

Top 15 Employers, Ranked by Full-Time Equivalent Employees 

Madison, Oneida and Onondaga Counties, 2005

 Company County 

Employees 

2005 

% 

Change 

from 

Previous 

Year 

2005 

Revenue/Sales 

($ millions) Nature of Operations 

1 SUNY Upstate 

Medical University Onondaga 6,305 +5.0 $483.7 

Health Care, 

Biomedical Research, 

and Education 

2 

The Nation

Oneida/ 

Madison 4,611 +16.0 NA

Nation Government, 

Turning Stone Resort & 

Casino and other 

Nation Enterprises 

3 

Syracuse University Onondaga 4,329 -0.6 NA 

Higher Education and 

Research 

4 Magna Drive Train, 

New Gear Process Onondaga 3,400 -12.8 NA 

Automobile Parts 

Manufacturer 

5 St. Joseph's Hospital 

Health Center Onondaga 2,919 --11.5 $352.0 Health Care 

**6

New Process Gear 

Division, New Venture 

Gear, Inc. Onondaga 3,900 -- $1,700.0 

Automobile Parts 

Manufacturer 

7 Faxton-St. Luke’s 

Healthcare Oneida 2,650 - $250.0 Health Care 

8 Verizon 

Communications Onondaga 2,600 +4.0 

$71,300.0 

(2004, Companywide) Telecommunications 

9 The Penn Traffic Co./ 

P&C Foods Onondaga 2,500 NA 

Supermarket and 

Wholesale Food 

Distribution 

10 

Lockheed Martin Onondaga 2,350 -4.0 

$35,526.0 (2004, 

Company-wide) 

Design and 

Development of 

Sensors 

11 

National Grid Onondaga 2,010 -4.3 NA Energy 

12 

Loretto Onondaga 1,918 +37.0 $60-$80 Elder-care Services 

13 

Crouse Hospital Onondaga 1,800 +1.6 NA Health Care 

14 St. Elizabeth Medical 

Center Oneida 1,621 +5.5 $166.6 Health Care 

15 Upstate Cerebral 

Palsy Oneida 1,600 +15.0 NA Human Service Agency 

Source: Central New York Business Journal rankings – 2006 Book of Lists; The Louis Berger Group, Inc., 2006. 
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Figure 3.7-4 

Employed Residents and Unemployment Rate 

Madison and Oneida Counties, 1990-2004 

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics 

While a portion of the employed residents in Madison and Oneida County probably holds 

jobs that are inadequate with respect to their training or economic needs, there is no 

uniform state or federal data source that tracks underemployment. A workforce audit of 

Central New York, conducted by The Pathfinders, a site selection and location analysis 

consulting firm based in Dallas, Texas, for the Greater Syracuse Economic Growth 

Council, found that 20 percent of the Central New York workforce consists of 

underemployed. The study defines underemployed as individuals who indicated that they 

would take a better job if offered by a new or existing employer and who possess the 

skills, education, and experience to qualify for a better job. For that study, Central New 

York was defined as Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego Counties. 

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Jul-05

Year

Number of Employed Residents

0.00%

1.00%

2.00%

3.00%

4.00%

5.00%

6.00%

7.00%

8.00%

9.00%

Unemployment Rate

Number of Employed, Madison County Number of Employed, Oneida County Unemployment Rate, Madison County Unemployment Rate, Oneida County
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Figure 3.7-5 

Unemployment Rate, 1990-2004 

Madison and Oneida Counties, 

New York State (non-New York City), and the United States 

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Current Population Survey 

3.7.1.3 Income and Poverty 

Household and Per Capita Incomes 

When incomes are compared with Upstate New York, Madison County incomes are 

generally similar, but Oneida County trails these other areas. Table 3.7-13 examines 

income data reported by the 2000 U.S. Census. Median household income for Madison 

County in 1999, the most recent year data are available, was $40,184; average household 

income was $51,494; and per capita income was $19,105. In Oneida County for the same 

time period, the median household income was $35,909; average household income was 

$46,367; and per capita income was $18,516. 

0.0%

1.0%

2.0%

3.0%

4.0%

5.0%

6.0%

7.0%

8.0%

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Unemployment Rate

Madison County

Oneida County

New York State

(non-New York City)

United States
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Table 3.7-13 

Comparison of Household and Per Capita Incomes 

Madison County, Oneida County, and Upstate New York, 1999

Index in Comparison to 

Upstate New York 

Median 

Household 

Income 

Average 

Household 

Income 

Per 

Capita 

Income 

Average 

Household 

Income 

Per Capita 

Income 

Madison County $40,184 $51,494 $19,105 103 98 

Oneida County $35,909 $46,367 $18,516 93 95 

Upstate New York* $49,910 $19,406 100 100 

Note *Upstate New York includes New York State with the exception of New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson 

Valley (Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester Counties) 

The index was derived by multiplying the ratio between county income and Upstate New York income with 100. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3 

A more detailed analysis reveals the variations in income across the respective 

municipalities. Below, Table 3.7-14 shows the 1999 median and average household and 

per capita income for the residents of the municipalities where the Nation currently owns 

land. Median household incomes range from a high of $57,232 in Cazenovia to a low of 

$33,274 in Augusta. Only Cazenovia residents report substantially higher household or 

per capita income than in Upstate New York. Cazenovia’s average household income is 59 

percent higher than Upstate New York’s average while its per capita income exceeds 

Upstate New York’s by 49 percent. By comparison, some municipalities, such as Augusta, 

Smithfield, Lenox, and Stockbridge, exhibit significantly lower average household incomes 

than Upstate New York. 

Income data has also been compiled from the 1990 Census for comparison purposes (see 

Table 3.7-15). In several of the municipalities where the Nation owns land, average 

household income increased from 1989 to 1999 at a higher rate than in Upstate New York 

as a whole (see Table 3.7-16). In 1989, average household income in the City of Oneida 

equaled 83 percent of average household income in Upstate New York, while the City of 

Oneida’s average household income was 93 percent of the Upstate New York’s average in 

1999. Sherrill’s average household income was the same as that of Upstate New York in 

1989 and increased faster than Upstate New York between 1989 and 1999. Similar 

positive trends in average household income, albeit more modest in size, can be seen in 

Stockbridge, Smithfield, Sullivan, and Lincoln over the decade. Average household income 

in the other Study Area municipalities grew at a rate that was similar to that in Upstate 

New York as a whole, with the exception of the Town of Vienna, which experienced a 

significant decrease in average household income relative to Upstate New York but was 

also not a prime residential settlement location for Nation employees. 

Per capita income in Stockbridge and the City of Oneida increased faster than in Upstate 

New York as a whole between 1989 and 1999. Lincoln, Sullivan, Sherrill, Augusta and 
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Smithfield also experienced a significantly faster increase in per capita income than 

Upstate New York. None of the Study Area municipalities experienced a decrease in per 

capita income relative to Upstate New York’s per capita income. 

Of the Nation’s total 4,611 employees in 2005, 4001 lived in Madison and Oneida 

Counties. A total of 1,809 Nation employees lived in Study Area municipalities, including 

650 employees in the City of Oneida, 151 in the City of Sherrill, and 94 in Stockbridge. 

(See Section 3.7.5.3 for more information on the place of residence of Nation employees.) 

Table 3.7-14 

Income in Study Area Municipalities, 1999 

Index in Comparison to 

Upstate New York 

 

 Municipality 

Median 

household 

income in 

1999 

Average 

Household 

Income 

1999 

Per 

capita 

income 

in 1999 

Average 

Household 

Income 

Per capita 

Household 

Income 

Cazenovia town $57,232 $79,195 $28,957 159 149 

Fenner town $43,846 $53,135 $19,409 106 100 

Lenox town $38,491 $43,033 $17,398 86 90 

Lincoln town $46,023 $56,940 $20,751 114 107 

City of Oneida $35,365 $46,400 $18,966 93 98 

Smithfield town $35,109 $42,771 $14,860 86 77 

Stockbridge town $37,700 $44,505 $15,856 89 82 

Madison 

County 

Sullivan town $44,468 $55,153 $20,982 111 108 

Augusta town $33,274 $42,215 $16,367 85 84 

The City of 

Sherrill $48,919 $54,918 $22,311 110 115 

Vernon town $38,339 $49,151 $19,523 98 101 

Verona town $42,745 $47,437 $18,017 95 93 

Oneida 

County 

Vienna town ** $36,250 $45,984 $17,195 92 89 

Upstate 

New York* $49,910 $19,406 100 100 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3 

Notes: *Upstate New York includes New York State with the exception of New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson 

Valley (Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester Counties); Income reported in 1999 

dollars. ** The Nation owns land in the Village of Sylvan Beach, which is located in the Town of Vienna 

The index was derived by multiplying the ratio between county income and Upstate New York income with 100. 
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Table 3.7-15 

Income in Study Area Municipalities, 1989 

Index in Comparison to 

Upstate New York 

 1989 

 Municipality 

Average 

Household 

Income in 

1989 

Per capita 

income in 

1989 

Average 

Household 

Income 

Per Capita 

Income 

Cazenovia town $56,797 $19,684 160 149 

Fenner town $38,069 $12,780 107 97 

Lenox town $30,376 $11,511 86 87 

Lincoln town $38,439 $13,133 109 99 

City of Oneida $29,324 $11,637 83 88 

Smithfield town $27,896 $9,594 79 73 

Stockbridge town $28,862 $9,694 81 73 

Madison County 

Sullivan town $37,245 $13,222 105 100 

Augusta town $29,879 $10,425 84 79 

City of Sherrill $35,532 $14,081 100 106 

Vernon town $33,833 $12,632 96 95 

Verona town $34,396 $11,665 97 88 

Oneida County 

Vienna town ** $34,713 $11,606 98 88 

Upstate New York* $35,424 $13,231 100 100 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1990 Census of Housing and Population, Summary Tape File 3. 

Note: *Upstate New York includes New York State with the exception of New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson 

Valley (Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester Counties). Income reported in 1989 

Dollars. ** The Nation owns land in the Village of Sylvan Beach , which is located in the Town of Vienna. 

The index was derived by multiplying the ratio between county income and Upstate New York income with 100. 
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Table 3.7-16 

Income in Study Area Municipalities, 1989 and 1999 

Comparison of Income Trends by Municipality with Upstate New York

Index in Comparison 

to Upstate New York 

1989 

Index in Comparison 

to Upstate New York 

1999 

Percent Change in 

Index 1989-1999 

Municipality 

Average 

household 

Income 

Per 

Capita 

Income 

Average 

household 

Income 

Per 

Capita 

Income 

Average 

household 

Income 

Per 

Capita 

Income 

Cazenovia 

town 160 149 159 149 -1% 0% 

Fenner town 107 97 106 100 -1% 4% 

Lenox town 86 87 86 90 1% 3% 

Lincoln town 109 99 114 107 5% 8% 

City of 

Oneida 83 88 93 98 12% 11% 

Smithfield 

town 79 73 86 77 9% 6% 

Stockbridge 

town 81 73 89 82 9% 12% 

Madison 

County 

Sullivan town 105 100 111 108 5% 8% 

Augusta town 84 79 85 84 0% 7% 

City of 

Sherrill 100 106 110 115 10% 8% 

Vernon town 96 95 98 101 3% 5% 

Verona town 97 88 95 93 -2% 5% 

Oneida 

County 

Vienna town 

** 98 88 92 89 -6% 1% 

Upstate 

New 

York* 100 100 100 100 0% 0% 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1990 Census of Housing and Population, Summary Tape File; Census 2000, Summary File 

3. 

Note: *Upstate New York includes New York State with the exception of New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson 

Valley (Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester Counties) ** The Nation owns lands in 

the Village of Sylvan Beach , which is located in the Town of Vienna 

The index was derived by multiplying the ratio between county income and Upstate New York income with 100. 

Personal Current Transfer Receipts 

The region’s economic base has increasingly become dependent upon personal current 

transfer receipts as a source of personal income for its residents. Personal current transfer 

receipts are a component of personal income which is the income that is received by all 

persons from all sources. It is calculated as the sum of wage and salary disbursements, 

supplements to wages and salaries, proprietors' income with inventory valuation and 

capital consumption adjustments, rental income of persons with capital consumption 

adjustment, personal dividend income, personal interest income, and personal current 

transfer receipts, less contributions for government social insurance. The personal income 

of an area is the income that is received by, or on behalf of, all the individuals who live in 

the area; therefore, estimates of personal income are presented by the place of residence of 
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the income recipients. Personal current transfer receipts are made to persons for which no 

current services are performed. Transfer receipts include government payments to 

individuals for retirement and disability insurance benefits, medical payments (mainly 

Medicare and Medicaid), income maintenance benefits, unemployment insurance benefits, 

veterans’ benefits, and federal grants and loans to students. Transfer receipts are payments 

to individuals and to nonprofit institutions by federal, state, and local governments and by 

businesses. Government payments to nonprofit institutions exclude payments by the 

federal government for work under research and development contracts. Business 

payments to persons consist primarily of liability payments for personal injury and of 

corporate gifts to nonprofit institutions. 

Table 3.7-17 compares the portion of personal income that comes from personal current 

transfer receipts and indexes these patterns and trends with New York State over the 1990 

to 2003 time period. The data illustrates that Madison and Oneida Counties have drawn 

an increasing share of their personal income from transfer receipts and by 2003 both 

counties were receiving a larger share than the New York state average. 

Figure 3.7-6 takes a closer look at the trends for a sub-segment of personal current 

transfer receipts – namely, income maintenance, medical benefits and unemployment 

insurance benefits. The figure compares recent trends for these select transfer receipts on a 

per capita basis for Oneida and Madison Counties, New York State and the United States 

over the 1990-2004. The first graph displays trends in per capita select transfer receipts in 

nominal dollars and illustrates that this category of spending rose significantly. However, 

the second graph controls for inflation by indexing per capita spending to the United 

States (United State equals 100). Thus, an index amount that exceeds 100 indicates that 

the area receives a greater amount of per capita transfer receipts than the United States. 

The two graphs together illustrate that New York State (which includes New York City) 

has consistently required more in transfer payments per capita than the average for the 

United States with an index that exceeded 160 for the entire period. Over the subject 

1990-2004 time period, Oneida County’s need for such transfer payments widened vis-àvis U.S. spending, rising from an index of 118 in 1990 to 138 by 2004. Madison County, 

which had required somewhat less than the United States’ average in 1990 (83) matched 

the national average for per capita transfer payments by 2004. 

Transfer Payments and Unemployment in Oneida and Madison Counties 

An analysis of the relationship between per capita transfer payments (in 2004 dollars) and 

the rate of unemployment was conducted for Oneida and Madison counties for the years 

1990 through 2004. A full discussion of this econometric analysis is in Appendix E. 

In the first model, transfers are defined as the sum of income maintenance, public 

assistance medical care benefits, and unemployment compensation. 
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Table 3.7-18 reveals an inelastic relationship between transfer payments and the rate of 

unemployment. It indicates that a 10 percent increase in the rate of unemployment in 

Oneida and Madison Counties yields a 2.8 percent increase in transfer payments to 

individuals. 

A second model excludes unemployment compensation from the dependent variable such 

that transfers are composed solely of per capita income maintenance spending and public 

assistance medical care benefits. The estimated elasticity is 0.126 such that a 10 percent 

increase in the rate of unemployment results in a 1.3 percent increase in income 

maintenance and public assistance medical care payments per capita. When compared 

with the first model, the elasticity indicates that more than half of the relationship between 

transfers and the rate of unemployment is accounted for by unemployment compensation. 

In the third model, unemployment compensation is regressed directly on the 

unemployment rate. The relationship is positive and strong as expected. The coefficient on 

the rate of unemployment rises sharply to 1.68, indicating that a 10 percent increase in the 

unemployment rate raises compensation payments by 16.8 percent. This result is 

important because it indicates that unemployment compensation payments rise 

disproportionately with the rate of unemployment. 

The application of the estimated models to simulated Oneida and Madison County 

unemployment and actual transfer payments for 2004 is presented in Table 3.7-18. 

Transfer payments include the results of Model 1 with transfers composed of income 

maintenance, public assistance medical care benefits and unemployment insurance. The 

simulation suggests for example that a change in the unemployment rate from the current 

5.5 percent to 6.5 percent will raise transfer payments as defined in the model by $37.9 

million or 5.1 percent higher than the current $736.0 million. This figure includes the 

elasticity of 0.283 plus a constant term. 

Each model makes clear that any increase in unemployment in Oneida and Madison 

Counties will unequivocally increase the fiscal burdens of local, state and federal 

governments. 
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Table 3.7-17 

Personal Current Transfer Receipts Trends, 1990-2003 

Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga Counties

1990 2003 

Madison 

County 

Oneida 

County 

New York 

State 

Madison 

County 

Oneida 

County 

New York 

State 

Personal Income $1,149,231 $4,237,454 $423,896,642 $1,815,850 $5,888,829 $693,791,440 

Population 69,300 251,191 18,020,784 70,725 234,368 19,212,425 

Per Capita Personal Income 

(dollars) $16,583 $16,869 $23,523 $25,839 $25,126 $36,112 

Per Capita Income - Index to 

New York State = 100 70% 72% 100% 72% 70% 100% 

 

Personal Current Transfer 

Receipts $146,959 $720,009 $58,069,273 $326,360 $1,415,109 $121,721,940 

Personal Current Transfer 

Receipts Per Capita $2,121 $2,866 $3,222 $4,614 $6,038 $6,336 

as Percent of Personal 

Income 12.8% 17.0% 13.7% 18.0% 24.0% 17.5% 

 

Percent of Personal Income - 

Index to New York State = 

100 93.3% 124.0% 100.0% 102.4% 137.0% 100.0% 

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts, 2006. 

Notes: This component of personal income is payments to persons for which no current services are performed. It 

consists of payments to individuals and to nonprofit institutions by Federal, state, and local governments and by 

businesses. 

Government payments to individuals includes retirement and disability insurance benefits, medical payments (mainly 

Medicare and Medicaid), income maintenance benefits, unemployment insurance benefits, veterans benefits, and 

Federal grants and loans to students. Government payments to nonprofit institutions exclude payments by the Federal 

Government for work under research and development contracts. Business payments to persons consist primarily of 

liability payments for personal injury and of corporate gifts to nonprofit institutions. 

All state and local area dollar estimates are in current dollars (not adjusted for inflation). 

Population estimates based on mid-year Census estimates. 
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Figure 3.7-6 

Select Transfer Receipts, 1990-2004 

Madison and Oneida Counties 

New York State (non-New York City), and the United States 

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts, 2006. 

0.000

20.000

40.000

60.000

80.000

100.000

120.000

140.000

160.000

180.000

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

Index = U.S. = 100

Madison County

Oneida County

New York State

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

$3,000

$3,500

$4,000

$4,500

$5,000

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

Select Transsfer Receipts per Capita

Madison County

Oneida County

New York State

United States
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Table 3.7-18 

Analysis of Relationship between Transfer Payments and Unemployment 

Model 1: Dependent Variables – Income Maintenance, Public Assistance Medical 

Care Benefits, and Unemployment Compensation 

Unemployment 

Rate 

Simulated 

Outlays/Capita 

Percent 

Simulated 

Change 

Transfer 

Payments Model 

Outlays 

($ 000’s) 

Difference 

($ 000’s) Percent 

5.5% $2,413 0.0% 736,048 0 NA 

6.5% $2,537 5.1% 773,921 37,873 5.1% 

7.5% $2,648 4.4% 807,616 71,568 9.7% 

8.5% $2,748 3.8% 838,090 102,042 13.9% 

9.5% $2,839 3.3% 865,994 129,946 17.7% 

10.5% $2,924 3.0% 891,791 155,743 21.2% 

Model 2: Dependent Variables – Income Maintenance and Public Assistance Medical 

Care Benefits 

Unemployment 

Rate 

Simulated 

Outlays/Capita 

Percent 

Simulated 

Change 

Transfer 

Payments Model 

Outlays 

($ 000’s) 

Difference 

($ 000’s) Percent 

5.5% $2,296 0.0% 700,151 0 NA 

6.0% $2,322 1.1% 708,171 8,020 1.1% 

7.0% $2,371 2.1% 723,043 22,892 3.3% 

8.0% $2,413 1.8% 736,057 35,906 5.1% 

9.0% $2,451 1.6% 747,650 47,499 6.8% 

10.0% $2,486 1.4% 758,117 57,966 8.3% 

Model 3: Dependent Variable – Unemployment Compensation 

Unemployment 

Rate 

Simulated 

Outlays/Capita 

Percent 

Simulated 

Change 

Transfer 

Payments Model 

Outlays 

($ 000’s) 

Difference 

($ 000’s) Percent 

5.0% $118 0.0% 35,897 0 NA 

5.5% $137 16.8% 41,928 6,031 16.8% 

6.5% $179 30.5% 54,735 18,838 52.5% 

7.5% $226 25.8% 68,882 32,985 91.9% 

8.5% $276 22.4% 84,311 48,414 134.9% 

9.5% $331 19.8% 100,975 65,078 181.3% 

10.5% $390 17.7% 118,831 82,934 231.0% 
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Poverty and Public Assistance 

Poverty levels vary according to family size and age of the family members. In 1999 the 

poverty level for a family consisting of two adults and two children was $16,895. Based 

on the 2000 Census, 9.9 percent of Madison County and 13.0 percent of Oneida County’s 

population had annual incomes below the poverty level in 1999. 

Sherrill had the lowest percentage of persons living below the poverty level; only 2.2 

percent of its residents earn less than the poverty level. In contrast, in Smithfield, 16 

percent, or four in 25 residents, lived below the poverty level (see Table 3.7-19). In New 

York State, excluding New York City, 9.7 percent of residents live below the poverty level. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, a small percentage of households in Madison 

County (2.0 percent) and in Oneida County (4.1 percent) reported that they receive public 

assistance income. In New York State, excluding New York City, 2.9 percent of residents 

receive public assistance. Public assistance income, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, 

includes general assistance and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). 

Separate payments received for hospital or other medical care (vendor payments) is 

excluded and public assistance income does not include Supplemental Security Income 

(SSI). 

Table 3.7-20 details the percentage of households in municipalities with Nation lands that 

receive public assistance income. 

In Oneida County, all the municipalities where the Nation owns land have a smaller 

percentage of households receiving public assistance income than the county and state. In 

the case of Madison County, three of the municipalities of the eight where the Nation 

owns land - Lenox, Lincoln, and the City of Oneida—have a higher percentage receiving 

public assistance income than the county average; however, only Lenox is higher than the 

state percentage. 
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Table 3.7-19 

Percentage of Population below Poverty Level, 1999 

Study Area Municipalities 

 Municipality 

Percent of Population with 

Income Below Poverty 

Level 

Cazenovia town 4.3% 

Fenner town 7.1% 

Lenox town 10.6% 

Lincoln town 5.1% 

Oneida city 12.5% 

Smithfield town 16.2% 

Stockbridge town 12.9% 

Madison County 

Sullivan town 7.0% 

Augusta town 8.6% 

City of Sherrill 2.2% 

Vernon town 9.8% 

Verona town 5.7% 

Oneida County 

Vienna town ** 8.3% 

New York State 

(non New York City) 9.7% 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3 **The Nation owns land in the Village of Sylvan Beach 

which is located in the Town of Vienna. 

Table 3.7-20 

Percentage of Households Receiving Public Assistance Income, 2000 

Study Area Municipalities

Percentage of Households 

Receiving Public Assistance 

Income 

Cazenovia town 0.9% 

Fenner town 0.5% 

Lenox town 3.8% 

Lincoln town 2.1% 

City of Oneida 2.8% 

Smithfield town 1.0% 

Stockbridge town 1.9% 

Sullivan town 1.2% 

Madison County 

Madison County 2.0% 

Augusta town 2.4% 

City of Sherrill 2.2% 

Vernon town 1.2% 

Verona town 1.0% 

Vienna town ** 2.4% 

Oneida County 

Oneida County 4.1% 

New York State 

(non New York City) 2.9% 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3 **The Nation owns land in the Village of Sylvan Beach, 

which is located in the Town of Vienna 
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3.7.2 Demographic Trends 

3.7.2.1 Population Trends and Projections 

In general, the population of the constituent counties in central New York State has 

remained stable or declined in the past fifteen years. According to the U.S. Census, 

Madison County had a population of 69,441 in the year 2000, only a 0.05 percent 

average annual increase from its 1990 population. Even with this relatively stable 

population, Madison County still ranks higher than more than half of the counties in 

Central New York in terms of population growth (see Table 3.7-21). Madison County’s 

estimated population grew to 70,407 in 2004, a 0.35 average annual percent increase. The 

population of Oneida County is significantly larger than Madison County, with a year 

2000 estimated population of 235,469 persons. Between 1990 and 2000, the population 

of Oneida County decreased at an average annual rate of 0.61 percent, a faster declining 

rate than that of any other county in Central New York. The U.S. Census estimates a 

population of 234,962 persons in Oneida County in 2004, which corresponds to a small 

average annual decrease of 0.05 percent since 2000. 

Table 3.7-21 

Population Change, 1990-2004 

Central New York Counties

Population Count Average Annual 

Population Change 

County 1990 2000 2004 90-00 00-04 

Otsego 60,517 61,676 62,518 0.19% 0.34% 

Hamilton 5,279 5,379 5,227 0.19% -0.71% 

Fulton 54,191 55,073 55,463 0.16% 0.18% 

Lewis 26,796 26,944 26,564 0.06% -0.35% 

Oswego 121,771 122,377 123,776 0.05% 0.29% 

Madison 69,120 69,441 70,407 0.05% 0.35% 

Cortland 48,963 48,599 49,006 -0.07% 0.21% 

Chenango 51,768 51,401 51,861 -0.07% 0.22% 

Schoharie 31,859 31,582 32,012 -0.09% 0.34% 

Tioga 52,337 51,784 51,535 -0.11% -0.12% 

Herkimer 65,797 64,427 63,858 -0.21% -0.22% 

Onondaga 468,973 458,336 459,805 -0.23% 0.08% 

Montgomery 51,981 49,708 49,283 -0.44% -0.21% 

Broome 212,160 200,536 197,696 -0.55% -0.35% 

Oneida 250,836 235,469 234,962 -0.61% -0.05% 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 1 

Municipalities where the Nation owns land have small populations. But with the 

exception of two communities—Fenner and Augusta—all municipalities where the Nation 

owns land exhibited population growth since 1990 (see Table 3.7-22). 
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Between 1990 and 2000, the population of the Towns of Smithfield, Lincoln, Stockbridge, 

Sullivan, and of the City of Oneida (all located in Madison County) increased at a higher 

rate than for Madison County as a whole. Similarly, municipalities in Oneida County that 

have Nation land holdings did not experience the same population decline between 1990 

and 2000 as the County as a whole. In fact, annual population in the City of Sherrill and 

the Town of Vienna increased at an average annual rate of 0.99 and 0.46 percent, 

respectively. Only the Town of Augusta experienced a population decline between 1990 

and 2000 that was similar to, albeit still lower than, Oneida County as a whole. 

Between 2000 and 2004, population growth in the Towns of Cazenovia, Lincoln, and 

Lenox outpaced that of Madison County as a whole while the population remained 

relatively stable in the City of Oneida and in the Towns of Fenner and Stockbridge. With 

the exception of Sherrill, which actually experienced a high population growth in the 

1990s, population was estimated to have increased in all of the Study Area municipalities 

in Oneida County. 

Table 3.7-22 

Population of Study Area Municipalities, 

1990, 2000, and 2004

 

Population Count 

Average Annual 

Population 

Change 

Popul

ation 

Per 

Squar

e Mile 

 

 1990 2000 2004 

(Estimate) 90-00 00-04 

Cazenovia 6,514 6,481 6,762 -0.05% 1.08% 129.9 

Fenner 1,694 1,680 1,680 -0.08% 0.00% 54 

Lenox 8,621 8,665 8,844 0.05% 0.52% 238 

Lincoln 1,669 1,818 1,875 0.89% 0.78% 72.8 

City of Oneida 10,850 10,987 10,977 0.13% -0.02% 498.7 

Smithfield 1,053 1,204 1,225 1.43% 0.44% 49.5 

Stockbridge 1,968 2,092 2,097 0.63% 0.06% 65.7 

Sullivan 14,607 14,991 15,172 0.26% 0.30% 204.3 

Madison 

County 

Madison County 69,120 69,441 70,407 0.05% 0.35%

Augusta 2,070 1,966 1,975 -0.50% 0.11% 70.9 

City of Sherrill 2,864 3,147 3,126 0.99% -0.17% 1554.6 

Vernon 5,338 5,335 5,438 -0.01% 0.48% 139.9 

Verona 6,460 6,425 6,519 -0.05% 0.37% 92.7 

Vienna * 5,564 5,819 5,874 0.46% 0.24% 94.7 

Oneida 

County 

Oneida County 250,836 235,469 234,962 0.61% -0.05%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 1. * The Nation owns land in the Village of Sylvan Beach , 

which is located in the Town of Vienna. 

The Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research (CISER) maintains the New York 

Statistical Information System and a web site that is devoted to demographic analysis and 
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training tailored to the needs of government and nonprofit agencies, local planning offices, 

and businesses in New York State. Funding for this program is provided by Cornell 

University, the New York State Department of Economic Development, and user fees. 

CISER has prepared population projections for New York State counties and 

municipalities. CISER projected that the population in Madison County will decrease to 

68,895 persons in 2030, which corresponds to an average annual decline of 0.03 percent 

between 2000 and 2030. For Oneida County, projections show a 0.12 percent average 

annual decrease in that same time period and a population of 226,702 persons in 2030. 

The average annual projected population decline between 2000 and 2030 for Upstate New 

York is 0.19 percent. CISER’s population projections are shown in Table 3.7-.23. 

Table 3.7-23 

Population Projections 

Madison and Oneida Counties and Upstate New York 2000-2030

 2000-05 2005-10 2010-15 2015-20 2020-25 2025-30 2000-30 

Average Annual Population Change due to Births

Madison County 1.26% 1.32% 1.37% 1.37% 1.36% 1.36% 1.34% 

Oneida County 1.18% 1.21% 1.23% 1.21% 1.18% 1.17% 1.18% 

Upstate New York 1.20% 1.20% 1.22% 1.20% 1.18% 1.17% 1.24% 

Average Annual Population Change due to Deaths

Madison County -0.89% -0.92% -0.94% -0.97% -1.01% -1.07% -0.96% 

Oneida County -1.13% -1.18% -1.19% -1.21% -1.25% -1.32% -1.20% 

Upstate New York -1.00% -1.05% -1.09% -1.12% -1.18% -1.26% -1.16% 

Average Annual Population Change due to Net Migration

Madison County -0.40% -0.40% -0.40% -0.40% -0.40% -0.40% -0.40% 

Oneida County -0.11% -0.11% -0.11% -0.11% -0.11% -0.11% -0.11% 

Upstate New York -0.27% -0.26% -0.26% -0.26% -0.25% -0.25% -0.27% 

Overall Average Annual Population Change

Madison County -0.03% 0.00% 0.03% 0.00% -0.05% -0.11% -0.03% 

Oneida County -0.06% -0.08% -0.08% -0.10% -0.17% -0.26% -0.12% 

Upstate New York -0.07% -0.12% -0.13% -0.17% -0.25% -0.34% -0.19% 

Source: Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research (CISER), New York Statistical Information System; The Louis 

Berger Group, Inc. 

Note: * Upstate New York includes New York State with the exception of New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley 

(Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester Counties. 

While the CISER projections show a stable or slow growing population for Madison 

County between 2005 and 2020, during the next decade the projected population 

decreases. Projections show a constantly declining population in Oneida County, with the 

decrease accelerating after 2020. Oneida County’s projections include a 0.26 percent 

average annual population decrease between 2025 and 2030. The projected average 

annual population decline in Upstate New York exceeds that of Madison and Oneida 

County in every time period. 
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Madison County’s more favorable population change relative to Oneida County and 

Upstate New York as a whole can be explained by the age of its population. Having a 

relatively young population, Madison County has a higher fertility rate and a lower 

mortality rate than Oneida County and Upstate New York. Madison County, however, 

faces an average annual population decline due to net out-migration at a rate that exceeds 

that of both Oneida County and Upstate New York (see Table 3.7-.24). The net 

migration projections are based on past trends and future major one-time events such as 

factory closings. 

For Oneida County, the CISER population projections include a net out-migration rate 

that is lower than that of Madison County and of Upstate New York as a whole. Fertility 

rates in Oneida County are projected to be almost identical to those of Upstate New York 

while mortality rates in Oneida County are slightly higher due to the Oneida County’s 

relatively large elderly population. 

Population projections by Woods and Poole Economics, Inc., present a different picture, 

especially for Madison County. Woods and Poole projects that the population in Madison 

County will grow at an average annual rate of 0.33 percent between 2000 and 2030, 

resulting in a population of 76,350 in 2030, which is 7,455 persons more than CISER’s 

projection (see Figure 3.7-7). The Woods and Poole projection for Oneida County in 

2030 is closer to that of CISER, with a projected population in Oneida County of 

227,620, which exceeds the CISER projection by only 918 persons (see Figure 3.7-8). The 

difference between the two projections is likely due to higher projected net migration in 

the Woods and Poole model based on their more favorable economic outlook for Madison 

and Oneida County. 
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Figure 3.7-7 

Projected Population Madison County, 2000-30 

Comparison of CISER and Woods and Poole Projections 

Source: Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research, New York Statistical Information System, Woods& Poole 

Economics. 

64,000

66,000

68,000

70,000

72,000

74,000

76,000

78,000

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Year

Population

CISER W&P
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Figure 3.7-8 

Projected Population Oneida County, 2000-30 

Comparison of CISER and Woods and Poole Projections 

Source: Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research, New York Statistical Information System, Woods& Poole 

Economics, 2005. 

As with many areas of upstate New York and the industrial Northeastern U.S. as a whole, 

Oneida and Madison counties have experienced yearly declines in the number of 

households and overall population over the last 15 to 25 years. Records of tax return 

filings with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) indicate that since 1990, this net decline has 

averaged 1,300 households or over 1 percent of the region’s total households per year. 

Oneida County accounts for more than 90 percent of the net loss in households, with an 

average loss of 1,200 per year. 

Figure 3.7-9 depicts the annual trends in household migration flows for the region from 

1990 to 2003. During this period, Madison County saw a steady rate of in-migrating 

households (averaging 1,600 per year) and out-migrating households (averaging 1,770 per 

year). Oneida County, however, experienced significant changes in household flows 

during this period. In-migrating households, which amounted to over 4,000 per year in 

222,000

224,000

226,000

228,000

230,000

232,000

234,000

236,000

238,000

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Year

Population

CISER W&P
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1990 and 1991 declined to a low of 2,600 in 1996. During that same period, outflows of 

households averaged over 5,000 per year increasing to a high of 5,800 in 1995. Overall 

for the region, net losses in households which amounted to nearly 560 at the beginning of 

the decade increased to over 3,000 by 1995. This correlates closely with the closing of 

Griffiss Air Force Base and the loss of jobs in the region beginning in 1993. Since the mid1990s the net loss in households has abated, falling below 1,000 in 2001 and amounting 

to a net outflow of 390 households in 2003. 

Nearly half of the departing households relocated to other counties in New York State, 

these counties, in turn, were also the source of most in-migrating households. Outside of 

New York the destination for most departing households was the southern region of the 

nation. Table 3.7-24 details the flow of households to and from the Oneida-Madison 

Region as estimated by the IRS for the years 1990 to 2003. 

The net loss in households in the Oneida-Madison Region has also meant a net decline 

total income earned by resident households. Table 3.7-25 provides a summary of the 

balance of aggregate annual income in the region for the 10 most recent years tracked by 

the IRS. During that period, from 1993 to 2003 income of households that left the region 

each year amounted to over $186 million. Income of the smaller number of households 

moving to the region totaled to just under $137 million per year, leaving an annual 

shortfall of nearly $50 million dollars or nearly half of one billion dollars over the ten-year 

period, an average of over $26,000 per household lost. 
A

Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Figure 3.7-9 

Trends in Household Migration, 1990-2003 

Household Migration Flows, Madison-Oneida Region 1990-2003

-1,820 -1,702 -1,674 -1,809 -1,806 -1,943 -1,698 -1,844 -1,738 -1,742 -1,805 -1,757 -1,755 -1,668

-4,996

-4,597 -4,966 -4,870 -4,782

-5,852

-5,211

-4,259 -4,127 -3,907 -3,778 -3,755 -3,649 -3,407

1,844 1,754 1,758 1,582 1,624 1,678 1,606 1,432 1,562 1,563 1,626 1,631 1,638 1,6444,413 4,109 3,906 3,715 3,580 3,060 2,636 2,711 2,613 2,845 2,747 2,945 3,038 3,041

-10,000

-8,000-6,000-4,000-2,000

0

2,0004,0006,0008,000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Year

Net Regional Household M igration:

-559 -436 -976 -1,382 -1,384 -3,057 -2,667 -1,960 -1,690 -1,241 -1,210 -936 -728 -390

Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service Statistics of Income Division County-to-County Migration Flow Data; The Louis Berger Group, 2006. Note: Number of households estimated from tax returns f
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Table 3.7-24 

Migration Flow Patterns, Madison and Oneida Counties, 1990-2003 

To/From: Out-migrating 

Households 

In-migrating 

Households Net Migration 

 

Other New York Counties (36,590) 33,486 (3,104) 

Northeast Region (8,457) 6,210 (2,247) 

Midwest Region (4,375) 3,054 (1,321) 

South Region (19,623) 9,443 (10,180) 

West Region (6,213) 3,910 (2,303) 

Outside U.S. (1,962) 2,501 539 

 

Total (77,220) 58,604 (18,616) 

Non-Migrants* 106,589 

Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service Statistics of Income Division County-to-County Migration Flow Data; The Louis 

Berger Group, 2006. 

Note: Number of households estimated from tax returns filed for each calendar year. 

* Average annual base of Non-Migrant households from 1990-2003 

Table 3.7-25 

Aggregate Annual Income - Migrating Households, 

Madison and Oneida Counties, 1993-2003 

Year 2000 U.S. Dollars in Thousands 

To/From: Out-migrating 

Households 

In-migrating 

Households Net Change 

 

Other New York Counties ($83,303) $79,767 ($3,537) 

 

Northeast Region ($24,149) $17,372 ($6,777) 

Midwest Region ($11,893) $8,201 ($3,692) 

South Region ($50,245) $19,966 ($30,279) 

West Region ($14,042) $8,666 ($5,377) 

Outside U.S. ($2,618) $2,642 $24 

 

Total ($186,250) $136,614 ($49,636) 

Non-Migrants* $4,613,887 

Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service Statistics of Income Division County-to-County Migration Flow Data; The Louis 

Berger Group, 2006. Note: Number of households estimated from tax returns filed for each calendar year. Average 

income based on gross reported income on tax filings - Year 2000 U.S. Dollars. 

* Average annual base of Non-Migrant aggregate household income from 1990-2003 
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3.7.2.2 Race and Ethnicity Patterns 

The racial and ethnic composition of Madison and Oneida County residents is 

overwhelmingly white. According to the 2000 Census, Madison County is 95.9 percent 

non-Hispanic White and Oneida County is 88.6 percent non-Hispanic White (see Table 

3.7-26). The second largest race or ethnic group in both counties is Black or African 

American with 1.3 percent in Madison County and 5.7 percent in Oneida County. Less 

than one percent of the populations of each of the subject counties identified themselves as 

being Native American alone. About 0.8 percent of Madison County residents and 1.5 

percent of Oneida County residents identified themselves as belonging to more than one 

race, which could include Native Americans. The U.S. Bureau of Census does not report 

tribal information at the municipal level. Nation members would likely be included in the 

“American Indian” line item but the category is not limited to Nation members. In this 

discussion, race and ethnicity identification is based upon self-identification and disclosure 

on a census “short-form” questionnaire rather than tribal administrative records. 

Table 3.7-26 

Race and Ethnicity Characteristics, 2000 

Madison and Oneida County Residents 

Madison County Oneida County 

Number 

of 

Residents 

Percentage 

(%) 

Number 

of 

Residents 

Percentage 

(%) 

White Alone 67,006 96.5% 212,414 90.2% 

Hispanic White 442 0.6% 3,814 1.6% 

Non-Hispanic White 66,564 95.9% 208,600 88.6% 

Non-White Alone 1,855 2.7% 23,055 9.8% 

Black or African American 916 1.3% 13,521 5.7% 

American Indian and Alaska Native 358 0.5% 549 0.2% 

Asian 387 0.6% 2,722 1.2% 

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 10 0.0% 55 0.0% 

Other 184 0.3% 2,625 1.1% 

More than One Race 580 0.8% 3,583 1.5% 

TOTAL 69,441 100.0% 235,469 100.0% 

Hispanic Origin 734 1.1% 7,545 3.2% 

Minority Population 2,297 4.1% 26,869 11.4% 

Note: *The Other category includes “some other race alone” and “two or more races.” 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 1 

Following state and national trends, Madison and Oneida County are more racially and 

ethnically diverse now than they were in 1990, with absolute increases in minority 

populations since 1990 (see Table 3.7-26). Between 1990 and 2000, the number of Native 

American in the two-county area increased from 764 to 907. Certain comparisons 

between the 1990 Census and the 2000 Census are difficult due to the different questions 

asked in 2000. Race comparisons are not directly comparable; for example, in 1990 

“Asian and Pacific Islanders” were one category and in 2000 it was broken into two 
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categories: “Asians” and “Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.” Additionally, in 2000 the 

Census permitted individuals to declare themselves of more than one race; thus a person 

could be counted in totals for more than one race, which allows for various combinations 

yielding a total of 63 race categories, compared to only six categories in the 1990 Census 

without the option for multi-race respondents. 

Table 3.7-27 

Race and Ethnicity Characteristics, 1990 

Madison and Oneida County Residents 

 Madison County Oneida County 

Number of 

Residents 

Percentage 

(%) 

Number of 

Residents 

Percentage 

(%) 

White 67,481 97.6% 232,461 92.7% 

Non-White 1,639 2.4% 18,375 7.3% 

Black 752 1.1% 13,661 5.4% 

American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut 260 0.4% 504 0.2% 

Asian or Pacific Islander 421 0.6% 2,175 0.9% 

Other race 206 0.3% 2,035 0.8% 

Total Population 69,120 100.0% 250,836 100.0% 

Hispanic Origin 572 0.8% 5,804 2.3% 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1990 Housing and Population Census, Summary Tape File 1 

Generally, the individual Study Area municipalities exhibit similar race and ethnic patterns 

as the Counties (see Tables 3.7-28 and 3.7-29). In each of these municipalities less than 

five percent of the total population in 2000 belonged to a racial or ethnic minority. With 

the exception of the City of Oneida, whose Native American population was 1.4 percent 

of the total municipal population in 2000, less than one percent of the population in each 

of the municipalities identified themselves as Native American alone. 
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Table 3.7-28 

Race and Ethnicity Characteristics for Study Area Municipalities in 

Madison County, 2005 

Cazenovia Fenner Lenox Lincoln 

Study Area Municipalities 

in Madison County

Number 

of 

Residents 

(%) 

Number 

of 

Residents 

(%) 

Number 

of 

Residents 

(%) 

Number 

 of 

Residents 

(%) 

White Alone 6,303 97.3 1,661 98.9 8,462 97.7 1,781 98.0 

Hispanic White 58 0.9 5 0.3 44 0.5 6 0.3 

Non-Hispanic White 6,245 96.4 1,656 98.6 8,418 97.1 1,775 97.6 

Non-White Alone 178 2.7 19 1.1 203 2.3 37 2.0 

Black or African American 

Alone 71 1.1 3 0.2 57 0.7 4 0.2 

American Indian and 

Alaska Native Alone 17 0.3 4 0.2 40 0.5 10 0.6 

Asian Alone 34 0.5 3 0.2 21 0.2 7 0.4 

Native Hawaiian or Other 

Pacific Islander Alone 1 0 - 0 1 0 - 0 

Other* 55 0.8 9 0.5 84 1.0 16 0.9 

TOTAL 6,481 100 1,680 100 8,665 100 1,818 100 

Hispanic Origin 96 1.5 6 0.4 75 0.9 12 0.7 

Minority Population 236 3.6 24 1.4 247 2.9 43 2.4 

City of Oneida Smithfield Stockbridge Sullivan 

Number 

of 

Residents 

(%) 

Number 

of 

Residents 

(%) 

Number 

 of 

Residents 

(%) 

Number 

of 

Residents 

(%) 

White Alone 10,579 96.3 1,165 96.7 2,010 96.6 14,728 98.2 

Hispanic White 69 0.6 1 0.1 6 0.3 51 0.3 

Non-Hispanic White 10,510 95.7 1,164 96.6 2,004 96.3 14,677 97.9 

Non-White Alone 408 3.7 40 3.3 70 3.4 263 1.8 

Black or African American 

Alone 88 0.8 12 1.0 8 0.4 49 0.3 

American Indian and 

Alaska Native Alone 153 1.4 10 0.8 19 0.9 54 0.4 

Asian Alone 51 0.5 3 0.2 6 0.3 34 0.2 

Native Hawaiian or Other 

Pacific Islander Alone 2 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 

Other* 114 1.0 15 1.2 37 1.8 126 0.8 

TOTAL 10,987 100 1,205 100 2,080 100 14,991 100 

Hispanic Origin 92 0.8 3 0.2 17 0.8 81 0.5 

Minority Population 477 4.3 41 3.4 76 3.7 314 2.1 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 1
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Table 3.7-29 

Race and Ethnicity Characteristics for Study Area Municipalities in 

Oneida County, 2000 

Study Area Augusta City of Sherrill Vernon Verona Vienna 

Municipalities 

in Oneida 

County

Number 

of 

Residents 

(%) 

Number 

of 

Residents 

(%) 

Number 

of 

Residents 

(%) 

Number 

of 

Residents 

(%) 

Number 

of 

Residents 

(%) 

White Alone 1,925 97.9 3,084 98.0 5,225 97.9 6,278 97.7 5,672 97.5 

Hispanic White 5 0.3 18 0.6 34 0.6 23 0.4 21 0.4 

Non-Hispanic 

White 1,920 97.7 3,066 97.4 5,191 97.3 6,255 97.4 5,651 97.1 

Non-White Alone 41 2.1 63 2.0 110 2.1 147 2.3 147 2.5 

Black or African 

American Alone 6 0.3 7 0.2 23 0.4 24 0.4 29 0.5 

American 

Indian and 

Alaska Native 

Alone - 0 19 0.6 22 0.4 41 0.6 32 0.5 

Asian Alone 15 0.8 19 0.6 21 0.4 24 0.4 31 0.5 

Native Hawaiian 

or Other Pacific 

Islander Alone - 0 - 0 - 0 1 0 - 0 

Other* 20 1.0 18 0.6 44 0.8 57 0.9 55 0.9 

TOTAL 1,966 100 3,147 100 5,335 100 6,425 100 5,819 100 

Hispanic Origin 11 0.6 26 0.8 37 0.7 30 0.5 45 0.8 

Minority 

Population 46 2.3 81 2.6 144 2.7 170 2.6 168 2.9 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 1 Note;* The Nation owns lands in the Village of Sylvan Beach 

which is located in the Town of Vienna. 

3.7.2.3 Household Composition 

In the year 2000, there were 115,864 households in Madison and Oneida Counties. While 

Madison County experienced a 7.6 percent growth in households between 1990 and 2000, 

the number of households in Oneida County declined by 2.2 percent during this same 

period (see Table 3.7-30). 
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Table 3.7-30 

Households Trends, 1990-2000 

Madison County and Oneida County

Category Madison 

County 

Oneida 

County Total 

Number of Households in 1990 23,567 92,562 116,129 

Number of Households in 2000 25,368 90,496 115,864 

Change 1990-2000 1,801 (2,066) (265) 

Percent Change 1990-2000 7.6% -2.2% -0.2% 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1990 Census of Housing and Population, Summary Tape File 1; Census 2000, Summary 

File 1. 

In both counties, but especially in Oneida County, the average household size in the year 

2000 was smaller than the State average. With 55 percent of households in Madison 

County consisting of married couples, this group accounted for a larger share of total 

households in Madison County than in the State as a whole. Madison County also had 

relatively few single mothers and “other family households” (e.g., children living with a 

grandparent or other adult). Oneida County’s household composition was more similar to 

that of New York State (see Table 3.7-31). 

Table 3.7-31 

Household Composition 

Madison and Oneida Counties and New York State, 2000

 

Madison 

County 

Oneida 

County 

New York 

State 

Average Household Size 2.55 2.43 2.61 

 

One-Person Household 25% 30% 28% 

Married Couple without own children (<age18) 30% 28% 25% 

Married Couple with own children (<age18) 25% 21% 22% 

Single Female Householder with own children (<age 18) 6% 7% 8% 

Other family households 8% 9% 11% 

Other non-family households 6% 5% 6% 

Total Households 100% 100% 100% 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3 

3.7.2.4 Age Composition 

Compared to the State of New York as a whole, young adults (21-34 years) comprise a 

relatively small proportion of the population in Madison and Oneida Counties. The lack 

of employment opportunities is probably a contributing factor to the relatively few young 
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adults in the counties. Oneida County exhibits a much higher concentration of elderly 

persons (age 65 and over) than Madison County and New York State as a whole (see 

Table 3.7-32). 

Table 3.7-32 

Age Composition, Madison County, Oneida County, and New York State, 

1990-2000 

2000 1990 

Madison 

County 

Oneida 

County 

New York 

State 

Madison 

County 

Oneida 

County 

New York 

State 

Under 5 years 5.9% 5.7% 6.5% 7.1% 7.0% 7.0% 

5 to 17 years 19.0% 18.2% 18.2% 18.2% 17.2% 16.7% 

18 to 20 years 7.3% 4.1% 4.1% 9.5% 5.0% 4.7% 

21 to 24 years 4.7% 4.5% 5.2% 6.5% 6.3% 6.2% 

25 to 34 years 11.5% 12.5% 14.5% 15.1% 16.4% 17.4% 

35 to 44 years 16.1% 15.6% 16.2% 14.1% 13.8% 15.1% 

45 to 54 years 13.7% 13.6% 13.5% 10.2% 9.8% 10.6% 

55 to 64 years 9.4% 9.2% 8.9% 7.9% 9.0% 9.1% 

65 to 74 years 6.6% 7.8% 6.7% 6.7% 8.9% 7.5% 

75 to 84 years 4.4% 6.4% 4.5% 3.7% 5.0% 4.3% 

85 years and over 1.5% 2.3% 1.6% 1.1% 1.6% 1.4% 

Total, Percent 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 

Total 69,441 235,469 18,976,457 69,120 250,836 17,990,455 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1990 Census of Housing and Population, Summary Tape File 1; 

Census 2000, Summary File 1. 

3.7.3 Housing Characteristics 

3.7.3.1 Madison and Oneida Counties 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, there were 28,646 housing units in Madison 

County and 102,803 units in Oneida County in 2000. Both counties had a similar 

vacancy rate of 11 and 12 percent, respectively (see Table 3.7-33). The vacancy rate was 

higher than the state average of 9.9 percent and the national average of 9.0 percent, which 

suggests a cool housing market. 
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Table 3.7-33 

Housing Units and Vacancy, 2000 

Madison and Oneida Counties and New York State 

Number of 

Units Occupied Vacant 

Madison County 28,646 25,368 88.6% 3,278 11.4% 

Oneida County 102,803 90,496 88.0% 12,307 12.0% 

New York State 

(non-New York City) 4,478,395 4,035,272 90.1% 443,123 9.9% 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 1 

There is a high homeownership rate in the two counties (see Table 3.7-34). Madison 

County had a higher homeownership rate than the rest of the state, while Oneida County 

had a lower one. However, both were close to the state average. 

Table 3.7-34 

Owner Occupied and Renter Occupied Homes, 2000 

Madison and Oneida Counties and New York State 

Number 

of Units Owner-Occupied Renter-Occupied 

Madison County 25,368 19,012 74.9% 6,356 25.1% 

Oneida County 90,496 60,808 67.2% 29,688 32.8% 

New York State 

(non-New York City) 4,035,272 2,827,114 70.1% 1,208,158 29.9% 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 1 

In the year 2000, the cost of housing in Madison and Oneida Counties was similar to the 

rest of the state (see Table 3.7-35). Madison County’s median housing value is the same 

as the median housing value for the state, and its median monthly rent, at $422, was 22 

dollars higher than the state median rent. Oneida County’s median housing value was 

slightly less than the state’s median, $76,500 compared to $81,500. The median rent was 

25 dollars less than the state median rent. 

Table 3.7-35 

Median Rent and Housing Value, 2000 

Madison and Oneida Counties and New York State 

Median Rent Median Housing Value 

Madison County $422 $81,500 

Oneida County $375 $76,500 

New York State 

(non-New York City) $400 $81,500 

Note: This information reflects a range of rents for units of different sizes and ages, and for occupants who may have 

moved in recently or occupied their units for a long time. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3 

Between 1990 and 2000, the number of housing units in Madison and Oneida Counties 

increased by 8 and 2 percent, respectively (see Table 3.7-36). The number of housing 
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units grew by 6 percent in New York State (non-New York City) during that same time 

period. 

In 1990, Madison County’s vacancy rate exceeded that of New York State (non-New 

York City), while the Oneida County’s vacancy rate was lower than the state average 

(non-New York City) (see Table 1.3.4). 

Table 3.7-36 

Housing Units and Vacancy, 1990-2000 

Madison and Oneida Counties and New York State

1990 2000 1990-2000 

Number of 

Units 

Vacancy 

Rate 

Number 

of Units 

Vacancy 

Rate 

Change in 

Number of 

Units 

Madison County 26,641 11.5% 28,646 11.4% 8% 

Oneida County 101,251 8.6% 102,803 12.0% 2% 

New York State (non-New 

York City) 4,234,722 9.8% 4,478,395 9.9% 6% 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1990 Census of Housing and Population, Summary Tape File 1; Census 2000, 

Summary File 1. 

As in 2000, in 1990 Madison County had a higher homeownership rate than the rest of 

the state, while Oneida County had a lower one. Both were close to the state average (see 

Table 3.7-37). 

Table 3.7-37 

Owner Occupied Homes, 1990 – 2000 

Madison and Oneida Counties and New York State 

 1990 2000 

Number of 

Owner 

Occupied 

Units 

Percent of 

Total Units 

Number of 

Owner 

Occupied 

Units 

Percent of 

Total Units 

Madison County 17,515 74% 19,012 74.9% 

Oneida County 60,392 65% 60,808 67.2% 

New York State (non-New 

York City) 2,657,058 70% 2,827,114 70.1% 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1990 Census of Housing and Population, Summary Tape File 1; Census 2000, 

Summary File 1. 

The cost of housing in Madison and Oneida County was generally similar to the rest of 

the state (see Table 3.7-38). 
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Table 3.7-38 

Median Rent and Housing Value, 1990 

Madison and Oneida Counties and New York State 

Median Rent Median Housing Value 

Madison County $398 $68,900 

Oneida County $373 $72,200 

New York State 

(non-New York City) $392 $69,900 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1990 Census of Housing and Population, Summary Tape File3 

A review of 2002 to 2004 data from the New York State Office of Real Property Services 

(ORPS) indicates that housing values have continued to increase steadily. In 2004, the 

median sale price of residential property was $95,000 in Madison County and $78,000 in 

Oneida County (see Table 3.7-39). In the course of two years, property sales prices have 

increased 9.2 percent in Madison County and 13.0 percent in Oneida County; in 

comparison, the state median sales price increased 9.2 percent during the same time 

period. Madison County’s sales prices are 17 percent higher than the state median, which 

includes all New York State counties with the exception of the five counties of New York 

City, Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, Ulster, and Westchester. 

Oneida County sales prices are four percent lower than the state median. While prices rose in both 

counties from 2003 to 2004, the state median sales price remained steady. ORPS uses real 

property transfer records to determine median sales prices and as a result ORPS data cannot be 

directly compared to Census data. 

Table 3.7-39 

Median Sales Price, 2002-2004 

 Madison and Oneida Counties and New York State 

2002 2003 2004 

Median 

Sales Price 

Index Median 

Sales Price 

Index Median 

Sales Price 

Index 

Madison 

County $87,000 1.18 $90,000 1.11 $95,000 1.17 

Oneida 

County $69,000 0.93 $74,100 0.91 $78,000 0.96 

Upstate New 

York* $74,000 1.00 $81,000 1.00 $81,000 1.00 

Note: *Includes all New York State counties with the exception of the five counties of New York City, Dutchess, Nassau, 

Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, Ulster, and Westchester. 

Note: The above date is for residential sales that are an arm's length (open market freely arrived at by normal 

negotiations without undue pressure) residential sale coded non-condominium and the sale price must be greater than 

ten dollars and the number of days between the sale date and the contract date must be less than three hundred and 

sixty five or indeterminate. 

Source: New York State Office of Real Property Services, County Residential Median Sales Prices, 

http://www.orps.state.ny.us/sales/resmedian.cfm#Sales 

3.7.3.2 Study Area Municipalities

Vacancy rates vary widely among Study Area municipalities. In 2000, the lowest vacancy 

rate was 3.6 percent in the City of Sherrill, and the highest vacancy rate was 27.8 percent 

in the Town of Vienna. Municipalities in the Study Area tend to have a lower vacancy 

rate than both the state average and Madison and Oneida County’s vacancy rate. Vienna 
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is the only municipality that has a dramatically higher vacancy rate than the counties or 

the state (see Table 3.7-40). 

In 2000, there was a wide discrepancy in homeownership rates between municipalities 

within the Study Area. Homeownership rates ranged from a low of 59.0 percent in the 

City of Oneida to a high of 86.7 percent in the Town of Lincoln. With the exception of the 

City of Oneida, the municipalities in the Study Area had a higher homeownership rate 

than New York State and similar homeownership rates to Madison and Oneida County 

(see Table 3.7-41). 

In 2000, housing values in the Study Area ranged widely from a low median housing value 

of $59,400 in the Town of Augusta to a high of $135,500 in the Town of Cazenovia (see 

Table 3.7-42). The lowest median contract rent was also in the Town of Augusta, $363, 

and the highest median contract rent was in the Town of Verona, $482. With a few 

exceptions, most notably the Town of Cazenovia, median housing values and median 

contract rents in the Study Area were similar to the medians for Madison and Oneida 

Counties. 

Table 3.7-40 

Housing Units and Vacancy, Study Area Municipalities, 2000 

Occupied Vacant 

Cazenovia 2,353 91.7% 214 8.3% 

Fenner 615 93.3% 44 6.7% 

Lenox 3,485 89.9% 392 10.1% 

Lincoln 656 94.8% 36 5.2% 

City of Oneida 4,430 94.8% 242 5.2% 

Smithfield 409 92.7% 32 7.3% 

Stockbridge 744 92.2% 63 7.8% 

Madison 

County 

Sullivan town 5,688 91.6% 521 8.4% 

Augusta town 746 91.9% 66 8.1% 

City of Sherrill 1,262 96.4% 47 3.6% 

Vernon 2,112 93.2% 154 6.8% 

Verona 2,399 90.0% 266 10.0% 

Oneida County 

Vienna * 2,192 72.2% 845 27.8% 

Madison County 25,368 88.6% 3,278 11.4% 

Oneida County 90,496 88.0% 12,307 12.0% 

New York State 

(non-New York City) 4,035,272 90.1% 443,123 9.9% 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3 Note *The Nation owns land in the Village of Sylvan Beach, 

which is located in the Town of Vienna. 
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Table 3.7-41 

Owner Occupied and Renter Occupied Homes, 2000 

Study Area Municipalities 

 Owner-Occupied Renter-Occupied 

Cazenovia 1,827 77.6% 526 22.4% 

Fenner 510 82.9% 105 17.1% 

Lenox 2,452 70.4% 1,033 29.6% 

Lincoln 569 86.7% 87 13.3% 

City of Oneida 2,612 59.0% 1,818 41.0% 

Smithfield 348 85.1% 61 14.9% 

Stockbridge 577 77.6% 167 22.4% 

Madison 

County 

Sullivan 4,692 82.5% 996 17.5% 

Augusta 558 74.8% 188 25.2% 

City of Sherrill 984 78.0% 278 22.0% 

Vernon 1,596 75.6% 516 24.4% 

Verona 2,038 85.0% 361 15.0% 

Oneida 

County 

Vienna* 1,803 82.3% 389 17.7% 

Madison County 19,012 74.9% 6,356 25.1% 

Oneida County 60,808 67.2% 29,688 32.8% 

New York State 

(non-New York City) 2,827,114 70.1% 1,208,158 29.9% 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3 Note * The Nation owns lands in the Village of Sylvan Beach, 

which is located in the Town of Vienna. 

Table 3.7-42 

Median Contract Rent and Median Housing Value 

Study Area Municipalities, 2000 

 Median Contract Rent Median Value 

Cazenovia $452 $135,500 

Fenner $429 $84,800 

Lenox $407 $78,200 

Lincoln $420 $86,000 

City of Oneida $410 $70,600 

Smithfield $381 $66,600 

Stockbridge $408 $69,300 

Madison County 

Sullivan $474 $82,700 

Augusta $363 $59,400 

City of Sherrill $366 $89,900 

Vernon $417 $79,600 

Verona $482 $75,200 

Oneida County 

Vienna * $431 $78,900 

Madison County $422 $81,500 

Oneida County $375 $76,500 

New York State (non-New York City) $400 $81,500 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3 Note * The Nation owns lands in the Village of Sylvan Beach, 

which is located in the Town of Vienna. 
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3.7.4 Tribal Demographics and Socioeconomic Conditions 

The Nation has a Member Benefits Departments that maintains records for its enrolled 

members. Membership is determined by ancestry and entitles the individual and his or her 

family to benefit from Nation government programs and services, including health 

insurance, as discussed in Section 3.7.5.1. Member Benefits reports that the Nation has 

approximately 1,000 enrolled members. 

The census data analysis below describes the demographic characteristics of New York 

State residents who identified themselves as members of the Nation of New York when 

completing the 1990 and 2000 Census form questionnaires and whose characteristics are 

reported in the 1990 Characteristics of American Indians by Tribe and Language and the 

2000 Census American Indian and Alaska Native Summary File. Madison and Oneida 

County data as well as New York State have been included in this analysis in order to 

provide a means by which to measure the below-mentioned social and economic 

characteristics of the members of the Nation in comparison to the Region and State. 

The U.S. Census Bureau states that this information does not reflect any designation of 

Federally- or State-recognized tribe. Thus, the self-identified members discussed in this 

section are not necessarily enrolled members that are recognized by the Nation. 

3.7.4.1 Population 

According to the 1990 U.S. Census, 1,026 New York State residents identified themselves 

as members of the Nation. Information regarding additional New York residents that 

identified themselves as members of the Nation and one or more other tribes and/or one or 

more other races is not available from this period. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 

1,000 New York State residents identified themselves as members of the Nation. An 

additional 373 New York residents identified themselves as members of the Nation and 

one or more other tribes and/or one or more other races (see Table 3.7-43). 

Table 3.7-43 

Total Population, 

Self-Identified Members of the Nation 

New York State, 2000 

Self-reported Members of the Nation 

Place of Residence No Other Tribe/Race 

Reported 

At Least One Other 

Tribe/Race Reported Total 

New York 1,000 373 1,373 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, American Indian Alaska Native Summary 

In 2000 the majority (54.7 percent) of New York residents who identified themselves 

solely as members of the Nation were male. This represents an increase from 51.1 percent 

at the time of the 1990 Census. The median age increased significantly between the two 

Census periods from 23.0 to 33.9. There was a sizable decrease of those between 5 to 17 
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years and relative increase of those between 35 to 44 years. Five percent were over the age 

of 65 as compared to only 2.8 percent in 1990 (see Table 3.7-44). 

At the time of the 2000 Census, 75 percent of Nation households identified themselves as 

family households. Sixty percent of these family households had children under the age of 

18. While the number of family households increased overall from 1990, there were fewer 

family households with children in 2000 than in 1990. 

Table 3.7-44 

Age and Gender, 1990 and 2000 

Self -Identified Members of the Nation 

New York State 

1990 2000 

Number Percentage Number Percentage 

Total Population 1,026 1,000 

Females 502 48.9% 453 45.3% 

Males per 100 Females 104.3 120.8 

 

Median Age 23.0 33.9 

Under 5 years 102 9.9% 96 9.6% 

5 to 17 years 313 30.5% 189 18.9% 

18 to 20 years 54 5.3% 64 6.4% 

21 to 24 years 75 7.3% 40 4.0% 

25 to 34 years 183 17.8% 130 13.0% 

35 to 44 years 117 11.4% 233 23.3% 

45 to 54 years 120 11.7% 99 9.9% 

55 to 59 years 22 2.1% 67 6.7% 

60 to 64 years 11 1.2% 30 3.0% 

65 to 74 years 29 2.8% 30 3.0% 

75 to 84 years 0 0% 13 1.3% 

85 years and over 0 0% 9 0.9% 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 1990, Characteristics of American Indians by Tribe and Language. 

U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, American Indian Alaska Native Summary. 

Note: Persons who reported more than one tribe and/or more than one race are not included. 

In 2000, 14 percent of households were headed by a female with no husband present; of 

these households 45.8% had children under the age of 18. The percentage of femaleheaded householders remained relatively unchanged from 1990, but there were fewer 

female-headed households with children under 18 in 2000 (dropped by more than twenty 

percentage points). In percentage terms, there are relatively more female-headed 

householders that are members of the Nation than in either Madison or Oneida Counties 

yet the Nation has a significantly smaller percentage of such households with children 
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under 18. This improved condition relative to the surrounding counties and New York 

State is particularly noteworthy because female-headed households with children are 

among the most economically vulnerable and in need of support networks to meet the 

challenge to balance work with family obligations (see Table 3.7-45). 

Table 3.7-45 

Total Households, 1990 and 2000 

Self-Identified Members of the Nation 

Nation Madison 

County 

Oneida County New York State 

Number % Number % Number % Number % 

325 

238 

196 

179 

153 

51 

73.2 

83.4 

55.1 

85.5 

15.7 

23,675 

17,441 

8,723 

14,668 

7,052 

2,065 

73.7 

50.0 

62.0 

48.1 

8.7 

92,263 

63,969 

30,249 

51,158 

23,548 

9,899 

69.3 

47.3 

55.4 

46.0 

10.7 

6,634,434 

4,528,888 

2,107,159 

3,391,851 

1,554,039 

903,490 

68.7 

46.5 

51.1 

45.8 

13.6 

Total Households 

 Family Households 

 With Own Children Under 

18 Years 

 Married Couple Families 

 With Own Children Under 

18 Years 

 Female-Headed Householder, 

No Husband Present 

 With Own Children Under 

18 Years 35 68.7 806 39.0 5,560 56.2 470,215 52.0 

Non-Family Households 87 26.8 6,234 26.3 28,294 30.6 2,105,546 31.7 

Householder Living Alone 74 22.8 5,050 21.3 24,950 27.0 1,806,263 27.2 

1990 

Householder 65 Years and Older N/A N/A 2,326 9.8 11,640 12.6 700,016 10.5 

343 

258 

155 

189 

123 

75.2 

60.1 

55.1 

65.1 

25,368 

17,577 

8,517 

13,968 

6,276 

69.3 

48.5 

55,1 

44.9 

90,496 

59,170 

27,555 

44,474 

18,812 

65.4 

46.6 

49.4 

42.3 

7,056,860 

4,639,387 

2,231,381 

3,289,514 

1,527,187 

65.7 

48.1 

46.6 

46.4 

Total Households 

 Family Households 

 With Own Children Under 

18 Years 

 Married Couple Families 

 With Own Children Under 

18 Years 

 Female-Headed Householder, No 

Husband Present 

 With Own Children Under 

18 Years 

48 

22 

14.0 

45.8 

2,467 

1,548 

9.7 

62.7 

10,889 

6,678 

12.0 

61.3 

1,038,176 

573,384 

14.7 

55.2 

Non-Family Households 85 24.8 7,791 30.7 31,326 34.6 2,417,473 34.3 

Householder Living Alone 69 20.1 6,217 24.5 26,731 29.5 1,982,742 28.1 

2000 

Householder 65 Years and Older 52 15.0 2,622 10.3 11,877 13.1 715,550 10.1 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 1990, Characteristics of American Indians by Tribe and Language, U.S. Census 

Bureau, Census 2000, American Indian Alaska Native Summary

Note: Persons who reported more than one tribe and/or more than one race are not included. 

3.7.4.2 Educational Attainment 

Between the 1990 and 2000 Census periods, the self-identified members of the Nation 

experienced a significant shift in educational attainment levels. Major advancements were 

achieved in the numbers and percentage earning a High School diploma or higher and a 

Bachelor’s Degree or higher. Of those aged 25 or older, 70.7 percent of the self-identified 

members of the Nation residing in New York had earned a high school diploma and 12.7 

percent had earned a bachelors degree or higher, according to the 2000 Census. This level 

of educational attainment is significantly higher than the percentages reported in the 1990 

Census. The rate of advancement in educational attainment was twice that of Madison 

and Oneida Counties and New York State overall. The gap was also reduced in the 
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percentage of persons enrolled in college and graduate schools with the Nation increasing 

its enrollment while the Counties and New York State experienced declining proportions. 

More troubling, however, was an exhibited increase in the number of 16-19 years olds 

that were not enrolled in school; this compares unfavorably with the improvements 

garnered by surrounding counties (particularly Madison County) and New York State. In 

response to this challenge, the Nation’s Education Department has developed several 

programs and services to encourage continued education. These initiatives are described in 

Section 3.7.5 Nation Government Programs and Services. Still, the exhibited pattern is 

sufficiently disproportionate and adverse to suggest that keeping youth in school is a 

major challenge for not only the Nation’s tribal leadership and the families of these youth 

but also for community institutions including surrounding school districts. 

Private school enrollment for those in Madison and Oneida Counties remained relatively 

stable between the 1990 and 2000 Census periods, while self-identified members of the 

Nation increased their enrollment in private schools to 7 percent in 2000 from virtually no 

participation in private schools in 1990 (1.6%). Despite this change, private school 

enrollment for members continue to significantly trail reported enrollment percentages 

exhibited by Madison and Oneida Counties and New York state overall (ranges from 15 

to 24 percent). 
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Table 3.7-46 

Educational Attainment, 1990 and 2000 

Self-identified Members of the Nation 

New York State

Nation Madison County Oneida County New York State 

Number % Number % Number % Number % 

Population 3 years 

and over enrolled in 

school 384 20,667 63,045 4,656,218 

 Preprimary School 34 8.9 1,527 7.4 4,353 6.9 321,178 6.9 

 Elementary or High 

School 288 75.0 11,636 56.3 41,559 65.9 2,895,841 62.2

 College or Graduate 

School 62 16.1 7,504 36.3 17,133 27.2 1,439,199 30.9

 Private School 

Enrollment* 6 1.9 959 7.3 4,293 9.4 566,418 17.6

Population 16 to 19 81 7.9 6,485 9.4 14,178 5.7 991,329 5.5 

 Not Enrolled in School 23 28.3 835 12.9 3,128 22.0 194,226 19.6

Population 25 years 

and over 482 47.0 41,081 59.4 161,944 64.6 11,818,569 65.7

 High School Grad or 

Higher 152 31.5 32,543 79.2 121,591 75.1 8,840,965 74.8

1990 

 Bachelor’s Degree or 

Higher 21 4.4 7,485 18.2 27,089 16.7 2,733,829 23.1

Population 3 years 

and over enrolled in 

school 244 20,630 60,218 5,217,030 

 Preprimary School 23 9.4 1,995 10.0 6,030 10.0 603,880 11.6

 Elementary or High 

School 176 72.1 12,536 61.0 41,416 68.8 2,193,219 42.0

 College or Graduate 

School 45 18.4 6,099 30.0 12,772 21.2 1,301,375 24.9

 Private School 

Enrollment* 14 7.0 1,083 7.5 4,522 9.5 670,318 24.0

Population 16 to 19 74 7.4 5,586 8.0 13,254 5.6 1,017,375 5.3 

 Not Enrolled in School 27 36.5 526 9.0 1,981 14.9 170,297 16.7

Population 25 years 

and over 611 61.1 43,762 63.0 158,846 67.5 12,542,536 66.1

 High School Grad or 

Higher 432 70.7 29,471 67.0 121,565 79.0 9,916,266 79.0

2000 

 Bachelor’s Degree or 

Higher 78 12.7 9,455 22.0 29,072 18.3 3,433,266 27.4

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 1990, Characteristics of American Indians by Tribe and Language 

U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, American Indian Alaska Native Summary 

Note: Persons who reported more than one tribe and/or more than one race are not included. 

*This percentage is based on Private School Enrollment from Preprimary through High School. These figures are 

derived from total school enrollment minus College and Graduate School enrollment. 

3.7.4.3 Labor Force 

In the year 2000, the labor participation rate for the self-identified members of the Nation 

was higher than that of Madison and Oneida Counties as well as New York State at 69 

percent, while the percentage of women in the labor force is comparatively smaller than 
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that of the above-mentioned areas, it is important to note that none of the self-identified 

Oneida women in the workforce indicated that they had children under 6 years of age. 

Self-identified members of the Nation experienced a slightly higher unemployment rate 

higher than of the comparative areas for the same time period (see Table 3.7-47). 

Table 3.7-47 

Labor Force Characteristics, 1990 and 2000 

Self-Identified Member of the Nation 

New York State 

 Nation Madison County Oneida County New York State 

 Number % Number % Number % Number % 

Total Population 16+ 

Years 647 63.1 53,547 77.5 196,114 78.2 14,191,044 78.9 

 Female 322 49.8 27,574 51.5 100,301 51.1 7,524,445 53.0 

Labor Force 

 Total Civilian Labor 

Force 

 Labor Force 

Participation Rate 

 Female 

 With Children 

under 6 Years 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

34,468 

34,385 

15,788 

1,489 

99.8 

64.2 

45.8 

9.4 

118,108 

113,818 

54,165 

5,191 

96.4 

58.0 

45.9 

9.6 

9,029,546 

8,989,621 

4,177,244 

326,999 

99.6 

63.3 

46.2 

7.8 

1990 

Total Percent 

Unemployed N/A N/A 1,759 5.1 7,627 6.5 618,903 6.9 

Total Population 16+ 

Years 752 75.2 54,306 78.2 186,008 79.0 14,805,912 78.0 

 Female 360 47.9 27,837 51.3 94,886 51.0 7,810,436 52.8 

Labor Force 

 Total Civilian Labor 

Force 

 Labor Force 

Participation Rate 

 Female 

 With Children 

under 6 Years 

519 

519 

208 

0 

100.0 

69.0 

40.0 

0.0 

35,174 

35,163 

16,527 

1,144 

97.2 

64.7 

47.0 

6.9 

109,496 

109,151 

52,335 

4,018 

99.7 

58.7 

47.8 

7.7 

9,046,805 

9,023,096 

4,306,437 

325,359 

99.7 

60.9 

47.6 

7.6 

2000 

Total Unemployed 43 8.3 2,500 7.1 6,411 5.9 640,108 7.1 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 1990, Characteristics of American Indians by Tribe and Language 

U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, American Indian Alaska Native Summary 

Note: Persons who reported more than one tribe and/or more than one race are not included. 

3.7.4.4 Income and Poverty 

The improvement in financial conditions of the Nation is reflected in a critical reduction in 

poverty rates – a rate of decrease more than double the surrounding Counties. Reductions 

in poverty were widely felt within the Nation community. Most notably, in 2000, there 

were far fewer children under 18 years living in poverty than at the time of the 1990 

Census. The rate of poverty reduction by the Oneida’s is in dramatic contrast with the 

stable and persistent levels of poverty found in Oneida and Madison Counties and New 

York State over the decade. 
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According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, at the time of the 2000 Census, the median 

income of self-identified members of the Nation surpassed that of residents of Madison 

and Oneida County. This represents an improvement of conditions whereas during the 

1990 Census, the median household and family income was approximately equal to that 

of Madison and Oneida Counties. 

Self-identified members of the Nation had an overall poverty rate of 9.1 percent in 1999 as 

compared to 19.9 percent in 1989, comparing favorably with Madison County’s 9.8 

percent, Oneida County’s 13 percent, and New York State’s 14.6 percent below poverty 

levels for 1999. 

The elderly exhibited the highest poverty rate with about 40 percent of self-identified 

members of the Nation 65 years or over living in poverty in 1999 yet this was still a 

sizable decrease from 10 years earlier. While self-identified members over 65 years 

accounted for about 5 percent of all self-identified members in 1999, they accounted for 

23 percent of the persons in poverty. By comparison, self-identified members over 65 

years accounted for 2.3 percent of the total population, but they accounted for 8.8 percent 

of the persons in poverty in 1989. 

While elderly persons accounted for a greater share of persons in poverty by 1999, it can 

be seen that the total number of self-identified Oneida persons in poverty dropped by 

more than 50 percent and the total number of Oneida children under 18 years in poverty 

dropped by 400 percent. While there were 3 additional elderly persons reported in 

poverty in 1999 than in 1989, the total number of elderly persons (i.e., persons over 65 

years) within the Nation increased by approximately 80 percent. 
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Table 3.7-48 

Median and Per Capita Income and Poverty Status, 1989 and 1999 

Self-Identified Members of the Nation 

New York State 

 Nation Madison County Oneida County New York State 

Number % Number % Number % Number % 

Median Income 

 Households 

 Families 

 Non-Families 

$26,382 

$33,833 

N/A 

$29,547 

$33,644 

$16,191 

$26,710 

$32,557 

$13,617 

$32,965 

$39,741 

$19,624 

Per Capita Income $7,804 $12,334 $12,227 $16,501 

Individuals Below Poverty 

Level 

Related Children Under 18 

Years in Poverty 

 Related Children between 

5-17 in Poverty 

 65 Years and Over in 

Poverty 

204 

104 

82 

18 

19.9 

50.1 

40.2 

8.8 

5,872 

1,728 

1,169 

907 

8.5 

29.4 

19.9 

15.4 

28,203 

10,261 

6,806 

3,631 

11.2 

36.4 

24.1 

12.9 

2,277,296 

782,530 

530,668 

265,863 

12.7 

34.4 

23.3 

11.7 

Families with Income Below 

Poverty Level 

 Female-Headed 

Households (No Husband 

Present), with Related 

Children Under 18 Years in 

Poverty 

39 

25 

16.4 

64.1 

1,133 

459 

6.5 

40.5 

5,612 

2,868 

8.8 

51.1 

454,872 

240,040 10.0 

52.8 

1989 

 

Median Income 

 Households 

 Families 

 Non-Families $41,777 

$50,595 

$19,821 

$40,184 

$47,889 

$23,495 

$35,909 

$45,341 

$20,750 

$43,393 

$51,691 

$27,073 

Per Capita Income $16,460 $19,105 $18,516 $23,389 

Individuals Below Poverty 

Level 

 Related Children Under 18 

Years in Poverty 

 Related Children between 

5-17 in Poverty 

 65 Years and Over in 

Poverty 

91 

11 

11 

21 

9.1 

12.1 

12.1 

23.1 

6,313 

1,777 

1,178 

731 

9.8 

28.1 

18.7 

11.6 

28,764 

10,688 

7,009 

3,019 

13.0 

37.2 

24.4 

10.5 

2,692,202 

893,505 

639,896 

264,336 

14.6 

33.2 

23.8 

9.8 

1999 

Families with Income Below 

 Poverty Level 

 Female-Headed 

Households (No Husband 

Present), with Related 

Children Under 18 Years in 

Poverty 

41 

11 15.9 

16.4 

1,100 

442 

6.3 

40.2 

5,797 

2,953 

9.8 

50.1 

535,935 

257,263 11.6 

48.0 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 1990, Characteristics of American Indians by Tribe and Language 

U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, American Indian Alaska Native Summary 

Note: Persons who reported more than one tribe and/or more than one race are not included. 
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The persistent incidence of Nation elderly persons in poverty is of concern but the 

Nation’s Government has sought to ameliorate living conditions for its elderly population 

through housing, health, social service and nutrition initiatives. The Nation’s investment in 

the Ray Elm Children’s and Elders Center and development of several programs and 

services targeted to the elderly that focus on social, recreational, educational and 

nutritional needs are intended to encourage elder’s immersion in community life and 

culture and prevent their isolation or alienation. Further discussion about the Nation 

Government programs and services for the elderly are described in the next section. 

At the time of the 2000 Census, the median household income of the self-identified 

members was very similar to that of the residents of the Study Area municipalities. The 

thirteen Study Area municipalities where the Nation owns lands had a weighted average 

median household income of $41,500 in 1999. The per capita income of self-identified 

members of $16,460 in 1999, however, was lower than the weighted average per capita 

income for the thirteen Study Area municipalities, which was $19,877 in that same year. 

The poverty rate of the self-identified members is greater than eight of the municipalities 

with Nation lands—Cazenovia, Fenner, Lincoln, Sullivan, Augusta, Sherrill, Verona, and 

Vienna. Five municipalities had a poverty rate higher than the Oneidas’ poverty rate—

Lenox, the City of Oneida, Smithfield, Stockbridge, and Vernon. 

3.7.5 Nation Operations 

The proceeds of the Turning Stone Resort & Casino and other Nation Enterprises have 

supported tribal government operations and programs, provided for the general welfare of 

the Nation and its members, promoted economic development, both within the Nation 

and local community, contributed to charitable organizations and helped fund the 

operations of local government agencies. 

The Nation’s government encompasses executive, legislative, and judicial functions. The 

Nation’s governmental departments address the health, safety, and welfare needs of 

Nation members and the maintenance of its facilities and institutions. For budgeting 

purposes, there are several departments and activities including: Government Programs 

and Administration, Legal, Judicial, Men’s Council, Children and Elder’s Center Cultural 

Center, Health Services, Housing, Family Services, Program Development and Evaluation, 

Recreation and Youth, and Government Programs and Administration. 

This section begins with an overview of several of the Nation’s major government 

programs and services benefiting its Members. An overview of the Nation’s Enterprises 

follows with discussion of the Nation’s direct employment and purchasing activities. 

3.7.5.1 Nation Government Programs and Services 

The government of the Nation provides social welfare services similar to programs 

sponsored by state and local governments. For example, the Nation directs and funds 
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critical programs for the health, public safety and welfare of its members and their 

families. In the past two decades, the Nation has fostered fundamental improvements in 

the social conditions of its members. The Nation has helped its members achieve and 

maintain a level of self-sufficiency that was unthinkable twenty years ago. Members have 

access to steady jobs, a college education, health care, day care and youth programs, elder 

programs, family services, and affordable housing. Major tribal government programs 

and services that have been established by the Nation’s governing institutions are 

described in this section. Major milestones for the Nation’s government programs and 

services are presented in Table 3.7-49 

The Nation’s governmental programs have increased in size and scope in tandem with the 

Nation’s success in expanding net revenues from resort and casino and convenience store 

operations along with a diverse set of other business enterprises. Growth in the Nation’s 

contributions to government programs and services over the Fiscal Year (FY) 1995 and 

FY2005 period is shown in Figure 3.7-10. In FY2005, the Nation contributed $16.8 

million to its government programs and services. 

For several years, the Nation was so successful in achieving its goals of enhancing selfdetermination and financial independence that it determined that it could return federal 

Tribal Priority Allocation (TPA) funds to the BIA with the request that the funds be 

redistributed to other tribes in the Northeast. From FY1998 to FY2002, the Nation 

turned back $6.23 million in BIA funds, an average of $1.24 million annually. 

More recently, the Nation Government continued to return BIA funds, but also broadened 

the range of programs and services to benefit more of its members and often extended 

them to members of other Indian tribes. Between FY03 to FY05, the Nation elected to 

accept a small amount of its total eligible BIA funds for the purposes of expanding select 
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Table 3.7-49 

Milestones for Nation Government Program and Services 

1989-2004

August 1989 Nation establishes Health Department 

April 1990 Nation works with Center of Disease Control to conduct Member Health Needs Assessment 

October 1990 Nation receives Indian Health Services Tribal Management Grant to develop health program 

October 1990 Oneida Nation Health Department registers first client 

July 1991 Construction begins for Oneida Nation Health Center 

August 1991 Nation executes first Indian Health Services Self-Determination Contract to provide health 

services 

October 1991 Oneida Nation Health Department moves to new Oneida Nation Health Center 

January 1992 Oneida Nation Health Center opens and initiates services with full-time nurse practitioner working 

in collaboration with consulting physician 

January 1992 Nation establishes Elders Lunch Program at Oneida Nation Cookhouse 

June 1992 Oneida Nation Health Department hosts first annual Kid’s Day 

October 1992 1,000th client registers at Oneida Nation Health Department 

January 1993 Nation transfers growing behavioral counseling program to Nation Family Services Department 

February 1993 Oneida Nation Health Center expands with modular addition to house administration and 

community health departments 

March 1993 Oneida Nation Health Department initiates contract health service program 

April 1993 Nation completes construction on Recreation Center and Gymnasium 

June 1993 Shako:wi Cultural Center opens on Nation Territory 

September 1993 Part-time physician hired to provide direct care at Nation Health Center 

February 1994 Registered dietician hired to provide nutrition services at Nation Health Center 

April 1994 Counseling program opens Syracuse satellite office of Nation Family Services Department 

July 1994 Part-time dentist hired to provide direct care at Nation Health Center 

August 1994 Nation Health Center is certified as a Federally Qualified Health Center 

September 1994 First family moved to the Village of the White Pines, a Nation village located within the boundaries 

of the City of Oneida 

October 1994 Nation Youth and Recreation Center opens 

February 1995 Nation Health Center registers its 2000th client 

November 1995 Nation converts former Bingo Hall to Early Learning Center (ELC) 

March 1996 Full-time physician/medical director hired at Nation Health Center 

June/July 1996 Health Center hires two full-time Oneida Member nurse practitioners 

August 1997 Nation provides health insurance to Oneida Members nationwide 

December 1997 3000th client registers at Nation Health Center 

August 1998 Renovations begin to convert space occupied by the Nation’s Early Learning Center and 

warehouse to Nation Education Resource Center 

January 1999 Ray Elm Children & Elders Center opens, housing the Nation’s Early Learning Center and the 

Nation’s Elders program 

January 1999 Nation Elders program offers expanded nutrition, support services and social, recreational and 

cultural activities 

March 2000 Nation opens new Education Resource Center housing library, language and academic 

enrichment programs in former ELC 

July 2000 Full-time dentist hired at the Nation Health Center 

November 2000 Early Learning Center receives accreditation by the National Association for the Education of 

Young Children (NAEYC) 

April 2001 Oneida Nation Housing Corporation creates Nation Homeownership Program 

May 2001 Nation Elders Program hosts first annual Aging Well Conference 

October 2001 Nation Health Center expansion completed 

October 2001 4000th client registers at Nation Health Center 

April 2002 First new home built under Nation Homeownership Program 

May 2003 Second full-time physician hired at Nation Health Center 

February 2004 Nation launches Oneida Language Immersion Program 

April 2004 Nation Pathways case management program begins service at Children & Elders Center 

October 2004 Nation graduates the first class of Oneida speakers from Language Immersion Program 

Source: The Nation, unpublished, 2005. 
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Figure 3.7-10 

Nation Contributions to Nation Government Programs and Services, 

1995-2005 

Source: The Nation, unpublished, 2006. 

programs described in further detail in this section. However, in the wake of the U.S. 

Supreme Court decision in City of Sherrill in March 2005, and for the first time since 

FY1998, the Nation determined that it would use its full allocation of BIA funds in 

FY2006 for its governmental programs and services (see Table 3.7-10). 

In addition to the BIA funds, the Nation receives funding from the U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services, Indian Health Service (IHS) and from the U.S. Department of 

Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Since FY1991 the Nation has received annual 

funding from the IHS to provide health care services to its members and to other Native 

Americans (see Section 3.7.5.1.2). HUD’s Community Development and Tribal Relations 

Division provides the Nation with housing grants. 

In FY2005, the Nation was awarded $3.1 million by the IHS, $0.5 million by the BIA, and 

$158,000 by HUD. The Nation also received a $161,000 Diabetes grant from United 

South. 

5.90

11.25

12.92

14.19

16.76

11.05

9.83

8.77

7.63

5.44 5.13

0.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

14.00

16.00

18.00

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Year

Nation Spending (in $Ms)
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& Eastern Tribes, Inc. That same year the Nation expended a total of $4.7 million from 

its IHS, BIA, and HUD funding for health, education, housing, wastewater and law 

enforcement programs. 

Finally, Nation government programs and services are also supported by the Nation’s sales 

and hotel occupancy tax revenues. These revenues, which are collected by the Nation on 

sales at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino and the SavOn gas and convenience stores, 

totaled $3.8 million in 2005 (See Section 3.7.5.2 for more information.) 

The offices of the Nation’s Government Programs and Services department are located in 

the City of Oneida. 

Member Benefits 

The Nation Member Benefits Department is located at 519 Main Street in the City of 

Oneida. Member Benefits offers several services including enrollment cards issued to 

Nation members who are 18 years and older, bereavement funds (including spouses), 

burial plots at Nation burial grounds, member advocacy, consumer credit counseling, 

medical and dental insurance for Nation members and their families, distribution account 

revolving lines of credit, and housing assistance. 

Health Programs 

Established in August 1989, the Oneida Nation Health Department’s mission is “to work 

with clients to deliver the highest quality, holistic health services, given the resources 

available.” In October 1991, the Department moved into the newly constructed Oneida 

Nation Health Center, where a full-time nurse practitioner and a consulting physician 

started providing health services to Native Americans in January 1992. Currently, the 

Center has a medical and dental staff of 20, including a full-time medical 

director/physician, a second full-time physician, a dentist, and two full-time nurse 

practitioners, and has more than 4,800 clients. The Health Center provides medical, 

dental, and community health services and refers clients who need special care to off-site 

providers. 

Although part of the Health Center opened in 1991, the Health Center was completed in 

1993. The Nation paid $292,700 for the $1.1 million construction project, while the 

remainder was paid for with Indian Health Service funds. 

While mental health services were originally provided by the Oneida Nation Health 

Department, since January 1993 they have been provided by the Nation Family Services 

Department. In addition, the Oneida Education Department organizes a Youth 

Development program that promotes mental and physical health awareness and substance 

abuse prevention to the youth. 
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Health programs at the Nation’s Health, Family Service and Education Departments are 

primarily funded through an Annual Funding Agreement (AFA) contract with the IHS, an 

agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. With the contract, the 

Nation agrees to provide health services to members of the Nation and other eligible 

recipients in accordance with the law in a variety of health program areas. In FY 2005, 

IHS funding for the Nation health program was $2.6 million. In FY 2006, the IHS 

provided $2.7 million to the Nation under the Nation’s Indian Health Service Contract. 

FY06 funds will be supplemented by funds carried over from prior years to meet the 

programs’ cost of $3.6 million. Since 1995, the Nation has spent a total of about 

$235,580 on health services in addition to grants funds. 

Most health programs funded through the Nation’s IHS contract (i.e., on-site Health 

Center services, mental health services at Family Services Department, and Youth 

Development programs) are accessible to all Native Americans at no charge, regardless of 

their county of residence. Clients do not incur any out-of-pocket expenses when visiting 

the Health Center. The Center does not collect co-pays or deductibles from insured 

patients and does not charge uninsured patients. Only off-site contract health services, 

which include specialty care and inpatient services, are limited to Territory residents and 

to enrolled Oneida Members and children of enrolled Oneida Members living in the 

Center’s six-county service area, which includes Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Madison, 

Oneida, and Onondaga. 

Nation Health Insurance Program 

Since 1997, the Nation has funded its own Health Insurance Program which provides free 

health insurance coverage to Nation members and their families in accordance with the 

results of the Nation’s internal needs assessment. The Nation recently became self-insured 

and paid about $4.3 million for claims and administrative fees in FY2005. The Nation has 

spent a total of $21 million on its health insurance programs since 1997. 

The Nation Health Insurance Program currently covers about 1,600 individuals and pays 

for 80 percent of most medical costs. As is the case for all Health Center clients, on-site 

Health Center services are provided at no charge to the client. The Center bills the Nation 

Health Insurance Program and pays for the co-pays and deductibles with IHS funds. Since 

the program’s start in the mid-1990s, the funds that the Nation Health Insurance Program 

has paid to the Nation Health Center for services provided to the insured patients have 

been set aside for future renovation of the Health Center. Oneida members and their 

children who live within the Health Center’s six-county service delivery area also receive 

off-site specialty care and inpatient services free of charge. These services are covered by 

the Nation Health Insurance Program and the IHS funding pays for the co-pays and 

deductibles. 
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Health Services 

The Oneida Nation Health Department provides medical, dental, and community health 

services. Mental health services are provided by the Oneida Nation Family Services 

Department. 

Medical Services 

The Health Center’s medical staff includes a full-time medical director/physician, a second 

full-time physician, two full-time nurse practitioners, a registered medical nurse manager, 

three clinical nurses/LPNs, and a lab technician. Contracted specialty care providers are 

used for select services on-site on a part-time basis. The Health Center’s medical services 

include: 

• All routine health care • High blood pressure detection & control 

• Acupuncture • HIV/AIDS testing and Counseling 

• Allergy injections • Immunizations 

• Annual physical/health Histories • Medical record services 

• Basic laboratory tests • Minor surgery for skin lesions 

• Breast exams • Prescriptions 

• Cancer screening • Referrals for eye exams/vision screening

• Cholesterol testing • Referrals for specialty medical care 

• Comprehensive diabetes care and education • Routine gynecology 

• Contracted on-site cardiology care • School physicals 

• Contracted on-site endocrinology care • Sports physicals 

• Contracted on-site podiatry care • Testing for sexually transmitted diseases

• EKGs • Well child care 

• Family planning 

• First aid (including stitches) 

In 2004, a total of 13,648 visits to the Health Center were recorded (see Table 3.7-51). 

Recently, the Health Center began to contract specialty care providers on a part-time basis 

to deliver needed care in acupuncture, cardiology, endocrinology, and podiatry on-site. A 

total of 1,186 visits were recorded in 2004 for these four specialties. Clients who need 

specialty care that cannot be provided at the Health Center were referred to the nearest, 

most appropriate provider. In 2004, the Health Center’s two referral specialists scheduled 

1,845 referrals for off-site services. 
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Table 3.7-51 

Oneida Nation Health Center - Medical Services, 2004 

Medical Services Number 

Outpatient Visits 13,648 

Diabetic Users 109 

Flu Shot Clients 235 

Cervical Pelvic Exams 281 

Well-Child Visits, Completed 236 

On-Site Podiatrist Visits 720 

On-Site Endocrinology Visits 87 

On-Site Cardiologist Visits 25 

On-Site Acupuncture Visits 354 

Family Planning Visits 107 

Hypertension Visits 832 

Source: The Nation, 2005. 

Dental Health 

A dentist, a dental manager, dental hygienist and two dental assistants provide dental 

services Monday through Friday. Dental Services include, but are not limited to: 

• Athletic mouthguards • Dental examinations 

• Biopsy & excision–oral lesions • Dental sealants 

• Deep gum pocket therapy • Denture relines 

• Dental education • Fluoride analysis of home water source 

• Dental emergencies • Fluoride treatment 

• Headstart exams • Simple extractions 

• Limited endodontics • Soft tissue management 

• Nutritional counseling • Teeth cleaning / X-rays 

• Oral cancer screening 

• Restorations 

In 2004, a total of 3,046 dental visits were recorded (see Table 3.7-52) and 283 referrals 

for off-site services were made. 

Table 3.7-52 

Oneida Nation Health Center, Dental Services, 2004

Dental Services Number 

Facility Dental Visits 3,046 

Emergency Visits 346 

Planned Treatments Completed 233 

Referrals for off-site services 283 

Source: The Nation, 2005. 

Community Health Services 

Community health services are delivered by a full-time community health outreach 

coordinator, two community health nurses, and a registered dietician. Services may be 
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provided in the office, home, at the Health Center, or in the community. Health services 

provided include, but are not limited to: 

• Bicycle helmet and safety program • Hospital Visits 

• Blood pressure checks • Injury and accident prevention 

• Blood sugar checks • Maternal and child health information 

• Car safety seat program • New mom/new baby visits 

• Disease prevention education • Nutrition counseling and information 

• Exercise/fitness information • Rabies vaccination program 

• Family planning information and referrals • Smoke detector program 

• Fire and safety information • Smoking cessation information 

• Foot care information • Video lending library 

• Health education • Walk for health program 

• HIV/AIDS information • Well water testing 

• Home safety inspections • Wellness Education 

• Home Visits 

Examples of community health activities in 2004 are 114 elder home visits and 

transportation to medical and dental appointments for 491 clients (see Table 3.7-53). 

Table 3.7-53 

Oneida Nation Health Center, Community Health, 2004

Community Health Services Number 

Elder Home Visits 114 

Blood Pressure Screenings, Elders 84 

Maternal Child Home Visits 19 

Prenatal Office Visits 5 

Health Checks at Early Learning Center 43 

Clients Transported to Medical/Dental Appointments 491 

Nursing Staff Home Visits 304 

Nursing Staff Accompanying Clients to Medical Visits 167 

Source: The Nation, 2005. 

Mental Health Services 

Mental health services are provided by the Oneida Nation Family Services Department 

whose mission it is “to provide professional and confidential services that promote 

opportunities to enhance the mental, physical, social, intellectual, and spiritual well-being 

of Indian people.” The Department provides mental health counseling, child and 

adolescent counseling, alcohol and substance abuse counseling, acupuncture 

detoxification, clinical case management, referral services to other agencies, hypnotherapy, 

psychiatric services, and alcohol education. 

The Department’s counseling program offers individual, family and group counseling for 

mental health and substance abuse issues including assessment, diagnosis and treatment 

planning, and ongoing counseling sessions. Specialized therapies such as acupuncture, 
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hypnotherapy, and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Deprogramming) are also 

offered. Counseling staff also make referrals to other agencies, provide advocacy and 

clinical case management for clients, and participate with other Nation departments in 

community education programs. Past services have included a Men’s Recovery Group, 

which is a weekly group session for males who are in recovery from alcohol and/or 

substance abuse, led by a mental health counselor and held at the Family Services Oneida 

office, as well as a Women’s Talking Circle. 

In 2004, 275 clients received counseling services and a total of 3,405 counseling visits 

were made at the Department’s offices in the City of Oneida and in Syracuse. 

Oneida Nation Health Center Clients 

Priority levels and eligibility criteria for health services are established by the Nation’s 

Indian Health Service Contract. Eligibility for services at the Health Center include: 1) 

Enrolled Oneidas; 2) Children of enrolled Oneidas; 3) Residents of the Nation Territory; 

4) Enrolled members of other Federally recognized Indian nations; 5) Dependent children 

up to age 19 of an enrolled member of a Federally recognized Indian nation; 6) any 

individual who has not reached the age of 19 and is the adopted child, step-child, foster 

child, legal ward, or orphan of an enrolled Oneida member, or of an enrolled member of a 

Federally recognized Indian nation; and 7) a non-eligible woman pregnant with an eligible 

man’s child, during pregnancy and six weeks after delivery. (Additional eligibility 

requirements are established for off-site contract health services.) 

The Health Center has become an established medical care facility for Oneida members 

and other Native Americans throughout Central New York. About 63 percent of Health 

Center patients live within its six-county service area. The single largest concentration of 

clients lives in Onondaga County (see Table 3.7-54). 

The Center serves Native Americans of many different tribes. In 1992, 69 percent of the 

active patients were Oneidas and their children, but by 2005 this group comprised only 36 

percent of the total patient load as services were greatly expanded to serve other tribes of 

the region (see Table 3.7-55). The St. Regis Mohawk was the second largest group of 

Health Center users in 2005, comprising 35 percent of the active patients. 

The Center’s client base includes children as well as adults. About one out of four Health 

Center clients is under the age of 18 (see Table 3.7-56). 

The Oneida Nation Health Center’s client base has steadily grown over the 1992-2005 

period, adding on average nearly 300 new clients annually (see Table 3.7-57). The Health 

Center’s importance can also be seen in the social needs addressed on behalf of its patient 

base. The Center has experienced a steady increase in Medicare patients. In December 

2005, 45 percent of Health Center clients did not have health insurance. These clients 

receive health services free of charge. 
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Table 3.7-54 

Patients by County of Residence Oneida Health Center, 2005

 County # of Patients % of Total 

Chenango 32 0.7% 

Cortland 35 0.7% 

Herkimer 58 1.2% 

Madison 786 16.1% 

Oneida 262 5.4% 

Onondaga 1,910 39.2% 

 

Service Delivery Area 3,083 63.2% 

 

Total 4,876 100.0% 

Source: The Nation, 2005 

Note: Includes all of the Health Center’s past and present patients, except those who are deceased. 

Table 3.7-55 

Active Patients by Tribe, Oneida Nation Health Center 

1992-2005 

Active Patients by Tribe* Number of Patients Share 

Tribe 1992 1995 2000 2005 1992 2005 

Oneida 165 414 491 562 51.4% 23.4% 

Child of Oneida 56 204 272 316 17.4% 13.1% 

Cayuga 0 2 9 9 0.0% 0.4% 

Onondaga 11 105 98 86 3.4% 3.6% 

Seneca 1 22 31 28 0.3% 1.2% 

St. Regis Mohawk 65 451 661 841 20.2% 35.0% 

Tuscarora 0 3 5 5 0.0% 0.2% 

Other Iroquois Minor Child 8 152 347 388 2.5% 16.1% 

Other Tribe or Nation 15 95 126 171 4.7% 7.1% 

Total 321 1,448 2,040 2,406 100.0% 100.0% 

Source: The Nation, 2005 

Note: * Active Patient is someone who has had at least 1 visit within the last 3 years. 
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Table 3.7-56 

Oneida Health Center 

Oneida Clients under the Age of 18 by County

County 

Age 

 0-4 

Age 

 5-12 

Age 

13-17 Total 

Chenango 0 

Cortland 0 

Herkimer 0 

Madison 23 39 25 87 

Oneida 12 20 14 46 

Onondaga 3 4 8 15 

Total 38 63 47 148 

% of Total Population 6.3% 10.4% 7.8% 24.5% 

Source: The Nation, 2005. 

Table 3.7-57 

Oneida Nation Health Center Client Population Trends 

1992-2005

Year-End Living New Medicare Medicare Private 

09-30-YY Patients* Patients Part A Part B Insurance 

FY 1992 988 988 59 47 21 

FY 1995 2,283 393 132 109 225 

FY 2000 3,705 275 235 195 1,309 

FY 2005 4,840 199 375 318 2,263 

Average Annual 

Absolute Change, 

1992-2005: 296 (61) 24 21 172 

Oneida Nation Health Center Clients With and Without Insurance 

 

 With Any No 

 Insurance Insurance Total 

Number of Clients (12/9/05) 2,688 2,188 4,876 

Percent Share 55% 45% 100% 

Source: Oneida Nation Health Department, 2005 

Note: * Living patients includes all of the Health Center’s past and present patients, except those who are deceased. 

** Medicaid includes Medicare part A (hospital insurance) and Medicare part B (doctor’s services and outpatient care) 

Nation’s Health Center Performance 

The performance of the Nation’s Health Center is determined annually as required by the 

Nation’s Indian Health Service Contract. Tables 1.5.3 through 1.5.5 already presented 

represent a small handful of the types of performance indicators that are reported in the 

Annual Report sent to the Indian Health Service. The indicators suggest that Health 

Center activities provide critical services to improve the well-being of their patients but 

also that the facility’s activities are intertwined with the broader community of health-care 

professionals including specialty doctors, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacies and 

pharmaceutical companies, health maintenance organizations and insurers, social service 
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agencies, and others. The Health Center’s business office processes Medicaid and 

Medicare compliance and contract health services, among other administrative functions, 

which are activities that would have to be otherwise absorbed by other health care 

providers or public institutions. 

While inclusively serving Native Americans from other tribes, the Health Center has 

improved access to preventive health care services for Nation members. Table 3.7-58 

compares the prevalence of certain health services among Nation members with special 

health needs in 1990 and in 2005. For example, 49 percent of Nation members with 

special health needs had never been checked for their cholesterol levels in 1990, but only 

23 percent had never been tested in 2005. Similarly, Nation Members with special needs 

showed higher levels of diabetes testing, tetanus immunizations, and influenza 

vaccinations by 2005. 

Table 3.7-58 

Oneida Nation Health Center, 

Preventive Care Services received by Oneida Members 

with Special Needs, 1990 and 2005 

 1990 2005 

Percent 

change 

Never Had Cholesterol Checked 49% 23% -53% 

Never Tested for Diabetes 41% 19% -53% 

Did Not Have Tetanus Shot in 10 Years 36% 22% -41% 

Did Not Have Flu Shot Last Year 86% 46% -46% 

Source: The Nation, 2005. 

In reviewing these preventive care trends, it is appropriate to consider the critical role that 

high-quality preventive health care plays in keeping working families functioning and 

connected to essential services. By comparison, poor health care facilities and services 

tend to shift the cost burden to federal, state and local governments. Hospitals and 

emergency care facilities are more likely to incur higher treatment costs when preventive 

care is not available. Employers must also absorb days lost from the workplace due to 

illnesses of the worker or because of their need to care for a sick child. 

Educational Programs 

As a result of a detailed internal needs assessment, the Nation has undertaken several 

major education initiatives to encourage self-sufficiency and to promote tribal economic 

development. The Nation leadership has placed great importance on the development of 

educational programs, recognizing their central significance in the survival and 

sustainability of the Nation. The Nation’s comprehensive approach to education includes 

college scholarships, GED/EDP courses, a partnership with an independent school, 

incentive programs, library and language training, all of which are described below. 
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With the exception of the Youth-Work Learn program, all of the educational programs 

below (including the language programs and the library) were fully-funded by the Nation 

from FY1995 to FY2005. The Nation spent more than $13.6 million on these educational 

programs during this 10-year period, $0.8 million of which were Nation tax revenues. 

(Not all of the payroll and purchasing associated with the educational programs is 

included in the $13.6 million. This also does not include some of the salaries.) 

The library, language and scholarship programs, and GED/EDP classes are located at the 

Education Resource Center in the City of Oneida. 

Oneida Nation Scholarship Program

The Oneida Nation Education Department administers the scholarship programs policies 

and procedures which are extended to all Nation enrolled members. The program sets 

forward rules for eligibility (e.g., age, G.P.A, proof of acceptance in college or university, 

etc.) and academic performance, which are described in the Oneida Nation Education 

Department’s Scholarship Programs and Procedures. 

The Nation’s Scholarship Program works closely with local school districts and colleges 

that Nation members currently attend or will attend. The program has developed a 

tracking system for the college and high school students who received scholarships. In FY 

2004, the Nation Scholarship Program was tracking: 82 college students, 14 vocational 

students, 20 K-6 students, and 47 7-12 students. The office also tracked 21 students of 

Manlius Pebble Hill (a private pre-K to Grade 12 School with which the Nation has 

formed a partnership as explained below). The Scholarship Program is responsible for 

researching and informing students about job postings, educational opportunities, and 

scholarships that are available for Native Americans. Offering expertise and assistance in 

the preparation of financial aid packages for colleges and universities and vocational 

training is a key service delivered by the Scholarship Program office. The Scholarship 

Program office also administers incentives and scholarship awards for the Nation students. 

• In FY 2004, several events were held in furtherance of these goals and to assist in 

the educational advancement of individuals, including but not limited to: 

• Tutorial meetings with college and K-12 students (73 meetings) 

• Student meetings (298 students including Oneidas and other Native Americans) 

• College Nights where college representatives visits 

• College Visit to SUNY Institute of Technology 

• Cornell University Night 

• Attendance at Native American Outreach days at Syracuse University and Ithaca 

Colleges 

• SAT preparation courses; 
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• Tutoring for EDP and GED Students 

Scholarships

The Nation recognizes that education is the key to the future of its people not only for its 

young people but for all adults. To ensure that its members are able to afford college and 

as a result of an internal needs assessment, the Nation began to provide financial aid in the 

form of a scholarship program in 1990. The scholarship program pays for a member’s 

college tuition and fees up to a maximum of the average tuition at New York State 

Universities (currently around $16,000 per year). Additionally, a living stipend is 

provided to allow members to devote their time to their studies. The stipend also 

addresses the household maintenance needs of adults – whether it is the single mother or 

the young adult who is desirous of spending money -- to stay committed to their pursuit of 

their education. 

In 2004, five members earned master’s degrees, five received a bachelor’s degree, and two 

earned an associate’s degree. Since the program began, more than 400 members have 

sought higher education. To date, 119 members have earned a post-high school degree—

one PhD, 23 masters degrees, 40 bachelors’ degrees, and 55 associate degrees. By 

comparison, only about 8 Nation members held such degrees prior to 1986. Members 

have pursued college degrees from schools as near as Syracuse University and as far as the 

American Indian Art Institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico. 

General Equivalency Diploma (GED) and External Degree Program (EDP) Courses 

The Nation offers courses to assist any Native American, regardless of tribe, in earning his 

or her GED, which is the equivalent of a high school diploma. GED students must be 17 

years of age or older whose high school class has already graduated. Students receive 

instruction in writing, social studies, science, math, literature and arts. The EDP program 

is for students who are at least 25 years old and allows adults to earn their high school 

diploma through credit from life and work experience if they can demonstrate what they 

have learned in areas including reading, writing, math, oral communication, selfdevelopment, consumer awareness and scientific awareness. Both programs are held on a 

weekly basis at the Education Resource Center in the City of Oneida. Students who earn 

their GED or EDP often continue onto college, trade or vocational school and secure 

better job opportunities. To date, 35 Native Americans, including 30 Oneida members, 

have completed their GEDs or EDPs through the Nation’s program. 

Independent School Initiative

To meet the needs of talented and gifted children, the Nation formed a partnership with 

Manlius Pebble Hill, a local private school (pre-K through Grade 12) with outstanding 

levels of college placement for its high school graduates. Under this program, the Nation 

pays for the tuition, fees, and books for Oneida children who attend the school. To date, 

27 Oneida children have participated in this program. 
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Incentive Programs 

The Nation’s Education Department administers incentive programs for its children, youth 

and adult members to study, attain good grades, and complete their degree programs. 

Parents or students are required to send in a copy of their report cards to participate in 

this program. Incentives are in the form of gift certificates for good performance in the 

early years and cash rewards for high school, GED, and college graduations. The incentive 

program also encourages attendance as well as grades in the elementary and middle-school 

years. 

In FY2004, the Nation distributed the following awards: 

• 75 High school incentive awards (including 6 high school diplomas) 

• 59 K-6 incentive awards 

• 108 College incentive awards including 3 Bachelors Degrees, 4 Master Degrees, 

and 1 Associates Degree 

• 11 GED incentive awards 

• 24 Vocational awards 

Library

The Nation operates its own library located in the Education Resource Center, 55 

Territory Road; it is open to Nation members and employees, and Health Center clients. 

There are approximately 11,450 items available in the library. A library card entitles one 

to borrow books, VHS and DVD videos, books on tape and access the Internet, all at no 

charge. The library has a children's room, reference section, and magazines as well as 

American Indian and non-Indian themed hardcover and paperback books, popular 

movies, and game/educational CDs. The library hosts a reading program at the Early 

Learning Center (twice weekly) and several Scholastic Book Fairs. The library participates 

in the Nation’s after school program for children through crafts and projects. The library 

also hosts the Nation Elders for several events each year. The Nation funds the library’s 

annual operations. 

Language Programs

The native tongue of the Oneidas has risked being lost because so few speak it. Prior to 

2004, the Nation offered Oneida language courses on a weekly basis for members of all 

ages. However, the Nation realized that weekly lessons were not enough to gain language 

mastery and proficiency. As a result, in 2004 the Nation established a program to teach 

the Oneida language through the Berlitz method of intense language immersion. Six hour 

classes were taught five days a week by two fluent Oneida speakers from Canada. The 

immersion project has set as its goal the training of new teachers to broaden the number of 

skilled speakers for training purposes. In FY2005, there were seven student/teachers 
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trained in the Oneida Language and the Berlitz method of teaching that are prepared to 

teach another round of students. This program is fully funded by the Nation. 

Youth Work Learn

The Youth Work Learn (YWL) program is a six-week summer work program for Native 

Americans from the ages of 12 through 20. The YWL program’s chief purpose is to place 

young people into job situations to provide a greater appreciation of the skills and 

responsibilities of the working world and better prepare for the demands of the workplace. 

Several workplace expectations are communicated through the program: come to work on 

time; learn to accept responsibility; learn the skills necessary to complete assigned tasks; 

and be a contributing member of the work force. Various Nation departments, facilities 

and enterprises provided a diverse range of employment opportunities for youth including 

Sav-On gas station and convenience stores; Housing; Agriculture; Marion Manor; 

Extended Care; Recreation; Golf Course; Education, Cultural and Education Center; and 

Health Department. 

In FY 2004, youth were also assigned to a “crew” that consisted of 13-year old Nation 

members. They were given a combination of education and job assignments, including 

First Aid and CPR training, financial management, classes in Native pottery as well as 

instruction in cultural crafts. The crew received instruction on Native American painting 

and then participated in a State Fair in which their paintings were entered. The crew’s 

work component involved a range of jobs from weeding, to painting at Family Services, to 

working with the Elders Program, to doing various other “odd jobs”. The crew also 

participated in an archaeological field study of an Oneida longhouse village, the 

Vaillancourt site, under the supervision of the Nation’s archaeological historian. (see 

Section 3.6 on Cultural Resources) 

The Youth Work Learn program is funded by the BIA. A total of $61,186 of Tribal 

Priority Allocation funding was set aside for Youth Work Learn in FY2005. 

Housing Programs 

After performing an internal needs assessment, the Nation began offering offers both a 

homeownership and a rental program to allow members to live on Nation-owned land. 

Both programs are administered by the Oneida Nation Housing Corporation and funded 

by the Nation. While the Nation has been the sole source of funding for the 

Homeownership Program, the Rental Program receives federal funding and rental income 

in addition to Nation funding. 

With the current total of 104 Nation housing units in the homeownership and rental 

programs, the number of Nation members who live on Nation owned-land has increased 

by 500 percent since 1990. Seventy-five of these units, including 50 rental and 25 

homeownership dwelling units, are new construction (see Figure 3.7-11). 
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Figure 3.7-11 

Newly Constructed Housing Units on Nation-owned Land 

1995 to 2005: 

20

10 10 10

1

6

1

13

5

0

5

10

15

20

25

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Year

Number of Units

Rental Homeownership

Source: The Nation. (Unpublished) 

The Nation’s Homeownership program, which was created in April 2001, allows Nation 

members to buy a pre-existing or new home on Nation-owned land. The Nation provides 

guidance throughout the home acquisition process and contributes a maximum of $50,000 

towards the purchase price of the home in the form of a forgivable loan. The land is held 

by the Nation. To qualify, members must meet credit and income requirements and 

provide at least a $10,000 down payment. The Nation provides mortgage financing for 

the remaining balance. Members are fully-vested in the Nation’s $50,000 contribution 

after 10 years. There are currently 36 members who have purchased a home through this 

program. The average size of a homeownership unit is 1,736 square feet. The addition of 

new construction and existing homes in the Homeownership Program from 2002 to 2005 

is shown in Table 3.7-59. 

Since its inception, the Nation has spent a total of $1.3 million on the Homeownership 

Program, about $0.1 million of which was paid for with Nation tax revenues. The total 

cost of acquisition, construction, and renovation of the homeownership units was $3.9 

million, $1.7 million of which was funded by the Nation; the homeowners obtained a 
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mortgage for the remaining amount. Additionally, the Nation financed $1.5 million of the 

homeowners’ mortgages. The remainder was financed by outside sources. 

Table 3.7-59 

Homeownership Program for Oneida Members 

2002 to 2005

 New Construction Existing 

1995 0 1 

1999 1 0 

2002 6 4 

2003 1 2 

2004 13 2 

2005 5 0 

2006 1 0 

Total 27 9 

Source: The Nation. (Unpublished) 

Note: The houses closed in the 1990s were not part of the 

Homeownership Program but served as test cases for the program. 

Currently there are 66 households on the program’s waiting list. Most of these households 

currently live in New York. There are currently six one-acre building lots available in the 

Village of the White Pines, which offers in-place infrastructure. The Nation plans to build 

a total of 15 units a year until the demand has been met. In addition, when the Nation 

buys land with an existing residence and intends to use this land for housing, the residence 

and two acres of the land become available to members on the waiting list. 

The Nation’s Rental Program currently consists of 68 units (see Table 3.7-60). All Native 

Americans are eligible to participate in the Rental Program but Nation members receive 

priority. All units in the Nation Rental Program are currently occupied by Nation 

members and their families. There are 50 rental units in the Village of White Pines, 20 of 

which are fixed-rent townhouse units, 10 are duplexes reserved for the elderly, and 20 are 

income-based single-family homes. The townhouses are 2- or 3-bedrooms and are 1,120 to 

1,756 square feet. The 2-bedroom elders’ duplexes are 1,306 square feet. The singlefamily homes are 3- or 4-bedrooms and range from 1,278 to 1,395 square feet. The 

remaining 18 households live in existing fixed-rent properties on Nation land outside the 

Villages of the White Pines. The units are 2-, 3-, or 4-bedrooms and are 900 to 2,040 

square feet. 

Since 1998, the Nation spent about $1 million on the Rental Program, about 25 percent of 

which came from Nation taxes. The Rental program has generated $889,200 in rental 

income between 1998 and 2005. 
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The elders duplexes and the single-family homes were constructed in 1993 and 1995 as 

part of the HUD HOME Investment Partnership Program. The Nation paid $1.9 million 

out of the $8.2 million construction cost of the elderly duplexes. The construction of the 

fixed-rent townhouses was completed in 1998; the Nation paid 98 percent of their $1.8 

million construction cost. 

Table 3.7-60 

Nation’s Rental Program: Type, Units, Bedrooms, Size and Location 

Type Number 

of Units 

Number of 

Bedrooms Size (SF) Location 

Fixed Rent Townhouses 20 2 or 3 1,120SF to 1,756 SF Village of the White Pines 

Elders Duplexes 10 2 1,306SF Village of the White Pines 

Single-family homes 20 3 or 4 1,278SF to 1,395SF Village of the White Pines 

Single-family homes 18 2, 3, or 4 900SF to 2,040 SF 

Nation land outside the 

Village of the White Pines 

Source: The Nation (unpublished). 

The current waiting list includes 80 households who are interested in fixed-rent housing 

and 59 who applied for an income-based rental unit. Most applicants currently reside in 

New York State but some reside as far away as the West Coast. 

Land Groupings

The Nation grouped its land into three categories for the purpose of the Trust Application. 

Group 1 includes two rental units. Group 2 lands, which include the Nation’s Village of 

the White Pines, have 65 rental units and 18 homeownership units. An additional 13 

homeownership units are located in Group 3. One rental unit and five homeownership 

units are not located on Group 1, 2, or 3 lands and are thus not part of this application. 

Nation Housing Program: Estimated Population and School-Age Children 

The Nation housing program is composed of a mix of housing types dispersed throughout 

several jurisdictions. The physical characteristics of the housing units vary, but they are 

primarily made up of renter-occupied two, three and four bedroom units. 

Demographic multipliers were created to estimate the population generated by the Nation 

housing stock. Multipliers for average household size were created using the Census 2000 

Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) for the region that includes Madison and Oneida 

Counties. Tables 3.7-61 and 3.7-62 below show the estimates derived to reflect the 

variety of housing types. Multipliers were derived after controlling for building type, 

tenure, number of bedrooms and when the structure was built. 

Table 3.7-63 below provides an overview of the numbers of residents associated with the 

various types and numbers of units by Groups and jurisdictions. Currently, it is estimated 

that approximately 304 residents live in the Nation’s housing units. The household size 

varies by housing type and tenure, but the overall average is 2.92 persons per household. 
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Table 3.7-61 

Household Size Multiplier by Bedroom and Structure Type 

Oneida and Madison County Region, 2000

 Rental 

Bedrooms Homeowner 

Program Single Family Townhouses Elder Duplexes 

2 N/A 1.99 1.83 2.13 

3 2.95 2.85 3.31 N/A 

4 3.86 3.63 N/A N/A 

Source: U.S. Census 2000 Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS); The Louis Berger Group, Inc., 2006. 

According to the Nation, about 58 children who live on Group 1,2 or 3 lands attend 

public schools. (This does not include an additional seven children living on the Territory.) 

An estimated 70 percent of these children attend schools that are part of the Oneida 

School District while the remainder attends the Stockbridge Valley School District. 

Family Services 

The Nation provides child care, elders programs and a social services program. The child 

care and elders programs are located in the Ray Elm Children and Elders Center, which is 

located in the Villages of the White Pines. The 35,000 square feet Center was designed in 

a way to provide easy mixing between the two generations. The $10.3 million 

construction, which was completed in 1999, was fully funded by the Nation. 

Early Learning Center

The Early Learning Center (ELC) is a day care center operated and funded by the Nation 

that provides care to children from the ages of six weeks to 12 years old on a full or parttime basis. The ELC is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young 

Children (NAEYC), the U.S.’s largest organization of early childhood educators. 
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Table 3.7-62 

Nation Housing Program: 

Estimated Population 

by Group Lands and Municipality, 2005 

Number of Units by Building Type 

Village, City 

or Town 

Total 

Units 

Homeowners 

Single 

Family 

Houses 

Townhouses Elders 

Duplex 

Nation 

Rental Residents 

Group 1 

Verona 2 2 6 

Group 2 

Canastota 2 1 1 6 

Lenox 7 5 2 23 

Oneida 56 4 20 20 10 2 146 

Sherrill 3 1 2 9 

Vernon 1 1 3 

Sullivan 1 1 3 

Verona 14 7 7 44 

Group 3 

Lincoln 3 3 10 

Stockbridge 10 10 34 

Unassigned 

Verona 1 1 3 

Oneida 5 5 17 

Subtotals 

Group 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 6 

Group 2 83 19 20 20 10 15 234 

Group 3 13 13 0 0 0 0 48 

Unassigned 6 5 0 0 0 1 20 

Totals 104 36 20 20 10 17 304 

Source: U.S. Census 2000 Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS); The Nation, 2006; The Louis Berger Group, Inc., 2006. 

Children of Nation members, other Native Americans and employees of the Nation are 

eligible for Early Learning Center’s services. The ELC served a total of 89 children in 

2005 (with summer enrollments) including 31 member children, 53 children of Nation 

employees, and 5 Other Native American children. Autumn enrollment in FY 2006 

included 20 member children, 43 employee children and three other Native American 

children. Demand for the ELC exceeds the facility’s capacity. There are currently 27 

families on a waiting list (including Summer 2006 care) including three members, 20 

Employees and four Other Native Americans. 

The ELC offers an after-school program during the academic term and a summer program 

for children in Kindergarten through 12 years old. The after-school program for schoolage children can accommodate up to 20 children at any given time. In FY 2005, the 

program averaged between 15-20 children for the summer term. 

The Nation has contributed a total of $2.5 million to the Early Learning Center since its 

inception, $1.9 million of which came from Nation tax revenues. Child care fees provided 

an additional $1.3 million of Center revenues. The Center does not receive federal grants. 
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Teaching staff participated in hundreds of hours of training and workshops covering 

various topics in early childhood education. As reported in Oneida Nation Annual Report

for the year October 2003 to September 2004, two of the center’s teaching assistants 

earned their Child Development Associate (C.D.A.) credentials in FY 2004. During this 

period, the State University of New York Medication Administration Training (M.A.T.) 

was also delivered to full-time ELC teaching staff, in compliance with state requirements 

for medication administration in childcare facilities. Several events were held including 

monthly teacher team meetings, quarterly staff meetings, parent-teacher conferences, 

parent advisory meetings, family nights and other outreach tools, such as annual parent 

surveys, were undertaken to ensure feedback at all levels. 

Elders Program

The Elders Program, which is organized by the Nation’s Family Services Department, 

provides social, recreational, educational, and nutritional services for the Nation’s Elders 

and their guests. Services include congregate lunches five days a week and soup and 

sandwich suppers twice weekly. Program activities include crafts, ceramics, pottery, 

quilting, a beauty salon, grocery shopping and trips to both local and out-of-town 

attractions. The program is partially funded by the Nation. Since the program’s inception, 

the Nation has contributed a total of $1.9 million. 

In FY2004, overnight trips were organized to visit Valley Forge and the Penobscot Nation 

(in Maine) and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe at Akwesasne. Various conferences and 

workshops are organized for the Elders that focus on the medical, social and emotional 

aspects of aging. A yearly conference, “Aging Well”, is held each spring at the Children 

and Elders Center in conjunction with the New York Geriatric Center of New York 

University. Recent trends in the delivery of services are shown in Table 3.7-63. 

Table 3.7-63 

Elders Program Activities, 2001-2005 

Activities 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005* 

Meals 4,244 4,776 4,712 5,251 4,872 

Information/Referral 1,712 1,757 2,306 2,427 2,318 

Cultural Activities 157 355 308 119 571 

Intergenerational 139 126 64 79 193 

Special Events 1,002 1,133 1,012 1,084 1,265 

Nutrition Education 227 257 187 189 207 

Health Education 149 135 92 92 433 

Trips 205 297 331 412 362 

Note: * Thru October 31, 2005. 

Source: The Nation (unpublished), 2005. 

The Elders Program is targeted to Oneida members but the Program’s services are 

extended to guests thereby benefiting seniors in the surrounding region. An unduplicated 

count of the Elder Program clients was prepared for the first ten months of 2005: 
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• Oneida Elders – 59 persons 

• Oneidas less than 55 years – 105 persons 

• Guests 55 years and older – 198 

• Guests less than 55 years of age – 264 persons of which 53 persons are Oneida 

family members 

• A total of 4,872 meals were served to 540 people 

There are an estimated 168 Nation members who are regarded as Elders – Nation 

members over the age of 55. 

Pathways Program/Family Services Department

Pathways is a social services and community enrichment program organized by the Oneida 

Nation Family Services Department. The program connects families and individuals to 

other services in the greater Oneida community and is open to Health Center clients at no 

charge. In FY 2005 the program was funded with the BIA Tribal Priority Allocation 

(TPA) Grant ($115,196). 

The Pathways program teaches participants necessary life skills including: 

• Financial and budgeting skills 

• Maintain unity with community, family and friends 

• Understand insurance and how it works 

• Secure financial benefits and resources 

• Explore education and career goals 

• Brainstorm ways to remove barriers to success 

• Develop goals that focus on values, abilities, and skills 

• Locate affordable housing 

• Access to cultural resources 

• Access to health and community resources 

• Recognize and celebrate each success 

• Use self-empowerment to find the path to peace and harmony 

Through eleven months of 2005, the Pathways program served 77 persons, including 41 

new clients since January 2005. The significant majority of these clients came from 

Madison County (61%) followed by Onondaga County (28%) with a smaller number of 

clients from Oneida County, Herkimer County, and Oswego County (see Table 3.7-64). 
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Table 3.7-64 

The Nation, Pathways Program 

Client County of Residence, 2005 

County Percent of Clients 

Madison 61% 

Onondaga 28% 

Oneida 5% 

Other 4% 

Unknown 3% 

Source: The Nation, unpublished, 2005 

From April 2004 through December 2005, the Pathways program’s services to individuals 

included information and referral, family services, legal services and advocacy, and 

services related to housing and shelter (see Table 3.7-65). 

Table 3.7-65 

The Nation, Pathways Program Services 

April 2004 to December 2005

Service Number of Individuals 

Information and Referral 45 

Family Services 26 

Advocacy/Legal Services 24 

Housing, Home Modification and Shelter 17 

Vocational 15 

Children’s Services 13 

Transportation 10 

Source: The Nation, unpublished, 2005 

Recreation and Cultural Enrichment 

To preserve the Oneida culture and identity and to give others the opportunity to learn 

about it, the Nation’s cultural activities range from commissioning a statue at the 

Smithsonian that commemorates the Nation’s role during the Revolutionary War to a 

cultural center on Nation Territory to language programs and archeological studies. These 

are discussed below. 

The Education Department offers recreation programs for Nation members, Health Center 

clients, and employees. 

Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian

The Smithsonian Institution opened the National Museum of the American Indian on the 

National Mall in Washington, D.C., in September 2004. The Nation helped make the 

Smithsonian museum a reality by pledging $10 million over a period of ten years. 

Additionally, the Nation commissioned a 191⁄2 foot tall bronze statute, which 

commemorates the Nation’s role on the side of Continental Army in the Revolutionary 

War, to stand on the fourth floor of the museum, which is named for the Nation. 
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Shako:wi Cultural Center

The Shako:wi Cultural Center is a hand-crafted white pine log building, located on Oneida 

Territory, filled with items and stories from the past and present that show the story of the 

Oneida people. The Cultural Center explains the role that the Nation played as the first 

allies of the colonists during the American Revolutionary War, among other themes. Also, 

a wide selection of Oneida crafts and art are displayed. The Cultural Center is used for 

gatherings and presentations about the Nation and their traditions. The Center is open 

every day except holidays, allowing people the ability to learn about the Nation and the 

Iroquois heritage. In FY 2005, the Center attracted 5,762 visitors, including groups from 

local schools and colleges. 

The $763,000 construction cost and the annual operations of the Center are funded by the 

Nation. The Nation has spent more than $1.2 million on the Cultural Center’s operations, 

$0.5 million of which was funded with Nation tax revenues. The Center has also received 

an additional $0.2 million through donations and gift shop sales but has not received any 

federal funding. 

Language Programs 

The Oneidas have developed a language immersion course, training instructors and 

developing a training curriculum. The program has been fully funded by the Nation since 

its inception and has received $1.2 million from the Nation (including $0.8 million of 

Nation tax revenues). Further information about the curriculum can be found above in 

the Section 3.7.5.1 on education. 

Cultural Artifacts

The Nation places great emphasis on the preservation of its cultural heritage and to that 

end it employs an in-house archaeologist/historian to oversee the Nation’s collection of 

archeological artifacts and oversee cultural resource investigations for the Nation. The 

collection has grown significantly over time. The program is fully funded by the Nation 

and has received a total of $0.4 million from the Nation since 1998. Some of the artifacts 

are exhibited at the Shako:wi Cultural Center. (See Section 3.6 Cultural Resources.) 

Sports and Recreation

The Recreation Center and Gymnasium, a $1.2 million construction project that was fully 

funded by the Nation in 1994, offers a wide range of activities from youth lacrosse to 

personal fitness sessions. Since FY1995, the Nation has spent a total of $3.0 million on 

the Center’s operations. 

All activities are free of charge, except Lacrosse for which there is a registration fee. The 

Fitness Center is open to Members, employees, and to Health Center clients that are 16 

years and older. The facilities include treadmills, stationary and recumbent bikes, elliptical 
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cross trainers, stair stepper, a total body gym, free weights and Pilates balls. Locker rooms 

and showers are located on-site. The facility had more than 4,800 visitors in FY2005. 

Lacrosse is a sport invented by the Iroquois Confederacy, of which the Nation is a 

member. As part of the Nation’s cultural renaissance, the rituals and practices of the game 

have been brought back into the daily lives of Oneidas after decades of poverty and 

alienation. Today the youth team, the Silverhawks, compete again with other 

Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) teams in the North American Minor Lacrosse Association 

(NAMLA). The Nation also sponsors a lacrosse stick-making class. The Oneidas customdesign their lacrosse sticks in an exacting process of shaping hickory wood cured for 

nearly two years. 

After School Program

The Education and Recreation departments sponsor an After School Program that is held 

Monday through Friday and is open to members and Health Center clients in grades 5-12. 

The program includes homework assistance, tutoring, arts and crafts, games, and sports. 

In FY 2005 the program was partially funded by the Nation. 

Public Safety - Police 

Formed in March 1993, the Oneida Nation Police Department is a law enforcement 

agency that provides a full range of police services to Nation members, employees, and 

visitors. Services include responding to crimes, vehicle accidents and security and fire 

alarm activations on Nation land, patrolling Nation land, and providing security at events, 

school bus stops, council meetings, and courts. Prior to the establishment of the Nation 

Police Department, the obligation to provide police protection for Nation members 

exclusively fell upon state and local law enforcement agencies. 

The Oneida Nation Police Department currently consists of 45 highly-trained federal 

Deputy Special Officers commissioned through the BIA, including 38 sworn full-time 

officers and seven other employees. The Nation seeks to recruit veteran law enforcement 

professionals with experience as state troopers, police chiefs, sheriffs, deputies, or 

municipal police officers. 

Since FY1995 the Nation spent a total of $21.8 million on its Police Department. The 

Department received additional funds through a law enforcement grant from the BIA. 

The department includes a full-time training coordinator who researches the department’s 

training needs and ensures that the training curriculum meets the standards of the 

Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and the BIA. The 

department’s curriculum also meets the New York State standards. Every officer is 

required to attend at least 40 hour of training each year, with four police officers who 

joined the force in 2004 completing a combined total of 640 hours in their first year. In 

2004 training included defensive driving classes, counterfeit money identification and 
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crime scene investigation training by the FBI, training on infection control by the New 

York State Department of Health, specialized training for CALEA officers, and training on 

child abduction and counter-terrorism. All police responses are reviewed on a regular 

basis to assess response time, courtesy, decision-making, results achievement, and ability 

to develop creative and cost-effective solutions. 

The Oneida Nation Police Department has received accreditation through the Commission 

on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), an independent accrediting 

authority that was established in 1979 by the four major law enforcement membership 

associations (the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization 

of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the National Sheriffs’ association, and the Police 

Executive Research Forum). The Nation received its initial accreditation in November 

1998 and was accredited for the third time in March 2005. Accreditation is based on 

compliance with a set of professionally-recognized criteria for excellence in management 

and service delivery. State and local government law enforcement agencies are eligible for 

certification as are specialized law enforcement agencies, such as transit police. Currently 

the Oneida Nation Police is the only accredited tribal police agency in the U.S. and there 

are only about seven other agencies that are CALEA accredited in New York State. 

In 2004 the Department received 11,031 calls for police assistance that resulted in a police 

response, an increase of 14 percent compared to 2001 (see Table 3.7-66). Approximately 

half of the calls were categorized as “Other non-criminal”, which includes various requests 

of assistance including traffic or weather-related assistance and medical assistance. The 

second largest category of police activity was responding to criminal complaints, almost 

half of which were gas drive-offs. Other categories of police activity included responding 

to false fire and security alarm activations and motor vehicle accidents. Risk management 

calls are a subset of the “other non-criminal” category and include responses to injuries 

and damages. 

A detailed review of 2003 police service calls by location was compiled by the Nation in a 

Memorandum to Arthur Pierce, Commissioner (April 8, 2004). The largest share of calls 

for service (48%) was received from the retail sites, which include the gas stations and the 

marinas. The Turning Stone Resort & Casino and golf-related sites generated 33 percent 

of the calls. Government, residential and public service locations generated the remaining 

19 percent of calls. 

Criminal complaints in the first three quarters of 2005 show that larceny, which includes 

gas drive-offs, accounted for 88 percent of the total (see Table 3.7-67). Other offenses 

were disorderly conduct and vandalism. None of these offenses were drug-related. 
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Table 3.7-66 

Police Activity, 2001-2004 

Oneida Nation Police Department

Police Activity 2001 2002 2003 2004 

Change 

2001-

2004 

Total Calls for Service 9,660 11,176 12,130 11,031 14.2% 

Criminal Complaints 3,491 4,125 4,533 5,478 56.9% 

Larceny - Gas Drive-Offs 2,849 3,282 3,553 2,417 -15.2% 

Motor Vehicle Accidents 237 232 251 226 -4.6% 

False Alarms 467 533 504 560 19.9% 

Other Non-Criminal 5,465 6,286 6,842 5,601 2.5% 

Risk Management Calls 315 351 507 528 67.6% 

Note: 2004 data does not add correctly because 2004 detailed police activity counts are approximate; 2004 number of 

total calls is exact. 

Source: Oneida Nation Police Department 

Table 3.7-67 

Criminal Complaints, First 3 Quarters of 2005 

Oneida Nation Police Department

Offenses Number Percent 

Larceny (includes gas drive-offs) 2,098 88% 

Disorderly Conduct 82 3% 

Vandalism 74 3% 

Suspicious Person 51 2% 

Not classified 21 1% 

Assault w/o weapons 18 1% 

Forgery/Counterfeiting 12 1% 

Motor Vehicle Theft 5 0% 

Domestic Violence 3 0% 

Burglary 3 0% 

Aggravated Assault 2 0% 

DWI 2 0% 

Total 2,371 100% 

Source: Oneida Nation Police Department, 2005 

In addition to uniform police officers, the Nation maintains a Bureau of Investigation 

(BOI) whose responsibilities include all felony grade crimes and serious or significant 

misdemeanor offenses and subsequent arrests. The BOI caseload is primarily involved 

with conducting background investigations for all levels of employment within the 

Nation’s enterprises, government administration and the Turning Stone Resort & Casino, 

including Tribal child care workers in accordance with BIA guidelines and regulations. 
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The BOI provides assistance as needed to local and federal law enforcement agencies and 

dignitary protection at important events, among other activities. 

The Oneida Nation Police Department’s jurisdiction is limited to Nation land. Previously, 

deputization agreements with the Madison and Oneida County Sheriffs enabled the 

Nation Police to make arrests of non-Native Americans on Nation land and use the state 

court system. Currently, Nation police can detain any subject but can only charge Native 

American subjects. 

Only Native Americans can be summoned to appear in Oneida Tribal Court. Since 1993, 

the Oneida Nation Police Department has brought a total of 22 cases to the Tribal Court 

that resulted in four incarcerations. 

Pursuant to two federal statutes – 25 U.S.C. §§ 232 and 233 – that concern only New 

York State, New York state courts have civil and criminal jurisdiction regarding crimes 

and disputes that arise on Indian land and that concern individual Indians. New York 

State police may arrest individuals, including Indians, for state offenses occurring on 

Indian lands. 

Public Safety – Fire 

The Nation has developed service agreements with the Verona Fire District and the Village 

of Canastota to address fire safety issues. More information about the history and terms 

of these service agreements are described in Section 3.7.7.3. 

3.7.5.2 Nation Enterprises 

The Nation operates a variety of businesses to fund its government programs. These 

enterprises include the Turning Stone Resort & Casino, the Inn at Turning Stone, SavOn 

gas stations and convenience stores, Standing Stone Gaming, marinas, the Villages at 

Turning Stone RV Park and Peaceful Pines Campground, agricultural properties, the 

Smoke Shop, Four Directions Media, Inc., and Four Directions Entertainment. 

As a sovereign government, the Nation has elected to tax certain products and services 

sold by its enterprises in order to defray the cost of certain tribal government programs 

and services. A retail sales tax and a hotel occupancy tax are collected on business 

transactions; the tax is then used to fund services for its members. 

• Sales Tax. A 5 percent sales tax is levied on all items that are normally subject to 

the New York State sales tax, with a few exceptions. A Nation government tax 

ordinance obligates the Nation to devote all sales tax revenues to the provision of 

governmental services and the discharge of governmental obligations. No portion 

of the sales taxes collected can be expended in pursuit of commercial activities. In 

2005, the Nation collected approximately $3.8 million in sales taxes. 

• Hotel Tax. The hotel tax is 3 percent (same as Oneida and Madison Counties) and 

must be used to promote tourism and economic development within the Nation’s 
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reservation and Central New York. The Oneida and Madison County occupancy 

tax ordinances similarly obligate the municipal governments to use the collected 

occupancy taxes to promote tourism. In 2005, the Nation collected approximately 

$400,000 in hotel taxes. 

As can be seen in Table 3.7-68, the source of sales tax revenues in FY2005 was about 

evenly split between the SavOn gas stations and convenience stores and the Turning Stone 

Resort & Casino. These tax revenues are used to supplement Nation governmental 

programs and activities for members and other Native Americans. In FY2005, the Nation 

sales tax supplemented Early Childhood enhancement, the Children and Elders Center, 

and teaching the Oneida language, among other programs. The largest use of the sales tax 

was for Members Benefits for Nation members. 

Table 3.7-68 

Oneida Tax Collection and Uses of Funds 

 Percentage of 

Total Sales Tax 

 2002 2003 2004 2005 2002 2005 

Sales Tax Collected from: 

Turning Stone $995,765 $1,268,659 $1,386,852 $1,795,115 36.7% 47.0% 

SavOn $1,597,643 $1,938,869 $1,900,730 $1,902,428 58.9% 49.8% 

Other Retail $120,758 $130,089 $125,962 $122,494 4.4% 3.2% 

Total Collected $2,714,166 $3,337,617 $3,413,544 $3,820,037 100.0% 100.0% 

Annual Growth Rates 23.0% 2.3% 11.9% 

 

Applied to: 

Early Childhood $373,507 $459,302 $514,065 $575,281 13.8% 15.1% 

Elders Program $142,297 $174,983 $138,421 $154,904 5.2% 4.1% 

Recreation $145,990 $179,524 $205,939 $230,453 5.4% 6.0% 

Cultural Center $92,970 $114,325 $120,343 $134,673 3.4% 3.5% 

Housing Corp. $44,091 $54,218 $113,267 $126,755 1.6% 3.3% 

Children & Elders Center $230,924 $283,967 $441,036 $493,556 8.5% 12.9% 

Legal Services $303,895 $373,700 $347,121 $388,457 11.2% 10.2% 

Community Relations $225,182 $276,907 $0 $0 8.3% 0.0% 

Youth/Work/Learn $58,344 $71,746 $8,349 $9,343 2.1% 0.2% 

Language $0 $0 $368,509 $412,392 0.0% 10.8% 

Living History $0 $0 $80,005 $0 0.0% 0.0% 

ICT Outreach $0 $0 $0 $89,532 0.0% 2.3% 

Member Benefits $839,614 $1,032,475 $928,237 $1,038,774 30.9% 27.2% 

Men's Council $257,354 $316,468 $148,252 $165,906 9.5% 4.3% 

Use of Taxes Collected: $2,714,168 $3,337,615 $3,413,544 $3,820,026 100.0% 100.0% 

Source: Nation Unpublished, 2005. 

Although the U.S Supreme Court, in Department of Taxation and Finance of N.Y V. 

Milhelm Attea & Bros., 512 U.S. 61 (1994) , authorized the imposition of taxes on nonIndian purchaser of goods sold from Indian reservations, the State of New York does not 
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currently require reservation-based enterprises to collect or remit sales and excise taxes on 

the sale of retail merchandise, including fuel and tobacco. As a result, the Nation’s retail 

operations have a competitive advantage compared to other local businesses that are 

subject to State taxation. This competitive advantage is most pronounced when a 

commodity is heavily taxed by the State, which is the case as to cigarettes and automotive 

fuels in New York State. Thus, the SavOn stores can sell these products at prices lower 

that those charged by non-Indian stores. 

Last year the State Legislature, over Governor Pataki’s veto, passed a law requiring the 

pre-payment of fuel and cigarette taxes by wholesalers who supply products to 

reservation-based convenience stores. Although that law was scheduled to take effect on 

March 1, 2006, it has not been implemented by the Governor and the Department of 

Taxation and Finance. In May 2006, the New York Association of Convenience Stores 

(NYACS) sued the Department of Taxation and Finance to enforce the new law, although 

a similar effort was rejected by the New York State Courts in the late 1990s (New York 

Association of Convenience Stores v. Urbach, 712 N.Y.S. 2d 220 (N.Y. App. Div. 2000). 

Concerns have been raised regarding the legality of the new statute. Specifically, questions 

have been raised regarding the enforceability of the statute, the potential disparate 

treatment of Native American consumers, and the possible unlawful interference with 

interstate and tribal commerce in violation of the Federal Constitution. Given the 

sovereign status of, and general inapplicability of state laws to, Indian nations, it appears 

that the policy of the Pataki Administration is that this tax issue should be resolved not by 

unilateral enforcement but through bilateral agreements—“tax compacts”— with Indian 

nations, similar to agreements concluded between other states and Indian nations. One 

such compact agreement was negotiated in Washington State with the Tulalip Tribes (May 

23, 2002). 

Since the 1990s the Nation and New York State have worked on creating a compact to 

address taxation of items sold by the Nation to non-Indians. In 1997 the negotiations led 

to an Interim Tax Agreement that was signed by both parties but never finalized. After a 

hiatus of several years, new negotiations in 2001 ended with agreement on nearly every 

major issue but did not lead to a signed compact. 

The proposed compact between the Nation and the State outlined what is essentially a tax 

parity agreement which has the following key elements or principles: 

• No State sales tax on items sold by the Nation or its members on Nation land; 

• Nation imposes its own sales and excise taxes and the Nation tax rates must, at all 

times, meet or exceed the tax levied by state and local governments; and 

• All sales and excise taxes must be devoted to Nation government purposes. 
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A tax parity agreement would result in an increase in cigarette and gasoline prices at the 

Nation’s retail stores, which means that the Nation would lose most of its current 

competitive price advantage. (Tax parity agreements between Indian Nations and State 

governments are common. The State of Nevada and several of its residents tribes have 

been operating under such agreements for more than two decades. The State of 

Washington over the past several years has concluded tax parity agreements with the 

majority of its twenty-four Indian nations within its borders) With higher retail prices, the 

Nation anticipates that its market share would be significantly diminished -- many existing 

customers would simply choose to buy their cigarettes and gasoline from a nearby nonIndian store since it would no longer be cost effective for them to travel out of their way to 

patronize a SavOn gas station and convenience store. Although the Nation would keep all 

tribal taxes collected from retail customers, it would be precluded from using those tax 

revenues for commercial purposes. While a tax parity agreement is expected to 

significantly reduce the net profitability of the Nation’s retail outlets, it would settle a 

contentious tax issue with the State and remove some legal uncertainty surrounding SavOn 

gas stations and convenience stores, thereby furthering the Nation’s goals of economic 

diversification and providing a secure, non-gaming revenue source, other than gaming, for 

its government programs. The Nation’s continued ability to provide services and benefits 

to its members will simultaneously reduce the burden on federal, state and local 

governments to provide services to Nation members. . 

Turning Stone Resort & Casino 

The Turning Stone Resort & Casino is a multi-faceted destination resort, offering gaming, 

golf, dining, accommodations, entertainment, meeting and conference space, and spa 

facilities. There are more than 120,000 square feet of gaming space, three 18-hole golf 

courses and two 9-hole courses, 100,000 square feet of meeting space, six different types 

of lodging accommodations ranging from campgrounds to luxury suites, a 5,000-seat 

event performance space, and a full-service spa and salon. The Nation’s Turning Stone 

Resort & Casino operations reported revenues of more than $300 million in FY2005. 

Visitor Trends

As the Turning Stone Resort & Casino developed and expanded over time, so did the 

number of visitors. In FY 2005, almost 4.5 million people visited - more than twice as 

many as in FY 1995 (see Figure 3.7-12). The Turning Stone Resort & Casino projects 

that its visitor population may reach 5.56 million annually by 2011 in review of trends 

and recent investments to enhance the amenities of the resort for overnight visitors (e.g., a 

spa, swimming pool, tennis and squash courts and a nightclub). 

The Turning Stone Resort & Casino draws visitors from an “inner market” which are 

visits from persons driving less than 1 and one-quarter hours and “outer markets” – those 

living elsewhere in New York State and outside New York State. Turning Stone Resort & 

Casino analyzes its markets through review of the residential location of registered multi-
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game players, which includes the vast majority of multi-game players. Residential location 

data is not available for visitors who are not registered. 

Visitors from Utica (39.0%) and Syracuse (35.5%) account for the majority of visits, 

followed by visitors from Albany (6.8%) and Binghamton (5.1%). Table 3.7-69 shows a 

comparison of the residential location of visitors between FY 2001 and FY 2005. Inner 

market visits grew by 42.8 percent between FY 2001 and FY 2005 and accounted for the 

largest number of trips in both years. During the same time period, there was a 27.4 

percent increase in outer-market visits. 

With the exception of Buffalo and Rochester, the number of visitors from every area has 

been increasing. The most likely reason for the decline in visitors from Buffalo and 

Rochester is the recent opening of the Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls, New York, 

which is closer to the Buffalo and Rochester markets than the Turning Stone Resort & 

Casino and as a result visitors are choosing to visit the casino nearer to home. 
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Figure 3.7-12 

Number of Visitors to the Turning Stone Resort & Casino 

Historic Trends, FY1995-FY 2005 and Projections through FY2011 

(in Millions) 

Source: Nation Enterprises, 2005. 

Lodging Facilities and Trends 

The Nation operates five different lodging facilities to accommodate a wide range of 

preferences and budgets ranging from campgrounds to luxury suites. 

• The Lodge—The Lodge, opened in April 2004, is a 98-suite luxury boutique hotel 

located near two of the golf courses with high speed internet. 

• The Tower at Turning Stone—At 21 stories, the Tower at Turning Stone is the 

tallest building between Albany and Syracuse. The Tower, which opened in 

October 2004, contains 287 rooms, seven of which are luxury 1,000 square-foot 

VIP suites, a full fitness center, and 2,400 parking spaces. 

• The Hotel—The Hotel, which opened in September 1997, is one of the largest 

hotels in Central New York with 268 rooms. It features rooms ranging from a 

standard guest room to luxury suites with amenities such as Jacuzzis and balconies. 

• The Inn at Turning Stone—The Inn, purchased by the Nation in 1999, is a 

moderately priced alternative to The Hotel. It has 62 rooms and offers a 

continental breakfast and free shuttle to the Turning Stone facilities. 

2.06

2.40 2.50

3.39 3.55 3.50

3.81

4.16 3.94 4.16

4.46

4.76

5.00 5.18 5.32 5.45 5.56

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Fiscal Year

Millions of Guests
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Table 3.7-69 

Visitor Origin for Turning Stone Resort & Casino 

FY 2001 and FY 2005

Area Percent of Total 

Trips 

Percent of Total 

Trips 

Percent Change in 

Number of Trips 

 FY 2001 FY 2005 FY 2001-05 

Outer Market Visitors1 

Albany 7.0% 6.8% 36.9% 

Binghamton 4.7% 5.1% 51.4% 

Buffalo 1.3% 0.8% -13.2% 

Glens Falls 0.9% 0.7% 14.4% 

Kingston 0.6% 0.6% 58.0% 

Rochester 5.6% 3.2% -19.5% 

Watertown 1.5% 1.3% 28.2% 

Connecticut 0.1% 0.2% 131.6% 

N. Connecticut 0.0% 0.1% 156.6% 

Massachusetts 0.1% 0.2% 148.3% 

New Jersey 0.2% 0.2% 75.3% 

New York City 0.6% 0.7% 67.3% 

Ohio 0.1% 0.1% 64.5% 

Pennsylvania 1.0% 1.3% 83.0% 

Vermont 0.1% 0.1% 140.8% 

Total 23.6% 21.5% 27.4% 

Inner Market Visitors2 

Utica 38.7% 39.0% 41.0% 

Syracuse 34.3% 35.5% 44.7% 

Total 73.0% 74.4% 42.8% 

 

Other 3.4% 4.0% 65.8% 

 

Total 100.0% 100.0% 39.9% 

Source: The Nation, Unpublished 

1. Outer Market visitors include persons traveling from outside Central New York or beyond 1 1⁄4 hour drive. 

2. Inner Market visitors include persons traveling less than 1 1/4 hour drive. 

• The Villages at Turning Stone Recreational Vehicle Park and Peaceful Pines 

Campground—The Villages at Turning Stone RV Park and Peaceful Pines 

Campground and RV Park offer campers sites and entertainment opportunities at 

affordable prices. Both facilities are located near the Turning Stone Resort & 

Casino and offer free shuttle service. The RV park has 175 paved sites with full 

utility hook-ups with nature trails, a recreational area for bocce ball, horseshoes, 
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tennis, basketball and volleyball, a heated pool and Jacuzzi and separate ponds for 

paddle boating and fishing. 

The number of guests choosing to stay overnight has increased from 244,068 to 323,175 

from FY2002 to FY2005, a 32 percent increase (see Table 3.7-70). Figures for lodging 

occupancy in FY2002 and FY2003 are based on guests staying in the original hotel, which 

opened September 1997, and the Inn at Turning Stone. Occupancy increased in FY2004 

and FY 2005 as the new luxury hotel, the Lodge, opened in April 2004 and floors of the 

hotel tower opened in October 2004. The large increase in lodging numbers confirms that 

a growing number of visitors view Turning Stone Resort & Casino as a destination resort 

and are being drawn from further away, thus necessitating an overnight visit. 

Table 3.7-70 

Total Lodging Guests, FY2002-FY2005 

Lodging Facility FY2002 FY2003 FY2004 FY2005 

Hotel and Tower 196,239 169,031 167,341 269,768 

Lodge 10,673 21,720 

Inn 47,829 37,031 36,828 31,687 

Total 244,068 206,062 214,842 323,175 

Source: The Nation, unpublished. 

Resort Destination Investments

The Nation is committed to diversifying its revenue sources into more non-gaming 

activities and building the Turning Stone Resort & Casino into a destination resort 

experience. By building the destination resort amenities, the Turning Stone has sought to 

provide visitors with more reasons to frequent the resort which can also effectively build 

more gaming revenues. For example, some higher-end amenities may attract segments of 

visitors from outside the local area to extend the length of their visit and entice more 

spending while visiting the facility. With more amenities, a more complex resort can also 

induce more visits annually and create the type of place that is appealing to those who 

may do some gaming but are interested in the excitement offered by the facility. 

The Nation has created the Lodge (a luxury hotel), five golf courses and two performance 

spaces -- the Event Center and the Showroom. All of these endeavors, along with Turning 

Stone’s promotional allowance program, operate at a net loss. Subsidization of these 

operations through the casino’s gaming revenues is part of the Nation’s long term 

economic development strategy to build its reputation as a high-quality resort destination. 

• The Lodge -- The Lodge, a 98 room luxury hotel opened in 2004, adds another 

attraction to the Turning Stone Resort & Casino experience. The Lodge has 

received a four diamond ranking from the American Automobile Association. 

Only fourteen other hotels in upstate New York are ranked at this level. Other 

industry recognition received by the Lodge includes: 

- Cover story, Hotels Magazine 
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- Best of 2004, New York Contractor Magazine 

- Best Luxury Hotels in the U.S., Lodging Hospitality Magazine 

Despite being well-regarded as a top quality luxury hotel, the Lodge has had a low 

occupancy rate. The occupancy rate in FY 2005 was 34 percent and the hotel lost $3.2 

million. 

• Golf Courses -- The Nation operates five golf courses, Atunyote, Kaluhyat, 

Shenendoah, Pleasant Knolls and Sandstone Hollow. The 18-hole Atunyote course 

features a stream, a waterfall and a 13-acre lake, all within a forested environment. 

The Shenendoah course is ranked as the 17th best golf course in all of New York 

State by Golf Digest and is an Audubon International Certified Signature 

Sanctuary. Overall, 35,942 rounds of golf were played at the Nation’s golf courses 

in FY 2005. The majority of the rounds played were at the Shenendoah and 

Kaluhyat courses. Golf course operations had a net loss of $5.8 million in FY 

2005. 

The Nation has sought to enhance the five golf courses as part of its plan to 

diversify its business and transform the Turning Stone Resort and Casino into a 

destination resort. Recently, the Atunyote Golf Club hosted the B.C. Open, a PGA 

Tour tournament. The B.C. Open is normally held in Broome County but the 

course was flooded due to rains and PGA officials concluded that Atunyote Golf 

Club at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino could serve as an acceptable 

substitute. PGA officials have said that they believe the course is well designed and 

meets the criteria of hosting such a large event. The B.C. Open Tour director of 

tournament development commented on how well the tournament was organized 

and that the Turning Stone Resort and Casino has the potential to host future PGA 

events. 

The B.C. Open drew 132 touring professional golfers and an estimated 5,000 

visitors a day for the four-day tournament. While Oneida Enterprises benefited 

from the influx of visitors, so did other local businesses. The owner of Joel’s Front 

Yard Steak House stated that business nearly tripled and that he had to add six 

additional staff members to meet the demand. He said to the Utica Observer 

Dispatch, “The impact is overwhelming.”1 The Verona Hotel set up an outdoor 

tent next to its tavern to accommodate the additional patrons. Restaurants were 

not the only businesses in the area that benefited. The Hotel at Vernon Downs 

booked nearly all its 170 rooms for the weekend and business was up about 40 

percent as a result of the B.C. Open being in the area."2

• The Event Center – The Event Center, which opened in December 2004, is a 

performance space that features music, sporting events and conventions. The 

Event Center has brought about 18 major concerts per year to Central New York, 

but is not financially profitable. Performers that will be featured at the Event 

Center in 2006 include “Larry the Cable Guy” (comedy), “Clint Black” (country 

music), “Heart” (rock music) and “Mariah Carey” (pop music). The Event Center 

can accommodate 5,000 people for concerts, and also features 5,800 square feet of 

meeting rooms. During the eight months from October 2005 to May 2006 

attendance at concerts was at approximately 70 percent of the maximum capacity. 

Over this same time period the Event Center had a net loss of about $158,000. 
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• The Showroom – Open since March 1999, the Showroom is an older and smaller 

performance space than the Event Center, with seating for 800. The Showroom 

has consistently brought cultural programming to the region, including the musical 

Chicago and the actor Bill Cosby. In FY 2005 there were 113 shows at the 

Showroom, during which approximately 74 percent of the available seats were 

sold. The Showroom also features free movies on a large high definition screen. 

The Showroom has not yet proven to be financially viable, with a net loss of $1.6 

million in FY 2005. 

• Promotional Programs and Allowances – Those using the gaming floor may be 

extended complimentary “covers” at restaurants or elsewhere in the facility. Such 

covers are a means of enhancing the quality of the experience for visitors. Turning 

Stone has also established a voluntary promotional Diamond Mine Club to 

encourage repeat business from casino customers. Members in the club earn karat 

points based on gaming activity in the members’ accounts. Karat points can be 

redeemed for select consumer products including merchandising, gaming values, 

food and beverage, lodging, golf and spa services. Promotional allowances are 

deducted from the retail value of sales and services furnished to Casino patrons to 

arrive at net revenues. The amount has grown along with the number of visitors to 

the facility. In FY 2005, the Turning Stone Resort & Casino estimates the costs of 

promotional allowances at $25.7 million, an $8 million increase from FY2003. 

Long-Term Debt 

Substantial capital investments have been made to build the supporting facilities to create 

a resort destination property. The Nation has successfully entered capital markets to 

finance these investments but maintains outstanding debt obligations to the institutions 

and individuals holding their debt instruments. At the close of FY2005, these debt 

instruments totaled $292.6 million including: 

• Senior Notes – In December 2002, the Nation issued $135 million in senior notes 

with interest payable at 9.125% per annum. The proceeds of this financing were 

used to fund elements of the expansion project and refinance some previous 

indebtedness, among other purposes. Interest on the notes is payable semi-annually 

from June 2003 to December 2010. The debt is uncollateralized senior obligations 

that are only supported by the cash flow of the Turning Stone and non-recourse to 

the Nation, other than for the assets of the Turning Stone and certain other gaming 

and resort-related assets. 

• Senior Notes – In May 2003, the Nation issued $25 million in senior notes under 

the same terms as the December issuance. The senior notes were issued at a 

premium of $1.34 million which is being amortized on a straight-line basis over 

the term of the notes. were issued by the Nation 

• Tax Exempt Variable Rate Demand Bonds – In December 2003, the Nation 

entered into an agreement to borrow up to $145 million with such bonds to 

finance or refinance certain capital projects that serve essential government 

functions. As of September 2005, $131.7 million in bonds were outstanding. 
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Each of the above agreements contains certain covenants, which include, among other 

things, financial covenants that must be met by both Turning Stone and the Nation and 

cross-default provisions. The maturities for existing long-term debt, excluding 

unamortized premium, for the next five fiscal years were the following in at the close of 

FY2005: 

Fiscal Years Ended 

September 24, 2006 $ 33,120,000 

September 30, 2007 $ 33,120,000 

September 28, 2008 $ 65,490,000 

September 27, 2009 -- 

September 26, 2010 -- 

Thereafter $ 160,000,000

 $ 291,730,000

Transfers to/from Oneida Indian Nation and Other Related Parties

The Nation pays certain expenses on behalf of Turning Stone and Turning Stone pays 

certain expenses on behalf of the Nation and also provides cash transfers to the Nation. 

Net transfers to the Nation were the following in recent years: 

Fiscal Years 

FY 2000 $ 45.7 million 

FY 2001 $ 59.1 million 

FY 2002 $ 30.1 million 

FY2003 $ 22.6 million 

FY2004 $ 32.3 million 

FY2005 $ 45.5 million 

The SavOn Gas Stations and Convenience Stores 

The Nation operates the SavOn gas stations and convenience stores in Oneida and 

Madison Counties. At the close of FY 2005, there were thirteen SavOn gas station and 

convenience store locations selling a range of convenience food and other essentials such 

as motor oil, windshield washer fluid, batteries, film, tobacco-products, and select apparel. 

Various SavOn gas stations and convenience stores offer special features such as fullservice pumps, 5 cents off gas prices every Tuesday, weekly specials on soda, snacks and 

other items, quick foods, and a car wash to accommodate boats and RVs at the Oneida 

Lake location. The Nation reported non-resort retail, tobacco and petroleum revenues 

including its SavOn gas station and convenience store of $110 million in FY 2005. 

The SavOn gas stations and convenience stores generate positive net operating income for 

the Nation’s enterprises, making a critical contribution to the Nation government’s 

programs and services and Member Benefits program. The Nation’s longer term goal to 
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diversify its economic base and promote its self-sufficiency is also advanced through the 

net operating surpluses of the SavOn gas station and convenience store operations. 

The SavOn gas station and convenience store chain generates full and part-time 

employment opportunities in Oneida and Madison Counties in its central administration 

central offices and wholesale operations and its retail locations for store managers, 

cashiers, and gas station attendants. The SavOn gas station and convenience store chain 

had 216 full time equivalent (FTE) employees at its retail establishment locations and 

contributed more than $5.6 million in payroll and benefits in FY 2005. In addition, 

several employees in the Nation’s finance and administrative departments devote a 

substantial portion of their time to the SavOn stores. 

Beyond their contribution to the payroll and employment, the operation of the SavOn gas 

station and convenience stores operations contribute to the regional economy through the 

purchase of goods that are sold (e.g., gasoline, diesel, tobacco products and food), 

operating and maintenance expenditures, and capital facility and equipment expenditures. 

The size and markets for SavOn gas stations and convenience stores vary by location 

within the two counties but tend to serve local residents as other convenience stores and 

gas stations would, but also attracts those traveling from outside the immediate region to 

the Turning Stone Resort & Casino among other destinations. In terms of the two-county 

economic base, the Nation’s SavOn gas stations and convenience stores draw non-local 

sales in select product markets and locations because of the price point at which they can 

operate. For example, cigarette volume sales exceed consumption demand for cigarettes in 

Oneida and Madison Counties, indicating that persons from outside the two-county area 

purchase cigarettes in SavOn gas station and convenience store establishments. The Nation 

estimates that approximately 60 percent of their cigarette sales come from outside the 

local market. Gasoline products, by comparison, are estimated to draw a much larger 

share of their sales from local customers rather than non-local consumers. Limited by the 

size of the gasoline tank, the individual purchase amount for gasoline is less, achieving less 

cost savings for the customer from their fuel service. The costs of acquiring the product 

generally begin to outweigh these cost savings, thus, there is no incentive to travel to make 

purchases. Non-local sales in the gasoline market occur – it has been estimated by the 

Nation to be in the 25 percent range -- but they are linked closely with site location to a 

Thruway exit or along Route 31 where the establishment is conveniently located as part of 

a “pass-by” trip or when the trip can be “chained” along with a visit for another purpose 

(i.e., visit to the Turning Stone Resort & Casino). The two largest SavOn gas stations and 

convenience stores in terms of sales volumes and employment are the Patrick Road facility, 

located adjacent to the entrance to the Turning Stone Resort & Casino, and the Canastota 

facility located near the New York State Thruway. 
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Depending on the product, the SavOn gas stations and convenience stores compete with 

national and regional brand and non-brand convenience stores and gas stations, 

supermarkets, drug stores, and larger discount retailers. The SavOns’ competitive 

strategy is price-driven, seeking to keep retail prices about $0.05 to $0.10 per gallon below 

the lowest prices of their branded competitors for most fuels in each of the marketing 

areas. The Nation benchmarks its retail price position against its competition on a periodic 

basis. An example of two such price comparison surveys undertaken recently by the 

Nation are shown in Table 3.7-71 and Table 3.7-72 reported SavOn price in the tables is 

the “price-line” point posted daily which stores retrieve to determine what price they 

should be charging. The Nation reports that prices at individual store locations may be 

$.02-$.03 lower per gallon as part of their competitive strategy. 

For fuel, major competitors include refiners (i.e. Kwik Fill, Hess, Sunoco, Mobil) and fuel 

distributors (i.e., Fastrac, ExpressMart). These competitors can acquire fuel inventories at 

prices below the price that the Nation is required to pay its wholesale supplier. For 

cigarettes, competing convenience stores sell above the minimum cigarette retail price set 

by New York State, typically 7 to 10 percent over the minimum while most drug stores 

and supermarkets sell at the floor price. 

For the chain as a whole, operating expenses were approximately $3.7 million and the 

costs of goods sold totaled $75 million. For each of the SavOn gas stations and 

convenience stores, Table 3.7-71 below shows the location, number of employees, 

personnel expenses, operating expenses and the cost of sales. Key points of competition 

with the Nation’s SavOn gas station and convenience store are also identified. 

In 2003 the Nation was involved in the purchase of two gas stations in the Village of 

Chittenango, Madison County. The gas stations were purchased with the expectation that 

the land they are on would be included in any potential land claim settlement. The gas 

stations are not directly owned by the Nation, but by Vlasti Enterprises, Inc., a legally 

separate component unit for which the Nation is financially responsible. The Nation 

loaned Vlasti Enterprises $4.4 million to buy the gas stations and maintains management 

oversight over operations. 

The Vlasti gas stations, a Sunoco and a Sunrise, pay full taxes and cannot sell alcoholic 

beverages or lottery tickets, which non-Nation gas stations may well. They are similar to 

the convenience stores and gas stations of the Nation’s SavOn gas station and convenience 

store in terms of the type of products and services offered. Unlike the SavOn gas stations 

and convenience stores, the Vlasti gas stations are not profitable; each one had a net loss 

of over $200,000 in FY 2005. The average gross margin -the difference between sales and 

cost of goods sold -- of the SavOn gas stations and convenience stores is almost eight times 

larger than that of the Vlasti gas stations. A significant part of this difference in financial 

outcomes is because of the state taxes that the SavOns are not required to pay. The 
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SavOn gas station and convenience store receives significant per gallon profits from the 

sale of gasoline, but does not have much additional gasoline sales volume as a result of the 

tax advantage except, perhaps, in combination with proximity to the Turning Stone 

Resort & Casino. For cigarettes however, the SavOn gas station and convenience store 

receives more profit per unit and has significantly higher sales volumes because it can 

lower its pricing buoyed by its tax advantage. 

The SavOn gas stations and convenience stores average gross margin for gasoline 

(excluding the Cigs and Tees SavOn gas station and convenience store and the Diesel 

SavOn gas station and convenience store which do not offer full gasoline service), is about 

10 times larger than that of the Vlasti gas stations. Gasoline sales are mostly confined to 

local purchases since it does not make sense to drive a significant distance for a better 

price. 

The financial data support the conclusion that cigarettes are the primary driver of the 

success of the SavOn gas station and convenience stores compared to the New York State 

taxed Vlasti gas stations. The average gross margin of the SavOn gas station and 

convenience store for cigarettes is over 50 times larger than that of the Vlasti gas stations. 

Other convenience stores in the region, however, enjoy a significant advantage over the 

SavOn chain; they have been licensed by the state to sell beer and lottery tickets. 

Marinas 

The Nation operates three marinas on Oneida Lake -- Marion Manor Marina, located at 

the intersection of Routes 13 and 31 on the lake’s southeast shore; Mariner’s Landing, 

located on Pioneer Avenue in Sylvan Beach; and Snug Harbour Marina, located on Route 

13 just south of Sylvan Beach. All facilities offer a full slate of amenities for boaters. The 

Nation also has a marina for members. 

The Marion Manor Marina has 105 slips with two boat launches for boats up to 26 feet. 

Additionally, the Marion Marina contains a bait and tackle store, lodging, and boat 

rentals. Mariner’s Landing has 112 slips, 31 lots that have year-round trailers on them, 

three lots for overnight campers, camper storage, and a store that sells boating and 

camping supplies. The Snug Harbour Marina has 200 slips and a boat launch for boats up 

to 50 feet and offers bathroom and shower facilities, picnic area, and sewage pump 

services. All offer indoor and outdoor boat storage, gasoline, and boat maintenance 

facilities. 
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Table 3.7-71 

Price Comparison of SavOns with Other Gas Station Locations, February 2006

Survey Date – 2/22/2006 

 87 

Octane 

 89 

Octane 

 91 

Octane 

 93 

Octane Diesel Kero 

Sav-On “Price-Line” $2.269 $2.369 $2.429 $2.489 $2.419 $2.669 

Competitor Locations - 

Average $2.342 $2.452 $2.525 $2.539 $2.799 $2.907 

Price Difference $0.073 $0.083 $0.096 $0.050 $0.380 $0.238 

Other Locations: 

Express Mart, Canastota $2.390 $2.540 $2.630 $2.790 

Canastota Kwik Fill $2.320 $2.420 $2.520 

Red Apple, Canastota $2.320 $2.420 $2.520 

Nice N Easy, Canastota $2.370 $2.450 $2.620 $2.790 

Byrne Dairy, Oneida $2.240 $2.340 $2.440 $2.950 

Red Apple, Rt 46, Oneida $2.249 $2.349 

Vernon Foodland Mobile $2.290 $2.450 $2.550 

Nice N Easy, Rt 5 & 31 $2.280 $2.390 $2.520 $2.690 

Arnots Rt 31, Verona 

Stockbridge Valley Foods $2.490 $2.710 $2.790 

Chittenango Fastrac/Sunoco $2.399 $2.509 $2.629 $2.859 $2.859 

Chittenango Sunrise $2.379 $2.489 $2.609 

Fastrac, Camden $2.319 $2.419 $2.519 $2.819 $2.990 

Stewarts, Camden $2.309 $2.409 $2.509 $2.990 

Nice N Easy, McConnell $2.359 $2.459 $2.559 $2.799 

Cicero $2.399 $2.499 $2.599 $2.699 

Bridgeport Hess $2.299 $2.419 $2.519 $2.799 

Lakeport Sunoco $2.399 

Source: The Nation, unpublished, 2006. 
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Table 3.7-72 

Price Comparison of SavOns with Other Gas Station Locations, March 2006. 

Survey Date - 3/8/2006 

 87 

Octane 

 89 

Octane 

 91 

Octane 

 93 

Octane Diesel Kero 

Sav-On “Price-Line” $ 2.379 $ 2.479 $ 2.539 $ 2.599 $ 2.539 $ 2.699 

Competitor Locations - 

Average $ 2.413 $ 2.506 $ 2.620 $ 2.624 $ 2.840 $ 2.893 

Price Difference $ 0.034 $ 0.027 $ 0.081 $ 0.025 $ 0.301 $ 0.194 

Other Locations: 

Express Mart, Canastota $ 2.439 $ 2.539 $ 2.639 $ 2.899 

Canastota Kwik Fill $ 2.349 $ 2.449 $ 2.549 

Red Apple, Canastota $ 2.379 $ 2.479 $ 2.579 

Nice N Easy, Canastota $ 2.449 $ 2.529 $ 2.699 $ 2.859 

Byrne Dairy, Oneida $ 2.430 $ 2.530 $ 2.630 $ 2.950 

Red Apple, Rt 46, Oneida $ 2.439 $ 2.539 

Vernon Foodland Mobile $ 2.430 $ 2.530 $ 2.630 

Nice N Easy, Rt 5 & 31 $ 2.410 $ 2.510 $ 2.740 $ 2.850 

Arnots Rt 31, Verona 

Stockbridge Valley Foods $ 2.490 $ 2.710 $ 2.79 

Chittenango Fastrac/Sunoco $ 2.459 $ 2.569 $ 2.689 $ 2.899 $ 2.859 

Chittenango Sunrise $ 2.439 $ 2.549 $ 2.669 

Fastrac, North Utica $ 2.399 

Citgo, North Utica 

Fastrac, Camden $ 2.389 $ 2.489 $ 2.689 $ 2.859 $ 2.999 

Stewarts, Camden $ 2.379 $ 2.519 $ 2.619 $ 2.999 

Nice N Easy, McConnell $ 2.429 $ 2.529 $ 2.620 $ 2.859 

Cicero $ 2.359 $ 2.459 $ 2.559 $ 2.679 

Bridgeport Hess $ 2.299 $ 2.399 $ 2.499 $ 2.799 

Lakeport Sunoco $ 2.439 

Nice N Easy, Rt. 365 $ 2.439 $ 2.539 $ 2.639 $ 2.859 $ 2.759 

Source: The Nation, unpublished, 2006 

 

1

 Fusco, J. (2006, July 22). Good golfing, great food. The Utica Observer-Dispatch. 2

 Vivacqua, B. (2006, July 22). B.C. Open boosting local economy. News 10 Now. 

http://news10now.com/content/all_news/romemohawk_valley/?ArID=73569&SecID=87, accessed 

July 26, 2006. 
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Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-73 

SavOn Gas Stations and Convenience Stores, FY 2005 

Store Name Address/Town Employees (FTE) Payroll and Benefits Operating Expenses Cost of Sales Points of Competition 

Canastota 

Peterboro Street, 

Canastota 28.5 $711,740 $462,331 $10,569,374 

Express Mart (across the street) Red Apple Convenience (1/4 mile south Sunoco Nice N Easy (1/2 mile south on Kwik Fill Full Serve (3/4 mile south just 

Oneida 

Lake 

Corner of Route 13 and 

31 Canastota 24 $625,852 $499,213 $7,634,582 

Lakeport Mini Mart (about 2 miles west HessMart (About 6 miles West on Rt. 3Fastrac Convenience Store (About 6 m

Plaza Mart 

219 Genesee Street , 

Oneida 20.5 $528,379 $380,555 $4,035,459 

Red Apple Convenience Store (Rt. 46 dmiles) Sunoco Nice N Easy (about 3.5 miles w

Lenox 

645 Lenox Avenue, 

Oneida 12.5 $352,453 $196,391 $4,839,942 

Byrne Dairy Convenience (about 1⁄2 mile WalMart. 

Smokeshop 

1 Territory Road, 

Oneida 11.5 $313,057 $176,565 $3,466,743 

Stockbridge mini mart (about 4 miles so

Main Street 

Corner of Route 5 and 

Main Street, Oneida 8 $242,028 $177,110 $2,597,743 

Red Apple convenience Store (1/2 mile Byrne Dairy (1/2 mile north Lenox Ave)Nice N Easy Convenience Store (1.5 m

Oneida 

Mart 

1 Lenox Avenue, 

Oneida 8.5 $247,468 $138,114 $2,127,881 

Byrne Dairy (1/4 mile west on Lenox AvNice N Easy convenience store (1/2 milRed Apple convenience store (1/4 mile 

Sherrill 

Corner of Route 5 and 

Sherrill Road, Sherrill 11.5 $348,219 $236,033 $5,600,564 

Orr’s Sherrill Auto Service (across streeNice N Easy Convenience Store (VernoFoodland market (Vernon about 1 mile 

Cigarettes 

and Tees 

245 West Seneca 

Avenue, Sherrill 4.5 $142,637 $31,577 $502,539 

None 

Patrick 

Road 

5223 Patrick Road, 

Verona 32 $808,628 $560,075 $16,342,362 

Nice N Easy Convenience (Rt. 365 app

Gas 

Corner of Route 365 

and 31, Verona 13.5 $392,349 $206,634 $6,173,180 

Arnotts Convenience Store (1/4 mile weNice N Easy (Rt. 5 just off Rt. 31 about 

Diesel 

Corner of Route 365 

and 31, Verona 15.5 $420,208 $221,326 $5,478,095 

Pilot truck stop (Rt. 81 Syracuse) Petro Truck Stop (New York StateThruwFlying J Truck Stop (New York State ThTravel Port 9 (NYS Thruway, Exit 28, F

Beach Mart 

Route 13, Verona 

Beach 25.5 $519,379 $380,725 $5,635,274 

Sunrise Market (Downtown Sylvan Bea13) 

Total 216 $5,652,397 $3,666,649 $75,003,738 

Source: The Nation, unpublished, 2006. 
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In FY05, the two marinas came close, but did not yet generate their first operating 

surpluses since being operated by the Nation, thus, their continued operations at present 

requires cross-subsidization from other fiscal surplus-generating activities such as the 

casino operations and the non-resort retail and petroleum operations. 

Agriculture 

Approximately 103 properties owned by the Nation are devoted to agricultural uses such 

as cropland, pasture fields, barnyards, farmlands, cattle grazing. In 2004, the Oneida 

agricultural enterprise was home to the second largest Angus (cattle) herd in the 

Northeast. Nation farms produce 1,000 acres of yellow corn, 300 acres of barley, 200 

acres of wheat and oats, and 800 acres of hay for bales. The Nation owns the largest farm 

in Madison County and is a major local supplier of cattle feed to Madison County 

farmers. The agriculture operations have not yet demonstrated that they are financially 

sustainable on a stand-alone basis, requiring the allocation of surpluses from the casino 

operations and non-resort retail and petroleum operations to continue the venture. 

Other Operations and Diversification Strategy 

The Nation owns and operates several other business enterprises including Standing Stone 

Gaming, and Four Directions Media and Four Directions Entertainment. 

• Standing Stone Gaming – The Nation manufactures, markets, and distributes a 

patented cashless gaming operating system through Standing Stone Gaming, a 

company owned 100 percent by the Nation. 

• Four Directions Media and Entertainment – The Nation has developed a 

partnership with two Los Angeles-based American Indian producers; this 

partnership includes a film, television and news media company called Four 

Directions Media and Four Directions Entertainment. 

• Indian Country Today – The Nation also operates a weekly news publication with 

subscribers and vendors nationwide, Indian Country Today, that focuses on Native 

American issues. . The publication’s editorial offices, which were located in South 

Dakota when the Nation purchased the company about 10 years ago, have been 

moved recently to New York. Every week an average of 40,998 persons read the 

print version of the publication and about 17,000 persons visit to the Indian 

Country Today website. The publication currently has 6,559 subscribers. The 

business unit also publishes quarterly-topic-focused feature magazines (including 

Pow-Wow, Tourism and Gaming, Education and Business), maintains CD-ROM 

archives and various websites. FY2005 revenues for this operation were estimated 

at $1.6 million with 21 employees with a Central New York payroll of $990,700. 

• Four Directions Air, Inc. – A company engaged in the business of providing air 

charter and brokerage services. 

The Nation is financially accountable for other businesses including: 

• North Atlantic Development Inc. – A company that acquires, improves, develops, 

sells and leases real estate in the New York State. 
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• Vlasti Enterprises, Inc. – A company which primarily consists of two convenience 

store operations. 

• OMG Development Company, LLC – A company involved in holding land leases 

for oil and gas activities. 

• UAC, LLC – a company engaged in land acquisitions 

• Four Directions Ground, LLC – A company engaged in bus transportation services 

• Four Directions Distribution, LLC – A company engaged in the distribution of 

beverages. 

The Nation has committed to a long-term diversification strategy, as exemplified by the 

wide range of operating sectors described above, to advance its long-term economic 

development and self-sufficiency and to avoid overdependence on gaming in charting its 

path for future generations. Diversification includes non-gaming initiatives in 

entertainment, retail, agriculture, recreation and publishing, among other enterprise 

operations. Similar to the Nation’s Government Programs and Services, the business 

enterprises are diverse in their operations and the facilities are dispersed throughout 

Madison and Oneida Counties. Table 3.7-74 illustrates the location of several of the 

various economic activities of the Nation. 

These varied operations serve strategic goals for the Nation but several are not financially 

sustainable on a “stand-alone” basis, requiring operating transfers (i.e., subsidization) 

from the more successful casino and non-resort retail and petroleum-related operations. 

3.7.5.3 Nation Government and Enterprise Employment 

Since the opening of the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in 1993, the Nation has grown to 

become one of the leading employers in Central New York. The Nation’s employment 

growth far exceeds any other business in the area and is on pace to become the largest 

employer within the next few years. Of those employed by the Nation, approximately 96 

percent are not members of the Nation. This percentage is relatively large for an Indian 

Nation operating a tribal casino. For example, Evan and Topoleski found in their studies 

of Minnesota and California that 73 and 90 percent of casino employees are non-Indians. 

Job Creation 

The Nation has created jobs at a rate that outpaces overall job growth in the surrounding 

counties, as well as in New York State as a whole. 

From September 2004 to 2005, the number of non-farm jobs in New York State increased 

by 79,600, or 0.9 percent, and the number of private sector jobs increased by 80,700 or 

1.2 percent (NYS Department of Labor, 2005). Since September 2004, the number of 

non-farm jobs in the Utica-Rome MSA increased by 200 jobs, or 0.2 percent, but the 

number of private sector jobs decreased by 500, or -0.5 percent. 
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In contrast, the number of people employed by the Nation increased by 7.6 percent 

between the 2004 fiscal year (starting October 2004) and the 2005 fiscal year (starting 

October 2005). By the end of Fiscal Year 2005, direct employment with the Nation 

reached 4,611, making it one of the three largest employers in Central New York and the 

single largest employer in Madison and Oneida County. Overall, job growth has 

demonstrated a strong and steady upward trend since the opening of the Turning Stone 

Resort & Casino in 1993. Even during the most recent recession in 2001, employment at 

the Nation continued to grow (Figure 3.7-13). 
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Table 3.7-50 

BIA Tribal Priority Allocation 

Funding Eligibility and Uses of Requested Funds 

FY98 FY99 FY00 FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 

Eligible Amount $1,184,674 $1,206,174 $1,240,132 $1,279,578 $1,318,048 $1,339,848 $1,339,848 $1,299,24Funds Requested $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $53,644 $353,400 $503,562 Funds as % Eligible 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 4% 26% 39% Youth, Work, Learn $53,644 $176,700 $61,186 Pathways/Case Mgmt. $176,700 $115,196 Community/Fire Protection $180,000 Law Enforcement $147,180 Living History Agric. Services Education Achievement Early Childhood 

Source: The Nation, 2005 (unpublished); The Louis Berger Group, 2005. 
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Table 3.7-74 

Locations of Nation Enterprises and Activities, 2006 

 Agriculture 

Convenience Store / Gas Station 

Marina Housing Media Government Services Golf Casino 

Augusta X Village of Canastota X Lenox X X X Lincoln X City of Oneida X X X X X City of Sherrill X X Smithfield X Stockbridge X Sullivan X Village of Sylvan Beach X Vernon X X X X Village of Vernon X Verona X X X X X 

Source: The Nation, 2006, unpublished. 
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Figure 3.7-13 

Nation Job Growth, 1990 to 2004 

Source: Nation Enterprises, FY 2005, Unpublished. The Louis Berger Group, Inc., 2005. 

Nation Employment and the Region 

Nation employment growth has been a catalyst for economic activity at a time when other 

major employers have endured job losses within the region. It has provided a vital 

economic boost to the community while other major employers, such as Griffiss Air Force 

Base, Lockheed Martin, and Oneida, Ltd., have closed or contracted. 

As part of the 1990 Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC), a congressionally 

authorized process that the U.S. Department of Defenses uses to reorganize its base 

structure and close excess military bases, Griffiss was selected for realignment during the 

third round of the BRAC process in July 1993. Griffiss stopped functioning as an Air 

Force base in September 1995, resulting in the layoff of approximately 4,500 military and 

civilian positions and in the out-migration of many former employees and their families. 

Remaining U.S. Department of Defense presence at the site includes the Air Force 

Research Laboratory (Rome Laboratory), the Defense Finance and Accounting System and 

the Northeast Air Defense Sector, which together employ about 2,000 people. While the 

preliminary 2005 BRAC (fifth round) proposed the relocation of Rome Laboratory jobs 

and the closure of the Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS), the final 2005 

6 30 74

1850

2134

2343

2650

2900

3150

3300

4611

4000

2800

1350

4215

2875

-

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

FY90 FY91 FY92 FY93 FY94 FY95 FY96 FY97 FY98 FY99 FY00 FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05
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BRAC Law, reversed the proposed job losses and included 648 additional civilian jobs at 

DFAS in Rome (Griffiss Local Development Corporation, 2005). 

In 1996, Lockheed Martin announced the closing of its manufacturing plant in Utica, New 

York. The company had experienced declining employment during the past 30 years from 

9,000 in 1967 to 1,000 in 1995. The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) 

pointed out in a publication that despite these two losses, employment in the Mohawk 

Valley, which includes Fulton, Herkimer, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, and Schoharie 

Counties, still grew by 3.7 percent between 1994 and 2004, with the job growth 

concentrated in accommodations, warehousing, health care and social assistance 

(Barbano, 2005). The publication states that most of the job growth in the 

accommodations sector was due to the opening and expansion of the Turning Stone 

Resort & Casino. 

Oneida, Ltd. was once one of the world's largest manufacturers of stainless steel and 

silver-plated flatware, but it now imports flatware, dinnerware, and glassware for both 

consumers and the food service and institutional markets. It was also once one of the 

largest employers in the region with a peak of 5,470 domestic employees in 1995 (Oneida 

Ltd., 1995). The closing of its Sherrill, New York flatware factory due to unsustainably 

high operating costs and operating losses was announced in the Fall of 2004 and 

approximately 450 employees were notified that the closure would cause the elimination 

of their positions. By July 30, 2005 these positions had been eliminated as per Form 10-Q 

Report to Securities and Exchange Commission for the period ending July 30, 2005. 

Oneida Ltd. currently has 936 domestic employees, approximately 430 of which are in the 

Central New York region according to an article in Newsday (March 2006). The article 

also reported that they filed a plan to reorganize under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection 

in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District in New York in March 2006 and 

expect that the reorganization will not affect the employment. However, in July 2006, 

Oneida Ltd. announced that it would close its distribution center in Sherrill by May 2007. 

Some of its 150 employees were reportedly to be offered relocation assistance and 

transfers to a new Savannah, Georgia facility that is touted for its improved port access 

and lower freight costs. As a result, the region may experience some additional outmigration. 

In the face of these job losses, State and local government have provided tax and other 

financial benefits to help businesses throughout the region create or retain jobs. One of 

the State’s major economic development programs, the New York State Empire Zone 

program, is a source of benefits for many companies in the region. Based on information 

available on the official internet site for Governor’s Office Regulatory Reform (New York 

State, no date), the program rewards job-creating companies located in one of the state 

designated empire zones by allowing them to operate on an almost “tax free” basis for up 

to 10 years with additional savings available on a declining basis in years 11 through 15. 
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Benefits include sales tax exemptions, real property tax credits, tax reduction credits, wage 

tax credits, investment tax and employment incentives credits, new business refunds, 

utility rate savings and capital credits. 

While Empire Zone (EZ) boundaries are in the process of being redrawn throughout the 

State, there are currently four Empire Zones within the Study Area: the Madison County 

EZ, the Oneida County EZ, the Rome EZ, and the Utica EZ. The Madison County EZ 

includes the following business and industrial parks: Sullivan Lakeside in Sullivan, 

Canastota Business Park in Canastota, Curtin Business Park and Oneida Business Park in 

the City of Oneida, Trush Cazenovia Park in Cazenovia and Hamilton Air Park in Eaton. 

There are currently 118 businesses located in the Rome EZ, with most of them receiving 

some type of EZ benefit. The Rome EZ includes the Griffiss Business and Technology 

Park, the former Griffiss Airforce Base, which was the location of 60 companies and 

government agencies that employed 4,300 people in FY2005 (Griffiss Business and 

Technology Park, 2005). 

In addition to Empire Zone benefits, State and local governments have provided businesses 

throughout the region with grants, loans, PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreements 

and tax benefits. Examples of businesses that have created jobs and have been rewarded 

with state and/or local tax and financial incentives in 2005 include Family Dollar Stores 

and Sherrill Manufacturing. Family Dollar Stores Inc. created a new regional distribution 

center at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome New York that is anticipated 

to employ 465 persons. According to a press release from the Governor’s Office of 

Regulatory Reform dated February 15, 2005, the business is eligible to apply for Empire 

Zone benefits, a $1.2 million capital grant from the Empire State Development 

Corporation, a training grant from the New York State Department of Labor, and may 

also be eligible for county and local incentives valued at $10.2 million. Sherrill 

Manufacturing, a new flatware manufacturer, purchased the former Oneida Ltd. facility 

and created 100 jobs. According to another press release from the Governor’s Office of 

Regulatory Reform (March 2005), Empire State Development offered Sherrill 

Manufacturing a $350,000 capital grant. Because the business is part of the Oneida EZ, it 

is eligible to apply for Empire Zone benefits. 

The New Process Gear automotive equipment plant in East Syracuse employs about 3,400 

people and is the largest manufacturer of four-wheel drive transfer cases in the U.S. The 

plant has been a recipient of several economic development grants from the Empire State 

Development Corporation, but has continued to shrink its workforce. 

In 2002 the plant owner DaimlerChrysler received a $2.5 million job creation grant for 

promising to add 300 new employees at New Process Gear. By 2005, rather than adding 

jobs, 250 jobs had been eliminated. The Economic State Development Corporation fined 

DaimlerChrysler $1.5 million for failing to meet job creation target. 
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In 2004 the Canadian automotive part manufacturer Magna International Inc. acquired 

80 percent ownership of the New Process Gear plant and plans to be the sole owner by 

2007. In 2005 Magna International promised to invest $47 million in the New Process 

Gear plant in exchange for a benefits package that included an Empire Zone investment 

tax credit worth $4.5 million. Magna International also promised to maintain 500 “atrisk jobs”. Under Magna’s ownership the New Process Gear workforce has continued to 

shrink, including temporary rotating layoffs of 750 workers and permanent layoffs of 160 

by the end of 2005. Four to five hundred additional layoffs are planned to occur over the 

course of 2006, including buyout incentives for United Auto Workers union members to 

retire. Magna International cites high gasoline prices, a decline in SUV sales, foreign 

competition and a new type of transmission technology as the factors behind the need for 

a smaller number of employees at New Process Gear. 

Despite the disruptions caused by the loss of several major employers over the past 15 

years, the Nation Enterprises provided a measure of financial stability for area residents, 

creating demand in local labor and housing markets and generating taxable revenues for 

local governments. In FY 2005, the Nation employed 4,001 residents of Madison County 

and Oneida County. These jobs helped offset the loss of jobs in other industries (e.g., 

military and manufacturing) and have provided a measure of stability to local 

communities. 

Employee Characteristics 

A total of 95 percent of Nation employees live within the three-county region. As shown 

in Table 3.7-75, 60 percent of the 4,611 Nation employees live in Oneida County, another 

27 percent live in Madison County, and eight percent live in Onondaga County. The 

Nation was estimated to directly employ 2.4 percent and 1.7 percent of the workforce of 

Madison and Oneida Counties, respectively, in the year 2000, based on the total number 

of employed residents from the most recent Census. 

As shown in Table 3.7-76, there are 647 employees who live in zip codes that roughly 

correspond to the Study Area municipalities in Oneida County. An additional 1,162 

employees live in the zip codes that correspond to the Madison County Study Area 

municipalities. A total of 650 Nation employees reside in zip code 13421, which roughly 

corresponds to the City of Oneida, and an additional 324 employees live in zip code 

13032, which includes the Village of Canastota and part of the Towns of Lenox and 

Lincoln. 

The Nation’s workforce is diverse. In FY 2005 50.6 percent of employees were female, 

and 7.6 percent were above age 60. The race and ethnic composition of the Nation 

workforce was generally consistent with the region; the large majority of employees are 

White, 12 percent of employees belong to minority groups (see Table 3.7-77). 
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The Nation provides job opportunities to local residents. In FY2005, 592 of the Nation’s 

new hires including new jobs, seasonal employees, rehires, and replacements, lived in 

Oneida County at the time of hiring and 285 lived in Madison County. Virtually all other 

new hires lived in other Central New York Counties at the time of hiring. 

Types of Jobs 

There are a wide range of employment opportunities within the Nation’s enterprises and 

government. Jobs range from entry level positions that require fewer years of education 

and training, such as gas attendants and bell persons, to those that require more years of 

formal education and very specific skills, such as the medical doctors in the health center 

or information technologists. 

Table 3.7-75 

Nation Government and Nation Enterprise 

Employees and Payroll by Residential Location, 2005

County Number of Nation 

Employees 

Percentage of Total Nation 

Employment 

Percent of Total 

Nation Payroll 

Oneida 2,774 60.16% 56.01% 

Madison 1,227 26.61% 25.87% 

Onondaga 379 8.22% 11.39% 

Herkimer 93 2.02% 1.87% 

Oswego 78 1.69% 1.49% 

Lewis 16 0.35% 0.40% 

Chenango 13 0.28% 0.26% 

Out-of-State 10 0.22% 2.06% 

Cayuga 6 0.13% 0.10% 

Erie 3 0.07% 0.17% 

Saratoga 3 0.07% 0.16% 

Broome 2 0.04% 0.09% 

Cortland 2 0.04% 0.04% 

Montgomery 2 0.04% 0.03% 

Otsego 1 0.02% 0.02% 

Seneca 1 0.02% 0.01% 

Tompkins 1 0.02% 0.04% 

Total 4,611 100.00% 100.00% 

Source: Nation Enterprises, 2005, Unpublished. 
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Figure 3.7-14 

Residential Location of Nation Employees, 2005 
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Table 3.7-76 

Nation Employees Residential Location 

Select Study Area Municipalities, 2005

Local Government ZIP Code Employees by Place of 

Residence 

Madison County 

Canastota/Lenox/Lincoln 13032 324 

Cazenovia/Fenner 13035 14 

Stockbridge 13409 94 

Sullivan 13037 80 

Oneida 13421 650 

Smithfield 13134 3 

Municipalities listed above 1,165 

Total Madison County 1,227 

Oneida County 

Sylvan Beach 13157 49 

Sherrill 13461 151 

Vernon 13476 152 

Vernon Center 13477 27 

Verona 13478 172 

Durhamville 13054 80 

Augusta 13425 16 

Total Municipalities listed above 647 

Total Oneida County 2,414 

Note: Residential location by ZIP code was only available for 3,641 of the 4,001 Nation employees who live in Madison 

and Oneida Counties. 

Source: The Nation, 2006 

Table 3.7-77 

Racial and Ethnic Composition of Nation Employees, FY2005 

Race/Ethnicity Percent of Total 

White 88.4% 

African American 1.4% 

Asian 4.0% 

Native American 3.7% 

Hispanic 0.5% 

Other 2.0% 

Total 100.0% 

Source: The Nation 

The 4,611 jobs include 3,547 full-time jobs, 958 part-time, temporary, or on-call 

employees, and 106 employees on leave (see Table 3.7-78). 
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Table 3.7-78 

Number of Full-Time and Part-Time Nation Employees, 2005 

Number of Employees Percentage 

Full-Time 3,547 76.9% 

Part-Time 451 9.8% 

On-Call 358 7.8% 

Temporary 149 3.2% 

On Leave* 106 2.3% 

Total 4,611 100.0% 

Note: * This number includes those on leave of absence for military leave, medical leave, and personal leave 

Source: Nation Enterprises, 2005, Unpublished. 

The majority of Nation employees, 82 percent, work in the gaming and resort operations, 

predominantly in the casino and lodging facilities. The remainder of Nation employment 

is divided between Government and the Other Enterprises, predominantly retail. As 

reported in Table 3.7-79, there are a wide array of job opportunities with the Nation 

Government and Enterprises. 

Table 3.7-79 

Number of Nation Employees by Job Category, 2005 

Job Category Number of Employees and Percentage 

Casino 2,958 

Hotel 393 

Golf 161 

Lodge 117 

Turning Stone Retail 69 

Gaming and 

Resort 

Operations 

Subtotal – Gaming and Resort 3,779 

82% 

Financial Services Administration 161 

Nation Administration 108 

Government Programs 105 

Public Safety Administration 80 

Justice Administration 13 

Human Resources Administration 13 

Entertainment Administration 8 

Nation 

Government 

Subtotal – Nation Government 488 

11% 

Retail (non-Turning Stone) 279 

Media Group 21 

Marinas 18 

Agriculture 8 

Propriety 7 

RV Park 5 

North Atlantic Realty Company 3 

Gaming Company 3 

Other Nation 

Enterprises 

Subtotal -- Other Gaming Enterprises 344 

7% 

Total 4,611 100.0% 

Source: Nation Enterprises, 2005 (Unpublished). 
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Payroll 

As with employment, overall payroll has steadily increased since the opening of Turning 

Stone Resort & Casino. Payroll increased from under $1 million in 1992 to $110 million 

in Fiscal Year 2005, an 11,000 percent increase (see Figure 3.7-15). 

Figure 3.7-15 

Nation Total Payroll Growth, 1995-2004 

Source: Nation Enterprises, FY 2005, Unpublished. The Louis Berger Group, Inc., 2005. 

Average Wage 

In FY2005, the average annual income (calculated by dividing the FY2005 payroll by the 

average of Nation employment in 2004 and 2005 of 4,375, which includes part-time, 

temporary and on-call employees) of Nation employees was approximately $25,110, 

including tips and commissions. The Nation has a minimum hourly wage of $4.75 for 

tipped employees. For employees for whom tips are not the primary source of their 

income, the hourly wage is $6.75 which is comparable to the minimum hourly wage in 

New York State in 2006. 

The 3,547 full-time employees had an average wage of $24,700. However, according to 

the Nation’s payroll records, 47 percent of all full-time employees receive added income in 

the form of tips or commissions, which is not included in the above wage calculation. 

These tips and commissions can be a substantial part of an employee’s earnings, 

contributing 15 to 80 percent of an individual’s total earnings. 

$41.50

$47.90

$69.40

$75.70

$81.90

$47.10

$60.00

$99.40

$109.90

$56.70

$109.80

$-

$20.00

$40.00

$60.00

$80.00

$100.00

$120.00

FY95 FY96 FY97 FY98 FY99 FY00 FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05

Total Payroll (in Millions) a
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Part-time, temporary, and on-call employees are paid an hourly rate. As with full-time 

employees, a large portion of the earnings of part-time employees at the Turning Stone 

Resort & Casino comes from tips and commissions. For part-time employees, this is 

especially true for those earning under $8.00 an hour. 

Benefits 

In addition to regular salaries and bonuses, the Nation offers its employees an array of 

benefit programs, including: (1) medical and dental insurance for employees and their 

families; (2) a 401 (k) retirement program that includes a two percent profit sharing 

contribution and a three percent employer matching contribution; (3) an Equity 

Participation Program, similar to a phantom stock plan, which allows employees to 

participate in the future growth of the Nation’s enterprises; and (4) employee discounts on 

purchases of gasoline and other items offered for sale at the Nation’s retail outlets. 

Currently, a total of 5,507 persons, including employees and their dependents, are covered 

by the Nation’s employee health insurance program. In FY2005 the Nation spent a total 

of $14.4 million on employee health and life insurance. 

Career Advancement 

Many Nation jobs offer career advancement opportunities, even to persons without a 

college degree. The Nation provided the following examples to illustrate the quality of its 

jobs. 

• A person who begins a job as a gaming dealer with just six weeks of training and a 

high school diploma can work his way up to a salary of $63,000 in just 10 years. 

• A gaming dealer can become a gaming floor supervisor without any specialized 

training or degree. 

• Entry-level cooks receive in-house training classes and can be earning $55,000 to 

$57,000 after a few years. 

Comparison of Nation Jobs with Other Jobs in the Region 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2004 the average annual pay for 

all industries in Oneida County and Madison County were $30,842 and $29,497, 

respectively, leading to an average pay of $30,620 in the two-county area. As described 

above, the Nation’s average annual wage in FY2005 was $25,110. About 9.8 percent of 

Nation employees worked part-time, while 7.8 percent were on-call and 3.2 percent were 

temporary employees. The BLS does not provide information about the distribution 

between full- and part-time employment for Madison County and Oneida County. 

Using data from the BLS on wages by job type in the Utica-Rome region, Table 3.7-80 

compares wages at the Nation and in the Utica-Rome region as a whole for specific 

occupations (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2004). In October 2005 the average hourly wage 

for a cashier at the SavOn gas stations and convenience stores was $7.96 while it was 
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$7.13 for the Utica-Rome region as a whole in November 2004, or $7.44 adjusted for 

inflation (i.e., in October 2005 dollars) as per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer 

Price Index (no date). In November 2004 the average wage for food preparation and 

serving and related occupations (includes cooks, first line supervisors, servers etc.) was 

$7.73 (or $8.07 in October 2005 dollars) in the Utica-Rome region while the average 

wage at the Nation for similar types of jobs was $7.95 in October 2005. While they 

appear generally comparable, there is an important difference -- 38 percent of Nation 

employees within this occupation received additional tips and bonuses over and above this 

amount while these extras are already included in the Utica-Rome average wage reported 

by BLS. The average wage cannot be compared for every job type because the Nation 

does not use the same job classifications as the BLS. Additionally, the value of the 

respective benefits packages is not included. 

Table 3.7-80 

Average Wage for Selected Occupations 

Nation (October 2005) and Utica-Rome MSA (November 2004)

Occupation Nation Nation Utica-Rome MSA 

Number of 

Employees 

Average 

Hourly Wage 

Average Hourly 

Wage 

(Nov 2004 $s) 

Average 

Hourly Wage 

adjusted for 

Inflation 

( Oct 2005$S) 

Cashiers 151 $7.96 $7.13 $7.44 

Food Preparation, 

Serving, and Related 938 $7.95 plus tips $7.73 (tips included) 

$8.07 (tips 

included) 

Source: The Nation, Bureau of Labor Statistics 

The Nation’s minimum hourly wage for tipped employees of $4.75 exceeds that of New 

York State, which is $4.35 for food service workers (U.S. Department of Labor, no date). 

The Nation’s minimum wage for other employees equals New York State’s minimum 

wage of $6.75. 

3.7.5.4 Nation Vendors and Purchases 

The Nation purchased goods and services from about 3,840 vendors in FY2005. Many 

suppliers located in Central New York and in New York State benefited from securing the 

Nation’s business in a period of relatively slow economic activity. 

In FY2005, the Nation’s total expenditures on goods and services totaled about $286 

million. Of this total, 60 percent or $172 million was supplied by vendors in New York 

State. As Figure 3.7-16 shows, vendors are located throughout the State with purchases 

concentrated in Oneida, Onondaga, and St. Lawrence Counties. The Nation purchases 

goods and services from many different vendors in Oneida and Onondaga Counties; a 

more limited supply of vendors account for sales from St. Lawrence County. 
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Figure 3.7-16 

Location of Supplying New York State Vendors 

of Nation Purchased Goods and Services, FY2005 

Source: Nation Enterprises, FY2005. (Unpublished) 

Purchases from approximately 1,190 vendors in Madison, Oneida and Onondaga 

Counties in 2005 totaled approximately $64 million. The Nation purchased $41.4 million 

of goods and services from more than 560 vendors located in Onondaga County; $14.3 

million from 400 Oneida County suppliers; and $8.3 million from more than 230 

Madison County vendors (see Figure 3.7-17). Examples of major local purchases include 

construction services, food and beverages, utilities, and professional, technical and 

business services. 
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Figure 3.7-17 

Nation Purchases by Vendor Location, FY 2005 

Source: Nation (Unpublished). 

3.7.5.5 Nation Construction 

Since the early 1990s the Nation has completed several major construction projects (see 

Table 3.7-81). Construction of the gaming and resort complex started with the 

construction of the original 42,000 square foot Casino, which was completed in 1993. 

Additional gaming space and a low-rise hotel, together 259,000 square feet, were added in 

1997. In 2004 additional accommodation space was created with the construction of The 

Lodge and The Tower at Turning Stone. That same year, the gaming and resort complex 

was further expanded with a 139,000 square foot Event Center. The Nation also built 

several SavOn gas stations and convenience stores. Not including the spending on the 

construction of the Turning Stone Resort & Casino construction prior to 1997, the Nation 

spent a total of $530 million on the construction of Nation Enterprise buildings. 

Other US

40%

Other New

York State

38%

 Onondaga

County

14%

 Oneida

County

5%

 Madison

County

3%
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Table 3.7-81 

Nation Nonresidential Construction Projects Completed Since 1990 

Gaming and Resort 

Non-Resort Retail and Petroleum / 

Other Operations Government 

1992 Family Services 

Original Casino – 42,443 SF Smoke Shop – 2,820 SF Health Center – 5,600 SF 1993 

 Gymnasium – 10,850 SF 

RV- Park - 14,090 SF 

Recreation Center – 4,160 

SF 

 Salt Storage Bldg.– Route 46 1994 

 Cultural Center – Territory 

1995 SavOn Patrick Road Store -5,040 SF 

1996 Snug Harbor Fuel Station 

1997 Low-Rise Hotel and Expanded Gaming – 

259,036 SF 

Golf Maintenance Building – 19,022 SF 

SavOn Canastota Store – 5,760 SF 

Storage Building – 1,504 SF 

Ray Elm Children and Elders 

Center - 35,000 SF 

 SavOn Lenox – Oneida 1998 

 Car Care Center – 10,120 SF 

2000 

SavOn Oneida Lake - Route 31 & 13 – Cozy 

Corners – Original – 3,168 SF 

Addition– 1,176 SF 

Car Wash – 1,768 SF 

Cookhouse – 3,700 SF 

Health Center Expansion – 

7,700 SF 2001 

 

Heavy Equipment Pole Barn 

– 25,200 SF 

Government Programs 

Building 

2002 Shenendoah Club House – 27,600 SF 

Telecommunications Switch 

Building – 2,224 SF 

Parking Garage – 750,000 SF Agriculture Building Route 46 – 8,460 SF 

Kaluhyat Golf Course Facilities: 

• Comfort Station – 900 SF 

• Half-Way House 1,326 SF 

• Storm Shelter – 256 SF 

• Pump House – 896 SF 

2003 

Shenendoah Golf Course - Pump House – 896 

SF 

Atunyote Golf Course Facilities: 

Golf Maintenance Building – 9,443 SF 

Pump House Heifer Shed at Curtin Farm 

The Lodge – 86,152 SF 

SavOn – Beachmart – Verona Beach – 

4,818 SF 

Event Center – 139,070 SF SavOn Smokeshop - Territory (expansion) 

Winter Garden – 37,000 SF 

Co-Generation Plant – 

15,040 SF 

2004 

Cart Storage Building – 9,600 SF 

Atunyote Club House – 10,000 SF 

New Central Warehouse 

2005 – 21,600 SF 

Golf Dome – 76,800 SavOn Canastota - Canastota (renovations) 

2006 

and 

U/C 

Pool – 8,300 SF 

Golf Maintenance Equipment Storage – 3,000 

SF 

Luxury Spa – 22,000 SF 

Helipad and Night Club – approx. 18,000 sf 

Employee Gas Station - Patrick RoadVerona 

Source: The Nation (unpublished), 2005. 
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Major Nation government buildings include a 10,800 square foot Gymnasium and the 

35,000 square foot Ray Elm Children and Elders Center. The total cost of Nation 

government construction projects to date is $16.0 million, $13.6 million of which was 

financed by the Nation while the remainder was paid for with federal grants. 

Table 3.7-82 

Nation Construction Spending, 1992-2005 

Type Total Nation 

Construction Spending (in $M) % funded by the Nation 

Nation Enterprises $530.4 100% 

Nation Government (nonresidential) $16.0 85% 

Housing $13.3 40% 

Infrastructure $7.6 100% 

Total $567.3 98% 

Source: The Nation, 2005; The Louis Berger Group, 2006. 

Note: Turning Stone Resort & Casino construction spending prior to 1997 is not included. 

The Nation Homeownership and Rental programs provide housing for more than 100 

Oneida families. The Nation built or renovated the units for a total cost of $13.3 million, 

$5.3 million of which was paid for by Nation while the remainder was borne by the 

homeowner or provided by HUD. 

The Nation provided funds to improve and develop infrastructure systems belonging to 

surrounding local governments and benefiting local residents. Infrastructure construction 

projects included a water line expansion in the Town of Verona and sewer system 

improvements in the City of Oneida. The Nation contributed $8 million to these projects. 

Through the years, Nation’s construction activity has created jobs for local residents in the 

construction and related industries. The Nation’s $567.3 million construction spending 

supported an estimated 5,160 construction jobs between 1992 and 2005, or 368 jobs per 

year on an annualized basis. Ninety-seven percent of these jobs were paid for with Nation 

funds. 

3.7.6 Regional Economic Impact 

This section describes three regional Study Areas: (1) a two-county region comprised of 

Madison and Oneida Counties; (2) a three-county region comprised of Madison, Oneida, 

and Onondaga Counties; and (3) New York State. Madison, Oneida and Onondaga 

Counties are the major counties where employees working for the Nation reside and a 

major share of the many vendors providing goods and services to the Nation are located 

within this region. 

The Nation makes a major contribution to the local and state economy. These economies 

are affected in four distinct ways: 
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• The Nation Government and Enterprises inject funds into the regional economy by 

purchasing goods and services from regional establishments; 

• The vast majority of the Nation employees live within the region and spend part of 

their earnings locally; 

• The Turning Stone Resort & Casino attracts visitors to the region, some of whom 

stay at local hotels and purchase other goods and services at local businesses; and 

• Some Nation employees and their families who would not live in the region in the 

absence of the Turning Stone Resort & Casino spend income from non-Nation 

sources at local businesses. 

The regional economic impact of the Nation’s government and business activities in Fiscal 

Year 2005 was estimated for the two-county and the three-county regions and New York 

State. Economic impacts are reported in terms in terms of output (total sales or revenues), 

employment, and earnings (wages, salaries, and proprietors’ income). The estimates 

include “multiplier effects,” which is economic activity stimulated by expenditures made 

by the Nation Government and Enterprises, and by its employees. 

Multiplier Effect

The total impact of spending by the Nation and its employees was estimated using areaspecific RIMSII input-output multipliers from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau 

of Economic Analysis. The total impact incorporates the multiplier effect, which accounts 

for three separate effects as diagrammed in Figure 3.7-18. Expressed numerically, a 

multiplier of 1.50 indicates that for every dollar directly generated by the industry under 

study, an additional $0.50 of ripple effects are felt within the local region, for a total 

impact of $1.50. 
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Figure 3.7-18 

Diagram of Economic Impacts 

Direct, Indirect and Induced Impacts 

Source: The Louis Berger Group, 2006. 

Note: Output is sales or revenues; Earnings are wages, salaries and proprietor’s income. 

• Direct Impact corresponds to the initial changes in final demand that Nation’s 

government and business activities created. The Nation and its employees regularly 

purchase goods and services from local vendors and suppliers. 

• Indirect Impact includes the consecutive rounds of industry spending on goods and 

services that were triggered by the initial change in final demand. Local businesses 

from which the Nation purchases goods and services typically purchase some of 

their materials and services from other local businesses, which then in turn 

purchase from their local suppliers, and so on. 

• Induced Effect refers to the impact triggered by increased household spending by 

employees of the directly and indirectly affected businesses. Employees spend part 

Direct Impact 

o Purchases by the Oneida Nation from local suppliers of goods 

and services 

o Oneida Nation employee spending 

Indirect Impact 

Economic activity required by industries to satisfy demand of Oneida 

Nation employee spending and vendor spending 

Induced Impact 

Economic activity required to meet consumer demand generated by 

payments from the supplying industries to households for their labor 

Economic Activity Generated by Spending by Nation 

Economic Activity at the Nation

Payroll and Jobs 

Multiplier 

Effect

Total 

Economic 

Activity 

Output 

Jobs 

Earnings 

Tax Revenue 
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of their earnings at local establishments, which in turn purchase some of their 

input materials and services locally to satisfy this demand, and so on. 

The initial expenditure of funds by the Nation and its employees stimulates successive 

rounds of economic activity which is referred to as the ripple or multiplier effect. The 

ripple effect can account for a significant portion of the total regional economic impact. 

Together, the indirect and induced impacts constitute the multiplier effect, the extent to 

which the direct impact results in additional economic activity. Expressed numerically, a 

multiplier of 1.50 indicates that for every dollar directly generated by the industry under 

study, an additional $0.50 of ripple effects are felt within the local region, for a total 

impact of $1.50. 

3.7.6.1 Economic Activity 

Employee Spending

In FY2005, the Nation spent $110 million on payroll. About $90 million, or 82 percent of 

the total payroll, was paid to employees living in Madison and Oneida Counties. An 

additional $12 million was paid to employees living in Onondaga County. A total of 

$108 million was paid to New York State residents. Employees spent part of their 

earnings locally through purchases of food, clothing, health services, education, 

entertainment and other goods and services, which triggers the multiplier effects described 

above. As shown in Table 3.7-83, local spending by employees of the Nation supported 

economic activity at other businesses in the local region and New York State: 

• Two-County Region – The two-county regional impact is the impact of spending 

in Madison and Oneida County on the Madison and Oneida County economy. 

Employee spending in Madison and Oneida Counties generated a total of 695 jobs 

and $86.7 million in output, including $23.5 million in earnings. 

• Three-County Region – The three-county regional impact is the impact of the 

spending in these three counties on the Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga County 

economies. It includes but is not limited to the two-county impact. Nation 

employee spending in the three-county region supported 865 jobs and $113.8 

million in output, including $31.2 million in earnings, at other businesses in 

Madison, Oneida and Onondaga Counties. 

• New York State – The impact on New York State is the impact of spending in New 

York State on the New York State economy. It includes but is not limited to the 

impact of spending within the three-county region (i.e., Madison, Oneida, and 

Onondaga County) economies. Employee spending throughout New York State 

supported 1,000 jobs at other businesses in New York State and generated a total 

of $139.1 million in output, including $37.6 million in earnings at other businesses 

in New York State. 
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Table 3.7-83 

State and Local Economic Activity Supported by Nation Spending on Goods and 

Services, 2005 

 Two-County Region Three-County Region New York State 

Output 

($000) 

Earnings 

($000) Jobs Output ($000) 

Earnings 

($000) Jobs Output ($000) 

Earnings 

($000) Jobs 

Gaming and Resort 65,501 17,739 525 84,416 23,140 642 103,331 27,930 743 

Government 15,444 4,183 124 22,107 6,060 168 27,166 7,343 195 

Non-Gaming 

Business 5,771 1,563 46 7,266 1,992 55 8,593 2,323 62 

Total $86,717 $23,485 695 $113,789 $31,192 865 $139,090 $37,596 1,000 

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc., Bureau of Economic Analysis, RIMSII Multipliers. 

Note: Output is sales or revenues; Earnings include wages, salaries and proprietor’s income. 

Nation Spending on Goods and Services 

The Nation spent a total of $22.6 million in FY2005 in Madison and Oneida Counties, 

$41.4 million in Onondaga County and $95 million throughout the rest of the State. Table 

3.7-84 reports the total economic activity supported by the Nation’s purchases of goods 

and services for the local region and New York State: 

• Two-County Region – The Nation’s spending on goods and services in Madison 

and Oneida Counties supported 218 jobs and $30.6 million in output, including 

$8.6 million in earnings in the two-county region. 

• Three-County Region – Nation spending in Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga 

Counties supported $87.4 million in output, including $22.8 million in earnings, 

and 536 jobs at other businesses in the three-county region. 

• New York State – The Nation’s spending on goods and services supported a total 

of $228.5 million in output, including $60.2 million in earnings, and a total of 

1,311 jobs. 

Table 3.7-84 

State and Local Economic Activity Supported by Nation Spending on Goods and 

Services, 2005 

 Two-County Region Three-County Region New York State 

Output 

($000) 

Earnings 

($000) Jobs Output ($000) 

Earnings 

($000) Jobs Output ($000) 

Earnings 

($000) Jobs 

Gaming and Resort 22,219 6,266 160 54,327 14,792 352 94,012 27,229 634 

Government 4,102 1,244 30 8,616 2,668 57 20,617 6,334 128 

Non-Gaming 

Business 4,248 1,084 28 24,489 5,360 127 113,875 26,600 549 

Total $30,570 $8,594 218 $87,432 $22,820 536 $228,504 $60,164 1,311 

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc., Bureau of Economic Analysis, RIMSII Multipliers. 

Note: Output is sales or revenues; Earnings include wages, salaries and proprietor’s income. 
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Off-site Visitor Spending

Turning Stone Resort & Casino attracts visitors to the region. Only 39 percent of visitors 

reside locally (defined here as Utica and surrounding region). Some of the remaining outof-region visitors spend money at other local businesses (hotels, restaurants, retail stores), 

which generates additional economic activity for the region. 

The visitor spending patterns of Turning Stone Resort & Casino guests to retail, gas, food, 

lodging, culture and recreational establishments off-resort lands by out-of-region visitors 

has not been surveyed by the Nation, but the increase in hotel occupancy revenues 

presented in Section 3.7.7 provides evidence of an increasing amount of off-site visitor 

spending in the area. On event weekends when the Turning Stone Resort & Casino hotels 

are fully-occupied, local hotels benefit from additional customers. It is also likely that 

some visitors will purchase a meal or a drink at non-Nation stores and restaurants. If 

every out-of-region visitor in 2005 spent only $5 (assuming that the average visitor would 

spend $1.50 on lodging, $1 on retail, and $2.5 at bars and restaurants) at non-Nation 

local businesses, the total economic activity generated in Madison and Oneida County 

would be 206 jobs and $17.6 million in output, including $4.8 million in employee 

compensation. 

Spending of Two-Worker Households with a Nation Employee (Tertiary Impact)

Because of Central New York’s poor economic performance, some Nation employees and 

their families would have left the region in the absence of the Turning Stone Resort & 

Casino. A smaller number of Nation employees and their families would have never 

moved to the region if it weren’t for a job at Turning Stone. Many of these families are 

two-worker families who spend part of the second salary at local businesses, generating 

additional economic activity. 

Based on the U.S. Bureau of the Census, Public Use Microdata Sample for the region that 

includes Oneida and Madison counties, 54 percent of households with at least one worker 

have two or more workers. Their household income is 40.7 percent higher than the 

income of one-worker households. Applying these percentages to the Nation’s payroll 

yields an additional $22.1 million in employee compensation earned by Nation employee 

spouses and other household members. Taking into account the multiplier effect, this 

employee compensation generates a total of $20.3 million in output, $5.5 million in 

earnings, and 173 jobs in Madison and Oneida County. 

Because of lack of data, it cannot be estimated how much of the economic activity 

generated by the additional household spending is attributable to the presence of the 

Turning Stone Resort & Casino. But, if only 25 percent of these households would not 

have been in the region in the absence of the Turning Stone Resort & Casino, the Nation’s 

tertiary impact would be $5.1 million in output, $1.4 million in earnings, and 41 jobs in 

Madison and Oneida Counties in 2005. 
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Total Economic Activity Supported by the Nation

The sum of the economic activity supported by spending by the Nation and its employees 

as presented in Tables 3.7-83and 3.7-84 and the economic activity at the Nation itself (i.e., 

the jobs at the Nation is presented in Table 3.7-85). These numbers do not include the 

economic activity generated by off-site visitor spending or Nation employee household 

spending of income from non-Nation sources, as this impact cannot be quantified due to 

lack of data. 

• Two-County Region – The Nation supported 4,913 jobs in Madison and Oneida 

Counties, which is 3.1 percent of all jobs in the two-county area or 31 out of every 

1,000 jobs. A total of $122.0 million in earnings was supported by the Nation. 

• Three-County Region -- The Nation supported 5,781 jobs and $156.5 million in 

earnings in Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga Counties in FY2005, including jobs 

at the Nation and jobs generated by the Nation and its employees’ spending on 

goods and services. 

• New York State -- The total economic activity supported by the Nation in New 

York State includes 6,913 jobs and $205.4 million in earnings. 

Table 3.7-85 

Total Economic Activity, Nation, 2005 

Two-County 

Region 

Three-County 

Region New York State 

 

Earnings 

($000) Jobs Earnings ($000) Jobs Earnings ($000) Jobs 

Economic Activity Generated by 

Spending by the Nation and its 

Employees* 32,079 912 54,012 1,401 97,759 2,312 

Economic Activity at the Nation** 89,964 4,001 102,477 4,380 107,604 4,601 

Total Economic Activity $122,043 4,913 $156,489 5,781 $205,363 6,913 

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc., Bureau of Economic Analysis, RIMSII Multipliers. 

Note: Output is sales or revenues; Earnings include wages, salaries and proprietor’s income. 

*See Tables 3.7-82 and 3.7-83 

**Includes only jobs and earnings of local residents 

3.7.6.2 New Impacts 

Not all spending by the Nation and its employees generates a net new economic impact in 

the region or in New York State. The economic activity generated by the Nation as 

presented in Section 1.10.1 is offset in two ways. First, in the absence of the Turning Stone 

Resort & Casino, part of the money spent on wagering would have been spent at other 

regional businesses. Second, part of the money spent at the Nation’s gas and convenience 

stores would have been spent at other stores in the region. In so far that Nation business 

substituted for other regional business, the Nation did not generate a net new economic 

impact in the region. 
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The following section assesses the net new economic impact of the Turning Stone Resort 

& Casino, the other Nation enterprises, and the Nation government. 

Gaming and Resort 

A review of 36 major gaming economic impact studies by Rose for the National Gambling 

Impact Commission revealed that only about half of the studies included offset effects 

(e.g., the impact of the gaming operation is offset by the loss of business at other local 

establishments). Furthermore, most of the studies that did include these effects did not 

quantify them or report them separately. The majority of the studies follow an “either-or” 

approach in which they assume that all spending by local patrons either constitutes 

substitution of other spending or is net new spending. Gaming impact studies of the first 

group claim that only revenues from out-of-region sources generate a net new regional 

economic impact (Eadington, 1995). This approach assumes that spending by local 

patrons would have occurred at other regional businesses (gaming and non-gaming) in the 

casino’s absence. Gaming studies of the second group assume that all economic activity 

generated by the casino represents net new activity to the region (Cornell, 2001). 

More moderate research studies recognize that most local patrons probably would have 

spent part of the money used for wagering outside the region in the casino’s absence. To 

the extent that the casino is able to “recapture” resident spending that would have 

otherwise left the region, the casino operations contribute a net new impact on the 

regional economy. 

The Leven et al. (1998) study, which analyzes the economic impact of all Missouri casinos, 

is one of the few that quantifies which percent of spending by local patrons represents net 

new economic activity. The study assumes that in the casinos’ absence, local residents 

would have used the money spent at the casinos in three ways: (1) savings; (2) spending at 

out-of-region businesses; and (3) spending at other regional businesses. The study points 

out that even in (3), the casinos’ net impact may still be positive because the alternative use 

(e.g., retail) may have a lower multiplier effect than gaming. Leven et al. used the results 

of a patron telephone survey, data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer 

Expenditures Survey, and estimates of income elasticity of demand to assess how local 

patrons would have spent their money in the casinos’ absence. While certain aspects of the 

implementation of the methodology used by Leven et al. were criticized by Goodman and 

Feser (1998), the reviewers stated that the methodology itself was fundamentally sound. 

Using a moderate approach, the analysis in this section takes into account the source of 

the Nation’s revenues to determine the extent to which the Nation’s spending generated 

net new regional activity. Revenues from out-of-region visitors represent a new flow of 

money into the region and generate net new economic activity. The extent to which 

revenues from local patrons generate net new economic activity in the region, on the other 

hand, depends on how the residents would have used the funds in the Turning Stone 

Resort & Casino’s absence. Local patron revenues generate a net new economic impact 
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only to the extent that the funds would have been used for: (1) savings; (2) spending at 

out-of-region businesses; and (3) spending at regional businesses that generate a lower 

multiplier effect. In the latter case, the net new impact would be the difference between 

the multiplier effect of gaming and other activities. 

Madison and Oneida County residents generated 24 percent of the revenues of the 

Turning Stone Resort & Casino and residents of Onondaga County generated 23 percent. 

A total of 93 percent of the Turning Stone Resort & Casino revenues came from New 

York State residents. While it can be assumed based on national data provided by the 

Bureau of Economic Analysis for 2004, that local patrons would have saved 1.6 percent of 

the money that they spent at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino, where these local 

patrons would have spent the remaining 98.4 percent in its absence depends in part on the 

alternative discretionary spending options in the region and the surrounding areas. 

Because it is difficult to determine where local patrons would have spent their wagering 

budget in the absence of the Turning Stone Resort & Casino, the net new impact of the 

Nation’s gaming and resort activities are assessed using a two-step approach. First, the net 

new impact is calculated under four scenarios, resulting in a range of impact estimates. 

Second, information about alternative discretionary spending options in the region and 

surrounding areas is presented to provide guidance as to where within the range the true 

net new impact is likely to fall. 

Range of Net New Impacts 

The section presents the net new impact of the Nation’s gaming and resort activities under 

four different scenarios, with 25 percent, 50 percent, 75 percent and 95 percent of local 

patron spending representing net new economic activity, respectively (see Table 3.7-86). 

Under these three scenarios, the net new economic impact of gaming and resort in 2005 in 

Madison and Oneida County ranged from $75.5 million to $91.0 million in earnings and 

included 3,250 to 3,916 jobs. The net new impact in the three-county region ranged from 

$73.9 million to $111.5 million in earnings and 2,968 to 4,476 jobs. The net new 

economic impact on the New York State economy ranged from $41.0 million to $129.0 

million in earnings and included 1,557 to 4,909 jobs statewide. 
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Table 3.7-86 

Net New Economic Impact of the Nation’s 

Gaming and Resort Activities 

on Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga Counties and New York State

Percent Net New 

(% of local 

resident 

spending) 

25% 50% 75% 95% 

 Madison and Oneida Counties 

Earnings (in $000s) $75,522 $81,048 $86,574 $90,995 

Jobs 3,250 3,488 3,726 3,916 

Madison, Oneida and Onondaga Counties 

Earnings (in $000s) $73,921 $87,335 $100,749 $111,480 

Jobs 2,968 3,507 4,045 4,476 

New York State 

Earnings (in $000s) $40,993 $72,393 $103,854 $129,022 

Jobs 1,557 2,754 3,951 4,909 

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; Bureau of Economic Analysis, RIMSII. 

Note: Earnings include wages, salaries, and proprietor’s income. 

Alternative Discretionary Spending Options for Residents of Madison, Oneida, and 

Onondaga Counties 

Gaming

The extent to which local patrons would have spent their money on gaming in the Turning 

Stone Resort & Casino’s absence partly depends on the presence of other gaming facilities, 

their characteristics, and their location. While the Turning Stone Resort & Casino is the 

only casino, there are a limited number of other gaming activities in the three-county 

region. For example, regional gaming facilities include a horse race track in Syracuse 

(Onondaga County), called the Syracuse Mile, and another in Vernon (Oneida County), 

called Vernon Downs. These facilities are relatively small with total wagering in 2004 

being $0.5 million and $10 million, respectively. 

Larger gaming facilities are located outside the region but within a two-hour drive from 

Verona. The two race tracks with gaming machines, the Saratoga Gaming and Raceway 

in Saratoga Springs (Saratoga County) and the Finger Lakes Racetrack in Farmington (in 

Ontario County) reported 2004 revenues of $77 million and $55 million, respectively. 

Lakeside Entertainment, the Cayuga tribe’s small Class II gaming facility in Union Springs 

(in Cayuga County) reported revenues of $5 million in 2004. Table 3.7-87 identifies 

points of gaming competition outside the three-county region. 
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Table 3.7-87 

Revenues of Gaming Operations Outside Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga Counties 

and Turning Stone Resort & Casino. 

Distance from 

Verona, New York Gaming Operation Location 

Miles Hours 

Revenues 

Saratoga Gaming and Racing 

Saratoga Springs, New 

York 113 mi 2:05 $77M 

Finger Lake Racetrack Farmington, New York 96 mi 1:41 $55M 

Lakeview Entertainment 

Union Springs, New 

York 75 mi 1:32 $5M 

Turning Stone Resort & Casino Verona, New York 0 mi 0:00 $215M 

Source: Center for Governmental Research, Inc.; Nation ; New York State Racing and Wagering Board; the Louis Berger 

Group, Inc. 

Other Recreation and Entertainment

In the absence of the Turning Stone Resort & Casino, a portion of local patron spending 

would likely have been redirected to other types of recreation and entertainment activities. 

Activities available in the region include museums and galleries, performing arts, and 

sporting events in the City of Syracuse (Onondaga County), historic towns and villages, 

golf courses, and several other opportunities for outdoors recreation throughout the 

region. 

Other Discretionary Spending

Finally, part of the spending would have been redirected to other forms of discretionary 

spending such as clothing and furniture purchases or dining out. Shopping centers in 

Onondaga County include the Carousel Center in Syracuse, the Fingerlakes Mall in 

Auburn, the Great Northern Mall in Clay, the Shoppingtown Mall in DeWitt. In Oneida 

County there is Riverside Center and Senpike Mall in Utica. 

Retail demand and supply estimates from ESRI Business Information Solutions, a private 

provider of market data, show that local retail supply did not meet local demand in 

Madison and Oneida County in 2005. The data also shows that there was a very large 

shortage of eating and drinking establishments in the two-county region. According to 

this data, which does not take into account Nation sales, Madison and Oneida County 

residents spent an estimated total of $109 million on retail and dining out outside of the 

two-county area. 

In the three-county region, local retail supply was larger than local demand (see Table 3.7-

88). Local supply for eating and drinking, on the other hand, did not meet local demand. 

Thus, while local retailers received part of their revenues from customers who reside 

outside the region, out-of-region restaurants fulfilled part of the local residents’ demand 

for eating and drinking. 
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Table 3.7-88 

Demand and Supply 

for Retail and Eating and Drinking Sectors 

Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga Counties, 2005 

(in $millions)

Supply (Sales) Demand Surplus/Leakage 

Madison and Oneida Counties 

Retail $2,335 $2,344 -$9 

Eating and Drinking $294 $394 -$100 

Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga Counties 

Retail $6,683 $6,364 +$319 

Eating and Drinking $849 $1,072 -$223 

Source: ESRI Business Information Solutions, 2005. 

Note: This does not include sales at the Nation Enterprises. 

In summary, there are very few alternative gaming opportunities available in the region. 

In the absence of the Turning Stone Resort & Casino, local residents are most likely to 

visit larger gaming facilities nearby, but outside the region. The data also suggest that 

other types of entertainment and recreation venues within the region, especially indoor 

activities outside the Syracuse area in Onondaga County, are somewhat limited. There is 

also a relative shortage of eating and drinking establishments in both the two- and threecounty region and a shortage of retail opportunities in Madison and Oneida Counties. 

While there is no shortage of retail opportunities in the three-county region, retail 

spending typically generates a smaller multiplier effect than gaming. 

This information suggests that the true net new impact of the Nation’s gaming and resort 

activities in the two-county region is likely to be very close to the upper end of the range 

presented in Table 3.7.86 (earnings ranging from $75.5 million to $91.0 million and 3,250 

to 3,959 jobs). The net new impact on three-county region is also likely to be closer to the 

upper end of the range (earnings ranging from $73.9 million to $111.5 million and jobs 

from 2,968 to 4,476). 

Alternative Discretionary Spending Options for New York State Residents 

In 2005 there were eight major gaming operations in New York State and 17 facilities in 

the surrounding states and Southern Ontario (see Table 3.7-89). The New York casinos’ 

ability to compete with out-of-state casinos is influenced by casino characteristics such as 

size, gaming choices, amenities, image, and location relative to other casinos (Rose, 1998). 

While the revenues of the facilities listed in Table 3.7-89 provide an indication of their 

relative attractiveness, the information is limited as to how the existence of the Turning 

Stone Resort & Casino likely influenced the other casinos’ revenues. 
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Table 3.7-89 

Major Gaming Operations near Turning Stone Resort & Casino, 

New York and Surrounding States and Ontario, Canada

Distance from Verona 

Gaming Operation Location New York 

Miles Hours 

Revenues 

New York State 

Saratoga Gaming and Racing 

Saratoga Springs, New 

 York 113 mi 2:05 $77M (2004) 

Finger Lake Racetrack Farmington, New York 96 mi 1:41 $55M (2004) 

Buffalo Raceway Buffalo, New York 179 mi 2:55 $27M (2004) 

Monticello Raceway Monticello, New York 157 mi 3:11 $32M (2004) 

Turning Stone Resort & Casino Verona, New York 0 mi 0:00 $215M (2004) 

Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Hogansburg, New York 215 mi 3:43 $20M (N/A) 

Seneca Niagara Casino 

Niagara Falls, New 

York 192 mi 3:12 $294M (2004) 

Seneca Allegany Casino Salamanca, New York 237 mi 3:54 $17M (2004) 

Out-of-State 

Casino Niagara and Fallsview Niagara Falls, Ontario 194 mi 3:16 $389M (2004)* 

Fort Erie Racetrack Fort Erie, Ontario 184 mi 3:04 $73M (2004)* 

Thousand Island Charity Casino Gananoque, Ontario 137 mi 2:19 N/A 

Foxwood Casino 

Mashantucket, 

Connecticut 274 mi 4:36 

$820M (win in 

FY2004-05) 

Mohegan Sun Casino Uncasville, Connecticut 269 mi 4:22 

$823M (win in 

FY2004-2005) 

All Casinos in Atlantic City (12) 

Atlantic City, New 

 Jersey 349 mi 5:51 

$4,087M (win in 

2004) 

Source: Center for Governmental Research, Inc.; Nation ; New York State Racing and Wagering Board; the Louis Berger 

Group, Inc. 

Note: * Based on an exchange rate of 1USD=1.166CAD.Source: 

Contrary to the local region, New York State offers a wide selection of gaming, other 

recreational, retail, and eating and drinking opportunities to its residents. It can however 

be reasonably expected that, in the absence of the Turning Stone Resort & Casino, part of 

the spending by New York State residents would have occurred at one or more of the 17 

out-of-state gaming facilities. In so far that the Turning Stone Resort & Casino was able 

to “recapture” this spending, it generated a net new impact for the state. 

Even when spending by state residents at Turning Stone Resort & Casino would have 

replaced other in-state spending, the Turning Stone Resort & Casino could still have had a 

positive net new impact if the replaced activity produced a lower multiplier effect than the 

Turning Stone Resort & Casino. 

Other Nation Enterprises 

The SavOn gas stations and convenience stores are the second largest Nation Enterprise 

after the Turning Stone Resort & Casino. The Nation’s petroleum operations generated 82 

percent of the revenues generated by the Nation’s “Other Enterprises,” which includes all 

Nation Enterprises except the gaming and recreation activities. While it varies by SavOn 
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gas station and convenience store location, the Nation estimates that about 25 percent of 

its gasoline sales are non-local and 60 percent of its cigarette sales are non-local. In review 

of the relative contribution of these products to the costs of goods sold, it can be estimated 

that about 35 percent of sales are attributable to non-local residents (i.e., Madison and 

Oneida county residents) which would be a source of net new economic activity. 

Table 3.7-90 shows the net new impact of the other Nation Enterprises in three different 

scenarios, where 25 percent, 50 percent, 75 percent, and 95 percent of the total spending 

at the Nation’s gas and convenience stores represents net new economic activity. The 

impact on the Madison and Oneida Counties ranged from $3.9 million to $8.3 million in 

earnings and from 131 to 356 jobs. In the three-county area the impact ranged from $8.6 

million to $13.6 million in earnings and from 252 to 491 jobs. Given the above market 

assumptions for the SavOn gas station and convenience store establishments, the net new 

economic activity impact to the two-county region and three-county regions would fall in 

the 25 and 50 percent range. 

The impact on the State ranged from $27.3 million to $35.0 million in earnings and 

included 625 to 932 jobs. Given the market drawing power of the Turning Stone Resort 

& Casino outside New York State, it is likely that net new impact falls below the 25 

percent range. 

As a federally recognized Indian tribe, the Nation does not collect federal, state, and local 

taxes. The Nation elected to tax certain products and services sold by its enterprises in 

order to defray the cost of certain tribal government programs and services. The Nation 

sales tax brings the sale price at the Nation’s gas and convenience stores closer to the 

market price. There remains, however, a difference in the sales price of gasoline and 

tobacco products at the Nation Enterprises and at other stores, mostly because of high 

State excise taxes. 
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Table 3.7-90 

Net New Economic Impact of the Nation’s Other Enterprises 

on Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga Counties and New York State

Percent Net New 25% 50% 75% 95% 

 Madison and Oneida Counties 

Earnings (in $000s) $3,946 $5,509 $7,071 $8,321 

Jobs 131 211 292 356 

Madison, Oneida and Onondaga Counties 

Earnings (in $000s) $8,584 $10,361 $12,137 $13,558 

Jobs 252 337 423 491 

New York State 

Earnings (in $000s) $27,304 $30,061 $32,817 $35,023 

Jobs 625 735 845 932 

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; Bureau of Economic Analysis, RIMSII. 

Note: Earnings include wages, salaries, and proprietor’s income. 

The Nation’s sovereign status combined with its price-driven competitive strategy for the 

SavOn gas station and convenience store market is alleged to have an adverse effect on 

other businesses, as the Nation draws potential sales from other gas stations than it would 

have if it charged the same or higher prices. A tax parity agreement between the Nation 

and the State of New York, under which the Nation would impose a tribal sales and excise 

tax that meets or exceeds the State tax, would address this issue. The Nation and the State 

have been working towards a tax parity agreement since the 1990s (See Section 1.5.2 for 

more information). 

Nation Government 

The operations of the Nation Government are largely supported by the Nation 

Enterprises. Nation Enterprise revenues and tribal taxes on their sales account for about 

90 percent of total Nation Government revenues. The remaining Nation Government 

revenues come from charges for services and federal grants. 

 To the extent that the Nation Government is supported by or through the Nation’s 

business activities, not all the economic activity it generates represents net new activity to 

the region. The net new assumptions about the gaming and resort activities and other 

Nation enterprises (explained above in Sections 1.10.3.1 and _1.10.3.2) are used to 

determine the net new Nation Government economic impact. 

Table 3.7-91 shows that the total net new economic activity generated by the Nation 

Government in the two-county region ranged from $15.4 to $20.9 million in earnings and 

from 418 to 567 jobs. In the three-county region the impact ranged from $17.5 million to 

$27.7 million and 425 to 671 jobs. In New York State the net new impact ranged from 

$13.9 million to $33.1 million and 326 to 778 jobs. 
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Table 3.7-91 

Net New Economic Impact of Nation Government activities 

on Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga Counties and New York State

Percent Net New 25% 50% 75% 95% 

 Madison and Oneida Counties 

Earnings (in $000s) $15,415 $17,380 $19,345 $20,916 

Jobs 418 471 524 567 

Madison, Oneida and Onondaga Counties 

Earnings (in $000s) $17,524 $21,159 $24,793 $27,701 

Jobs 425 513 601 671 

New York State 

Earnings (in $000s) $13,878 $20,744 $27,609 $33,102 

Jobs 326 488 649 778 

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; Bureau of Economic Analysis, RIMSII. 

Note: Earnings include wages, salaries, and proprietor’s income. 

Net New Impact of the Nation 

In summary, the net new impact of the Nation on the Madison and Oneida County 

economy in 2005 ranged from $94.1 million to $120.2 million in earnings and from 3,799 

to 4,839 jobs (see Table 3.7-92). The net new impact on the three-county region included 

$100.0 to $152.7 million in earnings and 3,645 to 5,639 jobs. In New York State the net 

new impact of the Nation ranged from $82.2 million to $197.1 million in earnings and 

from 2,509 to 6,619 jobs. 

Table 3.7-92 

Range of Net New Impact of the Nation 

 Madison and Oneida Counties 

Earnings (in $000s) $94,883 $103,937 $112,990 $120,232 

Jobs 3,799 4,170 4,542 4,839 

 Madison, Oneida and Onondaga Counties 

Earnings (in $000s) $100,029 $118,854 $137,679 $152,739 

Jobs 3,645 4,357 5,069 5,639 

 New York State 

Earnings (in $000s) $82,175 $123,198 $164,280 $197,147 

Jobs 2,509 3,977 5,445 6,619 

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; Bureau of Economic Analysis, RIMSII. 

Note: Earnings include wages, salaries, and proprietor’s income. 

This estimate does not include the impact of off-site visitor spending and the tertiary 

impact (i.e., additional spending by two-worker household with a Nation employee) which 

are additional economic impacts that are associated with Nation operations. 
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3.7.7 Nation Contributions to Federal, State, and Local Government 

As a federally recognized sovereign nation, the Nation is not subject to federal or state 

income taxes. Notwithstanding its nontaxable status, the Nation, through its various 

enterprises, directly or indirectly generates substantial revenues for federal, state and local 

governments. In addition to the Nation’s direct contributions through agreements and 

grants to state and local government, revenues include taxes levied on salaries paid to 

Nation employees and indirectly generated tax revenues such as revenues associated with 

the “multiplier effect” that arise from the purchase of goods and services by the Nation 

and its employees (e.g., when a the Nation employee spends his salary in the community, it 

gives rise to further economic activity which then becomes subject to federal, state, and 

local taxation. See Section 3.7.6). Finally, because of its high degree of self-sufficiency, the 

Nation has assumed many of the governmental, public safety, and social welfare 

expenditures otherwise borne by federal, state, and local government, thereby reducing the 

fiscal burdens placed on those governments. 

3.7.7.1 Federal Government 

Although the Nation is a sovereign nation, and therefore is not subject to federal income 

taxes, its employees pay taxes just as they would if they worked for a non-tribal employer. 

Therefore, these jobs generate a significant amount of revenues for the federal government. 

In FY 2005, Nation employees paid $9.86 million in federal income taxes that were 

withheld from their paycheck. They paid $7.6 million in Social Security and Medicare 

taxes (see Table 3.7-93). 

Table 3.7-93 

Federal Taxes Collected from Employees 

Nation Payroll, FY 2005

Federal Income Tax Social Security and Medicare Tax 

Amount Paid $9.86 m $7.6 m 

Source: Nation Enterprises, FY 2005, Unpublished. 

3.7.7.2 New York State 

State Income Taxes Paid By Nation Employees 

In addition to federal income tax, non-Native American Nation employees pay state 

income taxes. As previously discussed, the Nation is the largest employer in the area, and 

96 percent of its employees are non-Native American. In FY2005, the Nation withheld 

$3.44 million in tax income taxes from its payroll. 

Other Indirectly Generated State Revenues 

The Nation spent $172 million on purchases of goods and services from New York State 

vendors in FY2005. Ninety-eight percent of Nation employees live in New York State and 

received $108 million in payroll in FY2005. In addition to the state personal income 
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taxes, Nation employees pay sales tax on household consumer expenditures such as food, 

apparel and other sundries. 

Through the “multiplier effect”, purchases made by the Nation and its employees generate 

additional economic activity and State tax revenues. It is estimated that the Nation 

indirectly generated a total of $6.5 million in State personal income, corporate income and 

sales tax revenues in 2005. Further detail on the multiplier effect used to make this 

estimate is presented later in this Technical Report. 

New York State – Other Revenue Sources 

The Nation directly contributes to New York State revenues through payments to the New 

York State Police and the New York Racing and Wagering Board. The increased traffic 

generated by the Nation Enterprises generates additional revenues for the New York State 

Thruway Authority. Nation employees pay state income taxes. Additional personal 

income tax revenues as well as corporate income and sales tax revenues are indirectly 

generated by the Nation’s economic activity. 

New York State Police

The New York State Police conducts background investigations on all Casino employees 

and vendors and provides law enforcement services within the Casino. The Nation 

reimburses the State Police for the expenditures related to these services including the cost 

of administrative and casino unit personnel, additional special personnel, fringe benefits, 

and non-personnel service costs. The Nation paid approximately $2.1 million and $2.2 

million to the New York State Police in FY2004 and FY2005, respectively. 

New York Racing and Wagering Board 

Gaming Inspectors from the New York State Racing and Wagering Board conduct regular 

compliance examinations for the Turning Stone Casino. The Nation is required to pay for 

all regulatory expenses incurred by the Board, including personnel and equipment costs. 

The Nation paid $3.1 million and $2.8 million to the New York Racing and Wagering 

Board in FY2004 and FY2005, respectively. In FY2005, expenditures included personnel 

service costs for 13 employees assigned to the Turning Stone Resort & Casino and roughly 

40 administrative employees located in Albany, New York. 

New York State Thruway Authority 

Since the Turning Stone Resort & Casino opened in 1993, traffic flow at Exit 33 along the 

New York State Thruway has increased over 260 percent. By 2003, average daily traffic 

leaving Exit 33 increased to 7,000 vehicles. The largest yearly increase in traffic flow, 

23.5 percent, occurred in 1993, the Casino’s opening year. Annual traffic flow continues 

to increase at rates between 3 and 4 percent each year. 
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In the first twelve years since the casino opened, more than $23.1 million in tolls have 

been paid by vehicles passing through Exit 33. Increased traffic at Exit 33 has generated 

substantial additional revenues for the New York State Thruway Authority. 

Between 1992 and 1993, the year the Turning Stone Resort & Casino opened, toll revenue 

at Exit 33 jumped by about 19 percent. During the casino’s first full year in business 

(between 1993 and 1994), toll revenues collected at Exit 33 increased by an additional 

21.2 percent. Since 1992, traffic exiting at Exit 33 has produced over $41 million in 

revenue, an overall increase of approximately 260 percent. Figure 3.7-19 shows how 

traffic and revenue at Exit 33 continues to increase each year. 

Since the Turning Stone Resort & Casino opened in 1993, traffic flow at Exit 33 along the 

New York State Thruway has increased over 160 percent. By 2005, average daily traffic 

leaving Exit 33 increased to more than 7,000 vehicles. The largest yearly increase in 

traffic flow, 23.5 percent, occurred in 1993, the Casino’s opening year. Annual traffic flow 

continues to increase at rates between 3 and 4 percent each year. 
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Figure 3.7-19 

Exit 33 Traffic Analysis: 

Yearly Entry and Exit Traffic Totals, Percent Increase in Traffic, 1992 – 2005 

Traffic Volumes 

Revenues 

30.6%

23.4%

1.6%

5.5%

13.5%

9.7%

4.3%

2.0%

3.2% 3.2%

3.9%

3.7%

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

Entry Total

Exit Total

Percent Increase

27.0%

12.7%

9.5%

16.5%

3.5%

2.6%

6.1%

8.2%

22.9%

4.8%

$0

$1,000,000

$2,000,000

$3,000,000

$4,000,000

$5,000,000

$6,000,000

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006

Revenue

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

Revenue

Percent Increase
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In the thirteen year span since the casino opened, more than $25.7 million in tolls have 

been paid by vehicles passing through Exit 33. Increased traffic at Exit 33 has generated 

substantial additional revenues for the New York State Thruway Authority. 

Between 1992 and 1993, the year the Turning Stone Resort & Casino opened, toll revenue 

at Exit 33 jumped by about 19 percent. During the casino’s first full year in business 

(between 1993 and 1994), toll revenues collected at Exit 33 increased by an additional 

21.2 percent. Since 1992, traffic exiting at Exit 33 has produced over $46.2 million in 

revenue, an overall increase of approximately 200 percent. Figure 3.7-19 shows how 

traffic and revenue at Exit 33 continues to increase each year. In 2005, the New York 

State Thruway raised toll fares for the first time since 1987. Given that that overall 

percent increase of traffic flow was smaller than it had been in previous years, the sizable 

percent increase in revenue can be largely attributed to this change in toll pricing. No data 

is currently available for 2004 Traffic Totals and Revenues. 

3.7.7.3 Local Governments 

Over the last 15 years the Nation has reacquired lands that were historically part of the 

Oneida homeland. Before the U.S. Supreme Court City of Sherrill vs. Nation decision in 

March 2005, the Nation did not pay local property taxes on the land it reacquired. 

Instead, the Nation chose to make grants to localities to acknowledge its use of municipal 

services provided by local governments attributable to these land purchases. The Nation 

has also entered into municipal service agreements with various local governments to 

ensure that fair payment would be made for essential services and contributed to the 

development of new infrastructure. In addition to describing the ways in which the 

Nation has shared its resources with local communities in recent years, this section also 

lists some of the indirect ways through which the Nation generates revenues for the local 

governments. 

Silver Covenant Chain of Friendship Grants 

The Silver Covenant Chain of Friendship Grants (“Silver Covenant Grant”) is a cultural 

representation of the bonds of friendship the Oneidas forged with the American Colonists, 

as they fought side by side during the Revolutionary War. In 1996, the Nation instituted 

the Silver Covenant Grant Program to provide funds to local school districts. The Program 

was expanded in 1998 to include municipalities. The Town of Verona, the Villages of 

Canastota and Chittenango, and the City of Oneida received Silver Covenant Grant 

distributions. 

From 1996-2005, the Nation made voluntary Silver Covenant Grant payments of $7.7 

million to local governments (see Table 3.7-94). Grants were calculated by multiplying the 

assessed value of Nation-owned land at the time of reacquisition by a rate adjusted yearly 

based on the Central New York Consumer Price Index. In FY 2005 the rate was 3.72 

percent for school districts and 1.49 percent for municipalities. Frequently the amount 

paid to school districts through Silver Covenant Grants has been greater than the amount 
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that would have been paid if the land were not of sovereign status. See Section 3.7.7.3 for 

further examination of the grant amounts. The cash grants help school districts and other 

local governments pay for salaries, equipment, programs and services. Table 3.7-95 

highlights major outlays made by the Nation to schools and municipalities. 

Local governments did not credit these payments against tax bills and sought to foreclose 

on these lands after the Supreme Court’s decision in the City of Sherrill in March 2005. 

The Nation ceased their cash payments in the fall of 2005. 

Nation Payments Credited Against Property Taxes Claimed 

The Nation has made certain payments that have been credited against taxes, interest and 

penalties claimed by certain local governments. 

In mid-2005, the Nation paid Oneida County $650,000, an amount equal to outstanding 

tax bills on 59 Nation-owned properties. 

Pursuant to an October 4, 2005 agreement with the City of Sherrill, the Nation paid the 

City of Sherrill approximately $60,000. The City waived any further demands as to 

principal, penalties or interest with respect to previous property tax bills and considered 

all previous tax bills fully paid. The City also removed any tax liens on the Nation's 

lands. The Nation made an additional payment of $9,315 to the City of Sherrill in 2006, 

that was not part of this agreement and that was credited to its 2006-2007 tax bill. 

Pursuant to a March 15, 2006 agreement with the City of Oneida, the Nation paid the 

City of Oneida approximately $5.1 million. The City waived any further demands as to 

principal, penalties or interest with respect to previous property tax bills and considered 

all previous tax bills fully paid. The City also removed any tax liens on the Nation's 

lands. 

As for future payments to the City of Sherrill and the City of Oneida, the Nation has 

agreed to make payments equal to or exceeding the amount shown on each city's tax bills 

until such time as land is taken into trust by the federal government. Upon these payments, 

each City has agreed to waive any demand for further payment as to the property tax bill 

to which the Nation's payment relates. 

For the 2005-2006 fiscal year, the Nation paid the local school districts a total of $1.2 

million, an amount credited against claimed property taxes. 

Municipal Service Agreements 

The Nation recognizes that it uses many of the municipal services of the towns in which it 

owns property. The Nation and municipalities have signed Municipal Service Agreements 

in order to provide a mechanism by which local governments can be reimbursed for the 

Nation’s use of municipal services. In these agreements, the Nation agrees to pay for 
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services such as water, sewer, and fire protection. In addition to the municipal service 

agreements, the Nation used to have deputization agreements with the Oneida and 

Madison County Sheriffs. The Nation contributed a total of $11.4 million to these service 

agreements. Additionally, the Nation paid a total of $3.2 million to local governments for 

water, sewer and utilities. A more detailed description of the various agreements follows in 

Table 3.7-96. 
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Table 3.7-94 

Silver Covenant Payments by the Nation to Study Area School Districts (in $000s

1996-2005

Local Government County 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 School Districts Canastota Madison $6 $21 $35 $78 $111 $126 $131 $142 $47 Cazenovia Madison 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 Madison Madison 5 10 11 13 14 15 Morrisville Madison 3 3 3 3 3 Oneida Madison 16 19 35 74 95 155 192 188 201 Stockbridge Madison 3 5 14 63 109 123 125 27 Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Oneida 120 165 239 382 445 510 603 591 624 Total 145 210 327 603 774 929 1,068 966 993 Other Localities City of Oneida Madison 100 Oneida County Oneida 79 163 45 Village of Canastota Madison 103 15 16 Town of Verona Oneida 218 231 Chittenango Madison Total 79 163 45 103 233 347 Grand Total $ 145 $ 210 $ 406 $ 767 $ 820 $ 929 $ 1,172 $ 1,199 $ 1,339 

Source: The Nation 
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Table 3.7-95 Silver Covenant Chain of Friendship Grants 

Over the past eight years, the Nation has made Silver Covenant Grants totaling nearly $8 million. The cash 

grants assist school districts and local governments to pay for salaries, equipment, programs and services. 

VERNON-VERONA-SHERRILL SCHOOLS - $3.98 million since 1996 

Vernon-Verona-Sherrill schools have received the largest portion of Silver Covenant funds, because most of 

the Nation’s current land holdings are in that district. The district uses 80 percent of its grants to pay the 

salaries of 11 full-time teachers and one half-time teacher. The remaining funds cover equipment, staff 

development and college scholarships. 

ONEIDA CITY SCHOOLS - $1.08 million since 1996 

The Nation's grants to the Oneida City Schools have contributed to the stabilization of the district's 

programming costs. Like Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Schools, Oneida uses 80 percent of its grants to pay 

teacher salaries, with the balance for equipment and various types of instructional support. 

CANASTOTA CENTRAL SCHOOLS - $864,000 since 1996 

The Canastota School District was able to reduce its tax rate by 4 percent and pay for additional reading 

and math staff with its Silver Covenant Grant, which offset a loss of over $500,000 in state aid to the district. 

STOCKBRIDGE VALLEY SCHOOLS - $469,000 since 1996 

MADISON CENTRAL SCHOOLS - $76,000 since 1999 

The Madison Central School District dedicates its Silver Covenant funds to extra programs that cannot be 

financed through the district’s regular operating budget. The grants cover the costs of the art, music and 

drama departments, plus field trips, classroom supplies, and supplemental instructional materials. 

CAZENOVIA CENTRAL SCHOOLS - $15,000 since 1996 

For several years, the Cazenovia School District has channeled its Silver Covenant money into its school 

libraries, buying books that the district otherwise could not afford through its operating budget. 

MORRISVILLE EATON SCHOOLS - $16,000 since 2000 

The Morrisville Eaton School District has purchased computers and software with its Silver Covenant 

Grants, essential resources which are not provided through the district’s operating budget. 

 

TOWN OF VERONA - $570,000 since 2003 

The Town of Verona used its grant to reduce property taxes by 58 percent in 2004 by direct application of 

the grants. Funding to date was used for infrastructure improvements, such as the installation of an energysaving heating system in the Town Building, as well as the purchase of two dump trucks and snow plow 

equipment that would not have been possible without the grants without raising taxes. 

VILLAGE OF CANASTOTA - $142,000 since 2002 

The Village of Canastota joined the Silver Covenant Program in 2002, receiving a one-time grant of 

$100,000 and annual payments of about $13,000. The village put this money into its general fund to help 

offset the costs of equipment purchases, such as a new snowplow, as well as improvements to the 

municipal pool, recreation fields and other facilities. 

CITY OF ONEIDA - $100,000 since 2004 

In 2004, the Nation presented a one-time gift to the City of Oneida in recognition of the government-togovernment relationship between the two entities. Oneida purchased hand pump equipment and made roof 

repairs for the fire department training building that would otherwise have had to been drawn from City 

revenues. 

COUNTY OF ONEIDA - $287,000 since 1998 

VILLAGE OF CHITTENANGO -- In July 2005, the Nation gave $125,000 in the Village of Chittenango to 

pay for downtown street lights and their installation. This was a much needed boost to the downtown 

improvement and beautification project. 

Source: The Nation, 2005, Unpublished. 
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Water and Sewer Agreements. The Nation has six water and/or sewer agreements with 

various municipalities. There are two with the Village of Canastota, three with the City of 

Oneida, and one with the Town of Verona: 

• Canastota and the Nation signed two sewer agreements, one to connect a SavOn 

gas station and convenience store to the sewer system and another to connect other 

properties to the sewer system. The Nation paid a one time fee of $1200 to 

connect the SavOn gas station and convenience store. The SavOn gas station and 

convenience store and other Nation properties pay an agreed upon amount for the 

services received. In the case of residential uses, Nation members pay the same 

user fees as those who reside outside the village pay. 

• In 1993, the Nation paid for and constructed the extension of a sewer line in the 

City of Oneida to service its properties on Route 46. Additionally, in 2004, the 

Nation and The City of Oneida agreed to construct, maintain, and operate a water 

distribution system to provide water to Nation members living in housing provided 

by the Oneida Nation Housing Authority (OINHA). The Nation retained full title 

of the facilities, but agreed to lease the facilities to the City of Oneida to maintain 

and operate. The City has the right to charge OINHA users the same rate it 

charges other users. The third water agreement that the Nation and the City of 

Oneida negotiated concerns reclaimed water. The Nation constructed a pipeline to 

deliver reclaimed water to maintain its golf courses and reimburses the City for 

services. However, it does not pay for the reclaimed water. 

• The Nation signed a water and sewer agreement with the Town of Verona in 

1995, which was updated in 1996. The estimated cost of the additional facilities 

was $7 million. After the completion of construction, the Nation gave the facilities 

to the town, which could, in turn, charge users. 
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Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-96 

Nation Municipal Service Agreements 

Date Local Government Name Amount Purpose Key Terms 

Jan-94 Oneida County Police Deputization - 

Allowed Nation Police to make arrests of non-Indian subjects on Nation land and use the State court system for prosecution. 

Agreement was cance2000 

Oct-94 Madison County Police Deputization - 

Allowed Nation Police to make arrests of non-Indian subjects on Nation land and use the State court system for prosecution. 

Agreement was cance2000 

18-Aug-98 Canastota SavOn Sewer $1,200 To connect SavOn properties to the Canastota sewer system. 

One time back charge Transportation costs othe "user charges," whTransportation costs oproperties are 10% of charges" and "capital 

14-Mar-02 Canastota Sewer Use Agreement $61,747 To allow the use of the Village's sewer system and Wastewater Treatment Facility. 

The Village will charge same manner it does village. The agreement appliethe SavOn Gas StatioRoute 13. 

14-Mar-02 Canastota 

Fire Protection 

Service 

Agreement 

$106,903 

To obtain fire protection services for Nation properties within the village boundaries 

The Nation will pay an $0.08/square foot of ayear. Square footage is calcfloors for commercial for residential propertiAnnual payments will anniversary of the agrAnnual payments will CPI. The Nation will allow tNation lands to condu
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Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Date Local Government Name Amount Purpose Key Terms 6-Aug-93 City of Oneida Intercommunity Sewer Agreement $238,706 

To have the benefits of a safe and sanitary sewer system to service Nation territory located on Route 46 in the city, as well as to service other properties owned by the Nation at the intersection of Route 46 and Union Street. 

The Nation will use mServices grant to fundsewer extension line tsystem. The Nation will lease tCity and the City shall responsibility for the othe line. The Nation shall contrconstruction, which wiFederal, State, and loregulations. Both parties agree thagenerate and add to thgallons/day. The entire cost of conNation. The City will be respo

10-Mar-98 City of Oneida Reclaimed Water Agreement $2,531,897 

To use reclaimed water from the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) of the City for the irrigation of grass at a golf course of the Nation to be off Patrick Road, Town of Verona, New York, and for other potential future uses. 

The Nation will constrfacilities to deliver recfrom the City WWTP. The expected load is The City will seek a pewastewater to be used The City shall provide Nation will reimburse tThe City shall undertacustomary repairs. The Nation will not pawill have first priority o

1.75 million gallons/da
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Date Local Government Name Amount Purpose Key Terms 

27-Jul-04 City of Oneida Lease Agreement $756,636 

The City will lease, maintain, repair and operate water mains, pipes, valves, hydrants, distribution mains, and appurtenances used in the sale and distribution of water to consumers residing on OINHA (Oneida Nation Housing Authority) properties located in The City of Oneida. The City will supply water and water service directly to the residents. 

OINHA and the City agree to cooperate in the constoperation of the Facilities. Legal title of the Facilities shall be and remain in OIInasmuch as OINHA does not have the capacity to water supply system, OINHA shall lease the FacilitieOINHA shall have complete control over every facet Facilities, which shall be in accordance with the stanState, and City laws, ordinances and regulations. The City agrees to operate, maintain and repair, at ito provide water and water service to the end users The City shall charge and collect from the retail userates and charges for water service that the city precollects from users of the City Water System. The City shall be compensated for its services and rfrom the receipt of the usage fees that the city shall OINHA shall pay to the City a charge for the maintehydrants on the property. This was fully funded by an Indian Health Services g

Mar-99 City of Sherrill 

Sanitation 

Facilities for 

Marble Hill 

Homes 

$430,337 

To obtain sanitation facilities for Nation members residing in the Marble Hill District Area. 

The Nation will ensure and provide for water and seappoint of five feet outside homes approved for servThe Nation used its own funds ($115,070) and fund($315,266). 

Apr-93 Verona Addition to Town Hall $300,000 

A gift to the town of Verona to build an addition to the Town Hall. 
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Date Local Government Name Amount Purpose Key Terms 

30-May-95 Verona 

Water and 

Sewer 

System 

$6,840,545 

To make a gift to the Town, which the Town shall use to construct the water and sewer system 

The Town will establish wateprovide the administrative meDistricts to own, operate and systems. The Nation agrees that, upon necessary approvals and perconstruction of the water and execution of the agreements of Oneida in a form satisfactoshall use its resources to conestimated to be approximatesewer system facilities identientitled "Route 365 Corridor Upon the completion of the fashall gift the facilities to the Daccept the gift. The Nation agrees to pay a rmodified from time to time as the Nation's use of the water shall be based upon the per the Nation's facilities that are sewer systems multiplied by 

25-Jan-05 Verona 

Fire 

Protection 

Service 

Agreemen

t 

For Fire 

Protection: 

FY2005 - 

$75,000 

FY2006 to date - 

$50,000 

For Training: 

FY2005 - 

$15,857 

FY2006 to date -

$12,539 

To provide fire protection and rescue services to the Nation's commercial and residential properties on sovereign Nation land in Verona, New York, and within Verona Fire District No.3, including, without limitation, all structures located at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino Enterprise, the Inn at Turning Stone, and the Villages at Turning Stone. 

The terms of the agreement 2005, to January 31, 2006. The Nation shall pay the Fire $100,000 in quarterly installmThe Nation and the Fire Protdevelop a Critical Incident Trfirefighter employed by the Fbe required to attend. The Plimited to, a layout of the struof the Enterprise and the meplan shall be implemented. This is funded by a grant from 

Source: The Nation
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Fire Protection Agreement. The Nation has signed fire protection agreements with Verona 

and Canastota. Both agreements secure fire protection of Nation properties in the event of 

an emergency. In both cases, the Nation has agreed to allow the fire department onto its 

properties for inspections. 

• The Verona Fire District encompasses approximately 27 square miles of the Town 

of Verona including the hamlets of Verona and Sconondoa, a ten-mile section of 

the New York State Thruway, Interstate Route 365, State Route 31 and several 

major Nation enterprises. In 2004, the Department included 60 trained and 

qualified personnel including 24 Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel. 

Nation enterprises protected by the Fire Department include the Turning Stone 

Resort & Casino, the Inn at Turning Stone, The Turning Stone Convention Center, 

the Lodge Hotel, the Turning Stone Resort & Casino Parking Garage, the Turning 

Stone Resort & Casino Tower Hotel, Sav-On Gas, Sav-On Diesel, Sav-On Car 

Care, the Turning Stone RV Park, the Patrick Road Maintenance Facility, 

Shenendoah Clubhouse and three of the Nation’s Golf course. The Fire 

Department also provides fire protection and rescue for homes, barns, and storage 

buildings utilized by the Nation’s Housing Authority, Construction Division and 

Agricultural Division. 

The Verona Fire Department, in conjunction with the Nation’s staff, have trained at the 

casino on numerous occasions to become familiar with the layout and operations. The 

Verona Fire District/Verona Fire Department has prepared Annual Reports to the Nation 

outlining the extent of their services and activities with the Nation addressing such topics 

as: personnel and organization; training and operations at Turning Stone Resort & Casino 

related to fire and emergency medical services; equipment and apparatus; incident 

responses and call volumes; significant incidents; and needs for new equipment. The 

Annual Report provides substantial detail, enabling the Nation and Verona to identify key 

issues and concerns. The report can be seen as a model for the type of detail needed to 

support communications relevant to monitoring future service agreements. 

The Nation has paid the Verona Fire Department about $653,000 since 1993 for fire 

protection, emergency rescue, and first aid services on Nation land located within the 

Verona Fire District (see Table 3.7-97). In 1993, the Nation and the Verona Fire 

Department negotiated a $10,000 contract for fire protection services associated with the 

Casino. The contract was renegotiated in 1994 and 1995 for an annual value of $18,000. 

In 1996 the Nation and the Verona Fire Department agreed to a formula-based method 

for calculating the contract value that consisted of the payment of $0.077709 per square 

foot of built space, which would be annually adjusted for inflation based on the CPI. The 

agreement was renewed for 8 years, with an annual contract value of $92,623 based on 

1,012,054 square feet of space in 2003 (value derived from $0.08 per square foot with a 

CPI adjustment of 1.114). 
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Table 3.7-97 

Nation Payments to Verona Fire District 

1993-2004

Year of Contract Payments 

Negotiated Value 

1993 $10,000 

1994 18,000 

1995 18,000 

Formula-based 

1996 28,000 

1997 28,000 

1998 57,112 

1999 63,594 

2000 71,028 

2001 75,818 

2002 90,803 

2003 92,623 

Negotiated Value 

2004 100,000 

Total $652,978 

Source: Verona Fire District. 

The Verona Fire District and the Nation negotiated in the Fall and Winter of 2004 

regarding the appropriate criteria for cost determination as well as the cost of an annual 

fire protection agreement addressing the capital and operational needs of the Verona Fire 

District. The Verona Fire District notes that during this period it advised the Nation that 

the square foot of the Nation’s property within the Verona Fire District was now 

estimated to approach 3 million square feet with the imminent completion of additional 

structures (e.g., parking garage, Tower Hotel, the Lodge Hotel, Co-Gen facility, Event 

Center, and several casino expansions) which would have resulted in a $240,000 annual 

agreement amount, utilizing the prior method for cost determination. Additionally, 

according to the Verona Fire District, the number of calls associated with the Nation 

properties and with motor vehicle accidents on surrounding roads had nearly doubled 

between 1999 and 2004 to almost 400 annually, including 72 calls for service on Nation 

land in 2003. The 72 Nation-related calls included 1 structure fire, 2 car fires, 5 

hazardous conditions (such as fuel spills) and 17 Emergency Medical Service (EMS) related 

calls (Verona Fire District/Verona Fire Department, 2004). There were 20 calls for motor 

vehicle accidents and 28 Turning Stone Resort & Casino alarm calls including fires and 

false alarms. The reported number of calls (73) in conjunction with Nation owned 

facilities in 2003 was up sharply from 2000 (17 calls), 2001 (33 calls) and 2002 (40 calls). 

The reported Nation facility calls accounted for under 20 percent of the calls for assistance 

in 2003 (73 out of 430 calls). 
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According to the Verona Fire District, during these negotiations they notified the Nation 

that they intended to 1) utilize the increased funding to acquire a needed ladder truck for 

protection; and 2) convert the fire department to a combination-type (i.e., paid and 

volunteer staff) due to the increase in call volumes. 

A new Agreement between the Nation and the Verona Fire Department was effectuated in 

the winter of 2004. The new Agreement cancelled the prior square footage method for 

cost determination, in preference for a fixed amount of $100,000 annually without 

adjustments for square footage. The Verona Fire Department accepted this agreement, 

albeit with reservations that they were under-compensated in relationship to other resort 

complexes elsewhere in the country, alleging that the amount was inadequate to address 

their ladder truck or staffing needs. 

In response to the Nation’s Trust Application, the Verona Fire District has indicated in a 

letter from Phil DuChene, Secretary/Treasurer of Verona Fire District to Deputy 

Supervisor, Town of Verona dated October 2, 2005, that it seeks a denial of the Trust 

Application or alternatively a compensation clause that would involve federal 

compensation or Nation compensation at the previously negotiated rate of $0.08 per SF 

(all floors commercial and residential) with CPI adjustments. Alternatively, the Fire 

District would accept an assessed value basis identical to the rate in the remainder of the 

District. 

• In 2004, the Verona Fire Department developed a Fire/Rescue Mutual Aid Plan 

including more than 100 firemen from the Verona Fire Department and from other 

departments in the event of a large-scale fire, rescue or EMS event at the Turning 

Stone Resort & Casino. As part of this plan equipment and/or manpower will be 

contributed by the Verona, Rome, Oneida, Sherrill, Oneida Castle, Durhamville, 

New London, Vernon, Vernon Center Fire Departments, the Vineall Ambulance 

Service and the Oneida County Fire and Oneida County EMS coordinators. The 

Nation received a grant from the BIA to help pay for the costs of a fire safety and 

training program for fire departments that are part of the Turning Stone 

Fire/Rescue Mutual Aid Plan. 

• In Canastota, the Nation agreed to pay $0.08 a square foot a year for all of its 

buildings and structures. Square footage is based on the ground floor of residential 

and all floors for commercial buildings. Under the agreement, the annual fee is 

adjusted to the Consumer Price Index. 

Police Agreements The Nation Police Department enacted deputization agreements with 

the Sheriff of Oneida County and with the Sheriff of Madison County. The agreements, 

which were enacted in January 1994 and October 1994, respectively, allowed Nation 

police to make arrests of non-Indian subjects on Nation land and to use the state court 

system for prosecution. The agreements were cancelled by the respective local 

governments in April 2000. 
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Infrastructure Development 

The Nation has provided more than $9 million in the last 10 years to improve and develop 

infrastructure systems belonging to surrounding local governments and benefiting the local 

residents. These projects support the Nation Government and Enterprises, but also 

provide critical services to neighboring communities. 

• Verona Water Line Expansion and Water Tower. The Nation paid for a $2.6 

million water line expansion. It also paid for a $1 million water tower in 1997, 

which is part of the Water and Sewer Agreement with the Town of Verona and 

reported above. After construction, both were provided as a gift to the Town of 

Verona. The Nation is now a customer of the town for water and sewer services, 

and Verona earns regular revenues from these sales. 

• Feasibility Studies. The Nation has paid for feasibility studies for the Town of 

Verona’s infrastructure needs for several years, most recently assisting with about 

$100,000 in costs. 

• City of Oneida Sewer System Improvements. The Nation paid $5 million for sewer 

system improvements for the City of Oneida that it could not otherwise afford 

without raising taxes. 

• Commitment for Water System Improvements. The Nation spent $1.5 million in 

an effort to develop a new water system in Oneida County that would serve several 

towns and add 13 miles of water line. The system improvements would address 

the Nation’s water needs and also generate revenues for the Town of Verona, its 

partner. Three other towns would also have had the opportunity to tap the line 

for development and future revenues. However, the development of the system – 

a $10 - $11 million investment commitment provided by the Nation – has been 

delayed due to state processes and procedures. 

Property Tax Payments by Nation Employees 

A total of 3,641 Nation employees, 87 percent of total Nation employment, live in 

Madison County and Oneida County. A total of 650 employees live in ZIP code 13421, 

which roughly corresponds to the City of Oneida and 324 live in ZIP code 13032, which 

includes the Village of Canastota, the Town of Lenox, and the majority of the Town of 

Lincoln. (See Table 3.7-98). 
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Table 3.7-98 

Residential and Work Location of Nation Employees, 2005 

Local Government ZIP Code Employees by Place of 

Residence 

Madison County 

Canastota/Lenox/Lincoln 13032 324 

Cazenovia/Fenner 13035 14 

Stockbridge 13409 94 

Sullivan 13037 80 

Oneida 13421 650 

Municipalities listed above 1,162 

Total Madison County 1,227 

 

Oneida County 

Sylvan Beach 13157 49 

Sherrill 13461 151 

Vernon 13476 152 

Vernon Center 13477 27 

Verona 13478 172 

Durhamville 13054 80 

Augusta 13425 16 

Total Municipalities listed above 647 

Total Oneida County 2,414 

Madison and Oneida County 3,641 

Notes: Residential location is reported at the ZIP code and county level; At the ZIP code level, residential location was 

only available for 3,641 of the 4,001 Nation employees who live in Madison and Oneida Counties 

Source: Nation 

Nation employees who own or rent homes in these communities within Madison or 

Oneida Counties directly, or indirectly, pay property taxes to the counties, municipalities 

and school districts. Annual employee property tax payments to Madison and Oneida 

Counties and to municipalities and school districts where the Nation owns land are 

estimated at more than $5 million. 

County Hotel Receipts/Occupancy Tax Revenues 

Oneida County hotel occupancy tax revenue data over the 12-year period 1992-2004 

indicates that these revenues have increased alongside the growth in the Turning Stone 

Resort & Casino operations, suggesting that as the facility expanded its range of offerings 

to attract visitors, there have been “spill over” business opportunities for local businesses 

and the government to capture (Figure 3.7-20). 
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$200,000

$240,000

$280,000

$320,000

$360,000

$400,000

1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

Occupancy tax revenues continued to grow after the Nation started providing on-site 

lodging. The Nation’s first on-site lodging facility was The Hotel, which opened in 

September , 1997. 

Figure 3.7-20 

Oneida County Visitor Hotel Occupancy Tax, 1992-2004 

Source: Oneida County Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2005. 

Other Indirectly Generated Local Tax Revenues 

As shown above in Table 3.7-98, a total of 3,641 employees live in Madison and Oneida 

Counties. Employees spend part of their earnings at local businesses in the counties and 

municipalities where they live and work and pay local sales taxes. The vendors from 

which Nation employees buy goods and services use part of their revenues to generate 

more local economic activity, which in turn creates more local tax revenues. 

The expenditures made by Nation Enterprises, Nation Government, and its employees 

stimulate additional economic activity and tax revenues through the multiplier effect. In 

2005 the Nation spent a total of $22 million at businesses located in Madison and Oneida 

Counties, which in turn used part of their revenues for employee compensation payments 

and to buy goods and services from other local businesses, generating more local economic 

activity and tax revenues. 

Including the multiplier effect, spending by the Nation and its employees generated an 

estimated $580,000 in sales tax revenues for Madison and Oneida Counties and the Study 

Area municipalities. 
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Summary of the Nation’s Direct Payments 

As discussed above, the Nation has made a total $7.7 million of Silver Covenant payments 

to local governments, has reimbursed several municipalities for the use of their services 

through agreements for a total of $11.4 million, has paid an additional $3.2 million to 

local governments for utilities, water and sewer, and has contributed more than $9 million 

in the last 10 years to local government infrastructure projects. The Nation paid a total of 

$1.2 million in 2005-2006 to the local school districts and to the City of Sherrill in the Fall 

of 2005. In March 2006 the Nation paid $5.1 million to the City of Oneida, which 

exceeds the total principal amount in property taxes billed by the City to the Nation. In 

total, the Nation directly paid $38.5 million to the local governments in Madison and 

Oneida Counties (see Table 3.7-99). Local governments credited $6.9 million against 

claimed property taxes. (See Section 3.7.9.4.) 

3.7.7.4 Burden Reduction through Drive for Self-Sufficiency 

Because the Nation has charted a path towards greater self-sufficiency and being a 

responsible partner with local governments, the Nation has assumed various 

governmental, public safety and social welfare responsibilities, making expenditures 

otherwise borne by the federal, state and local governments. In so doing, the Nation has 

assisted in reducing the fiscal burden placed on those governments. For example, the 

Nation’s ability to provide medical insurance, tuition assistance and housing subsidies for 

all of its members means that those individuals are making relatively fewer demands on 

the social services provided by State and local governments. 
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Table 3.7-99 

Direct Payments to Local Governments (in $000s) ,1995-2005 

Silver 

Covenant 

Payments 

Municipal 

Service 

Agreements 

Other Utility/ 

Water/Sewer 

Payments 

Infrastructure 

Payments 

Other 

Payments 

Total 

Payments 

Counties 

Madison County 

Oneida County 287 1500 650 2,437 

 

Municipalities 

City of Oneida 100 3,527 460 4,977 5,089 14,153 

City of Sherrill 430 267 6 766 

Town of Augusta 

Town of Cazenovia 

Town of Fenner 

Town of Lenox 

Town of Lincoln 

Town of Smithfield 

Town of 

Stockbridge 

Town of Sullivan 

Town of Vernon 6 6 

Town of Verona 570 7,294 2447 2,700 13,011 

Village of Canastota 142 169 16 327 

Village of 

Chittenango 125 125 

Village of Sylvan 

Beach 

Village of Vernon 28 28 

 

School Districts 

V.V.S 3,976 298.4 4,274 

Stockbridge 469 137.1 606 

Oneida 1,082 510 1,592 

Canastota 864 176.5 1,041 

Madison 76 11.1 87 

Morrisville 16 2.1 18 

Cazenovia 15 0 15 

 

Total 7,722 11,421 3,223 9,177 6,943 38,486 
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3.7.8 Other Regional and Community Contributions 

3.7.8.1 Oneida Nation Foundation 

The prosperity created by its enterprises enables the Nation to support national and local 

charities and philanthropic initiatives throughout the United States and Indian Country. 

The Oneida Nation Foundation was formed to build upon the Oneida people’s long 

tradition of sharing its resources with others to meet current needs and plan for the 

generations to come. The Foundation has maintained a focus on health, education, youth 

programs and environmental preservation. The Nation’s annual giving program makes 

special large gifts as well as smaller community gifts to a wide variety of organizations 

each year. The Foundation makes monetary contributions to government and non-profit 

organizations located in the Central New York region, the state and the U.S. In 2004, the 

Oneida Nation Foundation supported nearly 80 organizations through financial awards, 

in-kind services, and equipment. Local organizations that have received repeated 

contributions from the Nation include the Great Swamp Conservancy, Inc. in Canastota, 

the YWCA of the Greater Tri-Valley in the City of Oneida, and Rome Area Chamber of 

Commerce (see Table 3.7-100 and Table 3.7-101). To date, the Nation has provided New 

York State organizations with more than $384,000 in cash. 

Table 3.7-100 

National and Regional Philanthropy – Recent Examples 

• Smithsonian Institution Museum of the American Indian – The Nation pledged 

$10 million to help build the museum and house an exhibit of the Nation’s history. 

• Tsunami Relief – In January 2005, the Nation gave a $1 million cash gift. 

• Harvard University Law School in American Indian Law – The Nation contributed 

$10 million to endow a chair in American Indian Law. 

• Tri-Valley YMCA, headquartered in Oneida, benefited from the Nation’s donation 

of all site preparation work – dirt and gravel; earth-moving machines, heavy 

equipment operation – to assist in a major building expansion. The in-kind gift 

has been valued at over $15,500. 

• Children’s Museum of History, Science and Technology in Utica sought to 

renovate exhibits and build a longhouse at the museum. The Nation donated 

$10,000 for “hardware” components and lent staff (e.g., historian, videography 

and animation) to develop interactive teaching tools and augment displays. 
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Table 3.7-101 

Recent Community Grants 

Each year hundreds of requests are granted for charitable contributions, sponsorships, fundraising contests, 

booster clubs, door prizes, and raffle items in the Central New York region. Over the last year, the Nation 

provided over $185,000 in donations to charitable and civic and not-for-profit organizations, including: 

AFL-CIO Labor Council 

Alzheimer’s Association of Central New York 

American Cancer Society 

ARC Oneida-Lewis Chapter 

ARC of Onondaga Foundation 

Boys & Girls Clubs of Syracuse 

Can-Am Lacrosse Association 

Canastota Children’s Council 

Central New York Korean School 

Central Oneida County Volunteer Ambulance Corps 

Central New York Stamp, Coin & Cover Show 

Children’s Museum of History, Natural History, Science & Technology 

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation 

Earlville Food Cupboard 

Erie Canal School Boat Foundation 

Faxton-St. Luke’s Children’s Miracle Network 

Friends of the ARC Foundation 

Girls Inc. of the Mohawk Valley 

Great Swamp Conservancy 

Herkimer County Community College 

Hiawatha Seaway Council-Boy Scouts 

Hospice & Palliative Care 

Leadership Mohawk Valley 

Leatherstocking Ballet 

Madison County Children’s Camp 

Madison County Office for the Aging 

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York 

Manlius Pebble Hill School 

Mohawk Valley Ballet 

Mohawk Valley Frontiers Club 

NAACP of Oneida County 

Narragansett Indian Tribal Youth Program 

National Multiple Sclerosis Society 

NYS Coalition for the Aging 

Oneida City Schools 

Oneida County Historical Society 

Oneida Firemen’s Benevolent Association 

Onondaga Community College Foundation 

Perdido River Farms 4-H Program 

Post 229 American Legion 

Present Company Productions 

Rescue Mission 

Resource Center for Independent Living 

Rome Area Chamber of Commerce 

Rome Police Department 

Ronald McDonald House of CNY 

Rotary Club of Rome 

Solvay Tigers A.C. 

Special Olympics Onondaga County 

Stanley Theatre 

Stevens-Swan Humane Society 

Sylvan-Verona Beach Resort Association 

Syracuse Golden Gloves Charities 
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Syracuse Northeast Community Center 

Utica Curling Club 

Utica Professional Firefighters Charity 

Vera House 

Vietnam Veterans of Central New York 

VietNow of Oneida 

Wanderers Rest Humane Association 

YMCA of the Mohawk Valley 

YWCA of the Tri-Valley Region 

Source: Oneida Indian Nation, 2005, Unpublished 

3.7.8.2 Scholarship Program 

In addition to the Scholarship Program for Nation members, the Nation started an 

ongoing scholarship program in 2003 for local students (who are not Nation members), 

which distributes $100,000 each year as 20 one-time grants of $5,000 to seniors in four 

high schools in the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, Canastota, Oneida, and Stockbridge school 

districts. The grants are designed to give financial assistance to students and their families 

for higher education. Scholarship recipients are selected based on several criteria, including 

academic ranking, community and school involvement, special needs, individual 

hardships, and potential for future success. The criteria mirror the experiences of the 

Nation – financial struggles, obstacles and hardships that must be overcome and the 

achievement of success through higher education despite initial disadvantages and 

difficulties. By June 2005, the Nation had awarded a total of $300,000 in scholarships to 

60 students, promoting educational opportunity for high school seniors in Madison and 

Oneida Counties. This program was suspended after the City of Sherrill v. Oneida 

Nation, 544 U.S. 197 (2005) Supreme Court ruling. 

3.7.9 Fiscal Conditions 

3.7.9.1 Local Government Revenues 

Madison and Oneida Counties 

Oneida and Madison Counties, like the local municipalities within them, collect revenue 

from several sources. These sources include taxes, aid from the state and federal 

governments, intra-governmental aid and interest payments. 

In 2003, the latest year for which statewide data are available, Madison and Oneida 

Counties generated $347 million in revenues. As can be seen in the Table 3.7-102, the 

counties receive revenues from a variety of sources with taxes being the single largest 

revenue category. The counties also receive a large portion of funding from state and 

federal aid and from other governments, such as town and village payments. 
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Table 3.7-102 

Total Revenues and Sources of Revenue, 

Madison and Oneida County, 2003

County Total Revenue Property 

Tax 

NonProperty 

Tax 

State 

Aid 

Federal 

Aid 

Other 

Governments Interest Other 

Madison $73,840,419 32.7% 10.9% 17.6% 13.0% 2.8% 0.4% 22.6% 

Oneida $273,309,591 21.2% 21.2% 19.1% 20.8% 7.1% 0.3% 10.3% 

Source: New York State Comptroller’s Special Report on Municipal Affairs, 2003; The Louis Berger Group, Inc., 2005. 

As shown in Table 3.7-103, Madison County receives an overwhelming majority (71 

percent) of its tax-related revenues from property taxes, while Oneida County receives just 

less than 50 percent of its tax-related revenues from property taxes. In contrast to 

Madison County, Oneida County depends more heavily on sales taxes. The “Other Tax” 

category includes payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOTs), which are payments made to 

compensate a local government for lost revenues, real property transfer tax, hotel 

occupancy tax, and off-track betting tax. 

Municipalities with Nation Land 

Municipalities collect revenue from the same major sources as the counties, although the 

amount and share generated from each source differs. The following sections illustrate 

various revenue sources and amounts for municipalities where the Nation owns land (see 

Tables 3.7-104 and 3.7-105) 

Table 3.7-103 

Total Tax Revenues and Sources of Tax Revenue 

Madison and Oneida County, 2003

County Total Tax 

Revenues 

Property Taxes 

and Assessments Sales Tax Other Tax 

Madison $32,216,945 71.2% 24.2% 4.6% 

Oneida $115,949,137 47.1% 49.2% 3.7% 

Source: New York State Comptroller’s Special Report on Municipal Affairs, 2003; The Louis Berger Group, Inc., 2005. 
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Table 3.7-104 

Revenues and Sources of Revenue 

Study Area Municipalities with Nation Land, 2003

Municipality Total 

Revenue 

Real 

Property 

Taxes 

NonProperty 

Taxes 

State 

Aid 

Federal 

Aid 

Other 

Government 

Interest Other 

Village of 

Canastota $ 3,456,531 37.1% 15.4% 3.9% 8.9% 3.1% 0.9% 30.7% 

Cazenovia $ 1,773,280 60.0% 0.0% 23.9% 2.8% 4.1% 0.8% 8.4% 

Fenner $780,424 50.4% 0.0% 16.8% 11.2% 0.0% 0.5% 21.1% 

Lenox $1,732,843 59.7% 1.0% 15.8% 0.0% 2.7% 0.9% 19.9% 

Lincoln $469,287 69.1% 0.9% 21.5% 1.6% 1.5% 1.0% 4.2% 

Smithfield $436,217 75.4% 0.0% 13.1% 2.3% 5.9% 0.4% 2.9% 

Stockbridge $692,389 57.8% 0.4% 13.9% 2.8% 5.5% 0.9% 18.8% 

Sullivan $4,957,591 63.7% 1.5% 16.9% 0.3% 1.9% 0.9% 14.8% 

Madison County 

City of Oneida $14,152,753 18.5% 21.3% 15.2% 5.1% 2.8% 1.1% 36.0% 

Village of Sylvan 

 Beach $1,475,489 39.0% 18.8% 3.7% 7.7% 0.1% 0.6% 30.0% 

Village of Vernon $1,402,730 19.0% 9.7% 2.9% 8.1% 3.4% 0.7% 56.2% 

Augusta $777,836 49.3% 28.1% 9.5% 2.9% 7.8% 0.6% 1.8% 

Vernon $1,390,202 14.2% 53.5% 17.8% 0.0% 5.9% 1.3% 7.4% 

Oneida County 

Verona $3,050,125 10.5% 36.1% 8.0% 9.1% 3.6% 0.7% 32.0% 

City of Sherrill $4,176,252 22.1% 13.2% 7.6% 0.0% 1.5% 0.5% 55.2% 

Source: New York State Comptroller’s Special Report on Municipal Affairs, 2003; The Louis Berger Group, Inc., 2005 

Municipalities in Madison County rely on real property taxes for the majority of their 

revenues. The only exception to this is the City of Oneida and the Village of Canastota. 

However, in Canastota property tax revenues still represent the single largest source of 

revenue. 

In Oneida County, the Village of Vernon and the City of Sherrill both receive the majority 

of their revenues from other sources. The Town of Vernon generates the majority of it 

revenues from non-property taxes. Close to half (49.3 percent), of revenues in Augusta 

come from property taxes. 
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Table 3.7-105 

Tax Revenues 

Study Area Municipalities, 2003

Municipality Total Tax 

Revenues Property Tax Sales Tax Other Taxes 

Village of Canastota $1,816,044 69.68% 23.38% 6.94% 

Cazenovia $1,063,551 98.77% 0.00% 1.23% 

Fenner $393,262 99.20% 0.00% 0.80% 

Lenox $1,051,324 97.94% 0.00% 2.06% 

Lincoln $328,512 96.37% 0.00% 3.63% 

Smithfield $328,936 99.10% 0.00% 0.90% 

Stockbridge $403,079 97.62% 0.00% 2.38% 

Sullivan $3,235,689 97.05% 0.00% 2.95% 

Madison 

County 

City of Oneida $5,634,441 43.59% 49.66% 6.75% 

Village of Sylvan 

 Beach $852,721 66.58% 29.06% 4.36% 

Village of Vernon $402,146 65.28% 31.91% 2.81% 

Augusta $601,830 63.63% 35.79% 0.57% 

Vernon $941,068 19.60% 77.44% 2.97% 

Verona $1,420,980 22.6% 74.9% 2.5% 

Oneida 

County 

City of Sherrill $1,473,204 52.56% 35.11% 12.33% 

Source: New York State Comptroller’s Special Report on Municipal Affairs, 2003; The Louis Berger Group, Inc., 2005 

A closer look at tax revenue data reveals stark differences between municipalities in 

Madison and Oneida Counties with regard to the source of tax revenues. None of the 

towns in Madison County receive tax revenues from sales taxes or other non-property 

taxes; property taxes are almost exclusively their sole source of tax revenue. Only the 

villages and the cities in Madison County collect sales tax. Sales tax and other nonproperty tax revenues constitute almost half of all the City of Oneida tax revenues and 

one-fifth of Canastota’s tax revenue. In contrast, towns, as well as villages and cities, in 

Oneida County collect a sales tax that contributes a significant portion of overall tax 

revenues. Of particular interest are the towns of Verona and Vernon. Three-quarters of 

their tax revenues in 2003 are derived from sales taxes. 

School Districts with Nation Land 

In the seven school districts where the Nation owns land per pupil revenues in 2003 range 

from $6,600 in Madison school district to more than $14,200 in the Stockbridge and 

Morrisville school districts (see Table 3.7-106). State aid is the largest revenue source for 

all school district except for the Cazenovia school district, which receives most of its 

revenues from property taxes. 
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Table 3.7-106 

Sources of Revenue 

School Districts with Nation Land, 2003

School 

Districts 

Revenues 

per Pupil 

Property 

Tax per 

Pupil 

Nonproperty 

tax per 

Pupil 

State 

Aid per 

Pupil 

Federal 

Aid per 

Pupil 

Interest on 

Investment 

per Pupil 

All other 

Revenues 

per Pupil 

Sherrill $11,412 32.0% 1.0% 55.6% 5.3% 0.3% 5.8% 

Stockbridge $14,270 18.3% 0.0% 68.0% 6.1% 0.1% 7.5% 

Oneida $11,165 30.7% 0.0% 58.8% 6.3% 0.6% 3.6% 

Canastota $11,424 39.0% 0.0% 53.4% 5.3% 0.3% 2.0% 

Madison $6,617 26.8% 0.0% 60.8% 6.1% 1.2% 5.2% 

Morrisville $14,225 23.6% 0.0% 66.5% 5.6% 1.2% 3.1% 

Cazenovia $10,746 58.5% 0.1% 34.7% 3.3% 1.0% 2.5% 

Source: New York State Comptroller’s Special Report on Municipal Affairs, 2003; The Louis Berger Group, Inc., 2005 

Fire Districts with Nation Land 

There are five fire districts that service the Nation lands. Several of the fire districts derive 

a significant portion of their revenue source from other sources aside from property taxes 

(see Table 3.7-107). These sources could include payments in lieu of taxes, charges for 

services outside of the fire district, and other non-tax based sources. For the Verona fire 

districts this includes the funds received from the Nation under the fire protection service 

agreement. 

Table 3.7-107 

Fire District Revenues, 2003 

Fire District Real Property 

Taxes 

Percent of Total 

Revenues 

Other 

Revenues 

Percent of 

Total Revenues 

Total 

Revenues 

Lincoln $105,695 94.4% $6,268 5.6% $111,963 

Smithfield $41,320 74.1% $14,446 25.9% $55,766 

Sylvan Beach $136,000 98.6% $2,000 1.4% $138,000 

Verona No. 3 $153,000 62.0% $93,837 38.0% $246,837 

Durhamville $66,000 67.6% $31,673 32.4% $97,673 

Source: New York State Comptrollers Office 

The five-year average of the revenue is shown in Figure 3.7-21. Note that both Smithfield 

and Verona are significantly below the New York State average. 
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Figure 3.7-21 

Percent of Fire District Revenues from Property Taxes 

Source: New York State Comptrollers Office 

Note: Figures from Durhamville were not available for 1999 or 2001. 

3.7.9.2 County and Local Property Tax Exemptions 

In 2003, the latest year for which data are available, Madison and Oneida Counties and 

their constituent municipalities excluded many tax-exempt properties from their taxable 

rolls. Villages do not report tax exemptions but are grouped together with the town 

exemptions. Vienna is included because the Village of Sylvan Beach is in Vienna. 

 As a matter of law or as a reflection of the policies of its representatives and leaders, local 

governments regularly deliver local government services to exempted lands. Full or partial 

tax exemptions are extended by State and local governments for several categories 

including: residential, New York State, municipal government, federal, private community 

service organizations, industrial, urban renewal, and agricultural properties. As a result of 

full or partial tax exemptions, these properties do not contribute property tax payments 

for public services such as fire protection, police, and transportation projects. 

Madison County 

In Madison County, there are a total of 36,052 parcels of land. According to the New 

York State Office of Real Property Services, 55.9 percent of the parcels are either wholly 

or partially tax exempt for county, city/town, or school purposes. The 20,138 exempt 

parcels account for 25,470 exemptions due to the fact that some parcels of land qualify for 

two or more exemptions. The 25,470 exceptions account for an equalized exempt value 

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

100.0%

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

LINCOLN

SMITHFIELD

SYLVAN BEACH

VERONA NO. 3

DURHAMVILLE
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of $1.4 billion, in other words, $1.4 billion is not subject to taxation. Madison County 

has a total equalized tax value of $3.4 billion; the $1.4 billion tax exempt properties 

account for 40.7 percent of the county’s total equalized value. Of the wholly or partially 

exempt tax parcels, 6.3 percent are wholly tax exempt and have a total equalized exempt 

value of $660 million. 

Table 3.7-108 

Exemptions by Type, Madison County, 2003 

Exemption Type Number of 

Exemptions 

Equalized 

Exempt Value 

(in $1,000s) 

Percent of All 

Exemptions 

Exempt Value 

as Percentage 

of Total Value 

Wholly Exempt, Publicly Owned 1,043 405,436 4.1% 11.8% 

Wholly Exempt, Privately Owned 563 254,675 2.2% 7.4% 

Partially Exempt, Publicly Owned 212 17,406 0.8% 0.5% 

Partially Exempt, Privately Owned 23,648 725,708 92.9% 21.1% 

Invalidly Coded Exemptions 4 9 0.0% 0.0% 

Countywide Exemptions Total 25,470 $1,403,234 100.0% 40.7% 

Source: New York State of Real Property Services. 

Almost half, 49.1 percent, of the tax exempt value are residential properties, which include 

veterans’ homes, persons over age 65, clergy homes, and STAR (School Tax Relief 

Program) exemptions. Additionally, 18.0 percent is for community service organizations, 

and 14.9 percent constitutes New York State properties. 

Table 3.7-109 

Summary of Tax Exemptions, Madison County, 2003 

Description 

Number of 

Exemptions 

Percentage of 

All Tax 

Exemptions 

Equalized 

Exempt 

Value (in 

$1,000s)* 

Percentage of 

Total Equalized 

Tax Exempt 

Value 

Residential Property 21,779 85.5% 688,497 49.1% 

Property of New York State Government 385 1.5% 208,861 14.9% 

Property of Municipal Governments 637 2.5% 172,425 12.3% 

Property of U.S. Governments 17 0.1% 2,568 0.2% 

Property of Private Community Service Organizations, 

Social Organizations, and Professional Societies 554 2.2% 253,276 18.0% 

Industrial, Commercial, and Public Service Property 159 0.6% 19,981 1.4% 

Urban Renewal Property, Public Housing, and Private 

Subsidized Housing 17 0.1% 13,243 0.9% 

Agricultural and Forest Property 1,918 7.5% 44,369 3.2% 

Invalidly Coded Exemptions 4 0.0% 9 0.0% 

Totals 25,470 100.0% $1,403,234 100.0% 

Note: Table includes number of exemptions, not number of exempt tax parcels. 

*Equalized Values in Thousands 

Source: New York State Office of Real Property Services 
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Total tax exempt value ranges from $22 million in Lincoln to $212 million in the City of 

Oneida. None of the Study Area’s municipalities in Madison County have removed the 

Nation lands from their tax rolls and, therefore, the Nation lands are not included in this 

analysis of tax exempt properties. 

Table 3.7-110 

Equalized Exempt Value of Properties in 

Study Area Municipalities in Madison County, 2003

Municipality Equalized Exempt Value (in $1,000s) 

Cazenovia $117,015 

Fenner $42,009 

Lenox $148,052 

Lincoln $22,118 

City of Oneida $211,960 

Smithfield $23,789 

Stockbridge $27,373 

Sullivan $203,394 

TOTAL $795,710 

Source: New York State Office of Real Property Services 

Oneida County 

There are 104,513 tax parcels with a total equalized value of $10.7 billion in Oneida 

County. In Oneida County, there are a combined total of 87,719 tax exemptions for 

county, town/city and school district purposes with an equalized exempt value totaling 

more than $5.6 billion. Whole or partial tax exempt parcels constitute 60.5 percent of all 

tax parcels in the County and 52.6 percent of the County’s total equalized value. Of the 

exemptions, 5.3 percent are wholly exempt and have an equalized exempt value of $3.1 

billion. 

Table 3.7-111 

Exemptions by Type, Oneida County, 2003 

Exemption Type Number of 

Exemptions 

Percentage 

of All Tax 

Exemptions 

Equalized 

Exempt Value 

(in $1,000s)* 

Percentage of 

Total Equalized 

Tax Exempt 

Value 

Wholly Exempt, Publicly Owned 2,876 3.3% 2,166,492 20.2% 

Wholly Exempt, Privately Owned 1,750 2.0% 915,538 8.5% 

Partially Exempt, Publicly Owned 823 0.9% 35,289 0.3% 

Partially Exempt, Privately Owned 82,231 93.7% 2,523,837 23.5% 

Invalidly Coded Exemptions 39 0.0% 1,690 0.0% 

Countywide Exemptions Total 87,719 100.0% 5,642,845 52.6% 

Source: New York State Office of Real Property Services. 
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As with Madison County, close to half (43.1 percent) of the tax exempt value are 

residential properties. Furthermore, 16.4 percent are New York State properties and 

another 15.7 percent are community service organizations. 

Considering the individual municipalities within Oneida County where the Nation owns 

land, Verona had the most tax exempt value at $328 million and Augusta had the least 

amount at $29 million in 2003. In 2003, Verona listed five properties owned by the 

Nation as tax-exempt which constituted $199 million or 60.7 percent of the total 

equalized exempt value in Verona. All other municipalities had not removed the Nation 

lands from their tax rolls and as a result, Nation lands are not included in the reported 

tax-exempt properties (see Table 3.7-113). In the wake of the United States Supreme 

Court decision City of Sherrill v. Oneida Nation (decided March 29, 2005), Verona placed 

the five properties on the tax rolls and removed them from tax exempt status. 

3.7.9.3 Local Tax Burden 

There are nine major land use categories of properties included on the tax rolls. They are 

agricultural, residential, vacant, commercial, recreation and entertainment, community 

service, public service, and public parks including wild, forested and conservation 

properties. State law requires the assessment of all property values at a uniform percentage 

Table 3.7-112 

Summary of Tax Exemptions, Oneida County, 2003 

Description 

Number of 

Exemption

s 

Percentage 

of 

Exemptions 

Equalized 

Exempt Value 

(in $1,000s)

Percentage of 

Equalized 

Exempt Value 

Residential Property 80,152 91.4% 2,429,178 43.0% 

Property of New York State Government 399 0.5% 926,043 16.4% 

Property of Municipal Governments 2,225 2.5% 482,518 8.6% 

Property of U.S. Government 47 0.1% 324,108 5.7% 

Property of Private Community Service 

Organizations, Social Organizations, and 

Professional Societies 1,690 1.9% 883,088 15.6% 

Industrial, Commercial, and Public Service 

Property 348 0.4% 216,993 3.8% 

Urban Renewal Property, Public Housing, 

and Private Subsidized Housing 649 0.7% 319,663 5.7% 

Agricultural and Forest Property 2,170 2.5% 59,562 1.1% 

Invalidly Coded Exemptions 39 0.0% 1,690 0.0% 

Total 87,719 100.0% $5,642,845 100.0% 

Note: Table includes number of exceptions, not number of exempt tax parcels. 

Source: New York State Office of Real Property Services 
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Table 3.7-113 

Equalized Exempt Value of Properties in 

Study Area Municipalities in Oneida County, 2003

Municipality Equalized Exempt Value (in $1,000s) 

Vienna* $88,913 

Augusta $28,826 

Vernon $156,263 

Verona $328,085 

Sherrill $81,279 

TOTAL $683,366 

Source: New York State Office of Real Property Services 

Note: Prior to City of Sherrill v. Oneida Nation Note:* The Nation owns land in the Village of Sylvan Beach, which is 

located in the Town of Vienna. 

of value, with the exception of New York City and Nassau County. This means that 

residential and business property must be assessed at the same percentage of value. The 

Level of Assessment (LOA) is the percentage of full value at which properties are assessed 

within a community. For instance, an LOA of 50% would indicate that assessments are at 

half of the market value; an LOA of 100% represents a community that is assessing at full 

value. In New York State, each municipality is allowed to choose its LOA and no matter 

what LOA the municipality uses, all of the assessments in the community are required by 

law to be at a “uniform percentage of value.” In other words, if a town chooses to assess 

at 40% of market value, then all of the properties in the town should be assessed at 40% 

regardless of use (residential, commercial, manufacturing). 

Using information from the New York State Office of Real Property, it can be determined 

how much each property class contributes to the total taxable assessed value of a specific 

municipality. In 2003, the latest year for which data are available, the majority of a 

municipality’s taxable base was residential. The residential tax base ranged from 62.4 

percent of taxable assessed value in Stockbridge, Madison County, to 80.5 percent in 

Cazenovia, Madison County. The table on the following page shows total taxable 

assessed value by property class for each municipality in which the Nation owns land (see 

Table 3.7-114). 

Using this same information and population data, the residential tax burden per capita can 

be estimated (see Table 3.7-115). The experience of each municipality varies over the time 

frame. For some, like Fenner, the per capita residential tax burden has declined, while 

others, such as Smithfield, have experienced an increase. The Towns of Verona and 

Vernon have a much lower tax burden per capita than the other municipalities. 

3.7.9.4 Overview of Nation Land Acquisitions 

The Nation began to reacquire its lands on the open market in 1987 with a bulk of 

purchases made in the late 1990s. Figures 3.7-22 and 3.7-23 illustrate the number of 

properties the Nation has purchased since 1987. Most were purchased in 1998 when the 
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Nation reacquired 93 properties followed in 1999 when the Nation purchased 77 

properties. 

The total assessed value of land at the time of purchase was the greatest during the years 

1998 and 1999 when the Nation bought the most land, both in terms of acreage and 

number of properties. In 1998, the total assessed value at the time of purchase for the 93 

properties was $8.95 million. However, in 1999, when the Nation purchased 77 

properties, the total was assessed at $4.39 million, while the 45 properties acquired in 

2000 were assessed at $4.82 million.
A

Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-114 

Total Municipal Taxable Assessed Value by Property Class 

Study Area Municipalities, 2003

Municipality 

Total Taxable Assessed Value 

Agricultural Commercial Community Services Industrial Public Services Recreation & Entertainment 

Cazenovia $400,420,309 2.5% 6.8% 0.0% 0.3% 6.0% 0.5% Fenner $53,880,132 14.74% 2.18% 0.00% 0.00% 8.08% 0.00% Lenox $322,918,514 1.68% 13.72% 0.14% 3.01% 7.34% 1.91% Lincoln $72,972,583 12.11% 0.60% 0.00% 0.59% 6.45% 0.00% City of Oneida $378,967,151 0.77% 23.56% 1.83% 2.73% 5.72% 0.46% Smithfield $33,703,487 18.80% 0.97% 0.00% 0.00% 6.41% 0.21% Stockbridge $58,287,235 21.92% 5.30% 0.10% 2.06% 6.22% 0.00% 

Madison County 

Sullivan $527,677,127 2.25% 7.85% 0.28% 1.01% 5.67% 0.53% Augusta $52,054,346 16.58% 4.28% 0.00% 3.49% 7.80% 1.33% Vernon $307,172,812 5.54% 10.75% 0.00% 6.80% 4.15% 2.12% Verona $200,415,789 7.87% 4.99% 7.20% 0.16% 10.05% 0.40% 

Oneida Vienna* $192,884,869 1.13% 6.95% 0.53% 0.17% 3.79% 2.66% 

County 

Sherrill $125,718,100 0.10% 7.72% 0.00% 13.68% 1.87% 1.66% 

Source: New York State Office of Real Property Services; The Louis Berger Group, Inc 2005. Note*The Nation owns land in the Village of Sylvan BeaTown of Vienna 
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Table 3.7-115 

Residential Property Tax Burden Per Capita 

 Study Area Municipalities, 2000 - 2003

Municipality 2000 2001 2002 2003 

Cazenovia $108.33 $122.52 $116.74 $125.85 

Fenner $177.89 $184.57 $179.26 $162.57 

Lenox $73.97 $81.06 $88.92 $80.27 

Lincoln $120.75 $122.14 $129.22 $131.34 

Smithfield $144.84 $171.43 $179.55 $183.70 

Stockbridge $93.02 $101.34 $104.23 $117.03 

Sullivan $149.16 $154.53 $160.73 $165.40 

Madison 

County 

Oneida $118.78 $132.75 $129.27 $142.15 

Augusta $133.75 $147.95 $150.10 $126.68 

Vernon $25.91 $23.71 $23.67 $23.69 

Verona* $31.43 $33.38 

Vienna** $93.01 $111.22 $100.34 $111.89 

Oneida 

County 

Sherrill $153.03 $153.12 $168.01 $184.05 

*Missing 2001 and 2002 data. **The Nation owns land in the Village of Sylvan Beach which is located in the Town of 

Vienna 

Source: New York State Comptroller’s Special Report on Municipal Affairs 2002 and 2003, New York State Office of 

Real Property MuniPro 2002 and 2003, The Louis Berger Group, Inc., 2005 

Figure 3.7-22 

Acreage and Number of Properties Reacquired by the Nation 

in Study Area, 1987-2005 

Source: The Nation 

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1987 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Year

Number of Parcels

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

Acreage

Number of Parcels Reacquired

Acerage Reacquired
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Figure 3.7-23 

Assessed Value at Closing and Cumulative Value, 

Nation Land Purchases, 1987-2005 

Source: The Nation 

The Nation currently owns 17,370 acres in Madison and Oneida Counties spread out over 

three villages—Canastota, Sylvan Beach, and Vernon; nine towns—Augusta, Cazenovia, 

Fenner, Lenox, Lincoln, Smithfield, Stockbridge, Sullivan, Vernon, and Verona; two 

cities—Sherrill and Oneida; and seven school districts — Sherrill, Stockbridge, Oneida, 

Canastota, Madison, Morrisville, and Cazenovia. Nation lands make up approximately 

1.4% of all the land in Oneida and Madison County, which together consist of 1,195,904 

acres (see Table 3.7-116). 

Madison County

Thirty-eight percent of the land owned by the Nation, or 6,595 acres, is located in 

Madison County. Within Madison County, the Nation owns land in the Town of 

Stockbridge (21 percent of Nation land), the City of Oneida (6 percent of Nation land) 

and the Town of Lenox (5 percent of Nation land). The Nation also owns land in the 

Village of Canastota and in the Towns of Cazenovia, Fenner, Lincoln, Smithfield, and 

Sullivan. 

Table 3.7-116 details the amount of Nation land as a percentage of the municipality’s 

total area. In most cases, the Nation owns less than five percent of a village, town, or 

$-

$1,000,000

$2,000,000

$3,000,000

$4,000,000

$5,000,000

$6,000,000

$7,000,000

$8,000,000

$9,000,000

$10,000,000

1987

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Year

Assessed Value per Year

$-

$5,000,000

$10,000,000

$15,000,000

$20,000,000

$25,000,000

$30,000,000

$35,000,000

$40,000,000

Cumulative Assessed Value

Assessed Value at Closing

Cumulative Assessed Value
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city’s total land. The exceptions are the Town of Stockbridge, the Village of Canastota, 

and the City of Oneida where the Nation owns 18, 11, and 7 percent of the total land 

area, respectively. 

Oneida County

Sixty-two percent of land owned by the Nation, or 10,776 acres, is located in Oneida 

County. Within Oneida County the Nation owns land in the Towns of Verona (49 percent 

of Nation land) and Vernon (11 percent of Nation land). The Nation also owns land in 

the Villages of Sylvan Beach and Vernon, the Town of Augusta, and the City of Sherrill. 

As in Madison County, the Nation owns comparatively little of most municipalities’ total 

land area (see Table 3.7-116). Only in the Towns of Verona and Vernon, the Nation 

owns more than two percent of the land. The Nation owns 19 and 8 percent of the total 

land area in Verona and Vernon, respectively. 

Use of Nation Lands 

A breakdown of the Nation’s land holdings by current use is presented in Table 3.7-117. 

The distribution illustrates that the active uses (e.g., residential, recreation and 

entertainment, industrial, commercial, and public and community services) comprise about 

25 percent of the total acreage while the remainder are agricultural lands, wild, forested, 

conservation lands and public parks, or vacant land. 

Assessed Value of Nation Land 

The Nation holds properties with a 2005 assessed value of $443 million, with $33.9 

million in Madison County and $409 million in Oneida County (see Table 3.7-118). 

The Nation’s land in the Town of Verona, where the Turning Stone Resort & Casino is 

located, has the largest current assessed value and accounts for 90 percent of the total 

assessed value of Nation land. The parcel for the Turning Stone Resort & Casino’s 

gaming facilities has an assessed value of $362 million. This is currently being contested by 

the Nation. Nation properties in the City of Oneida account for five percent of the total 

assessed value of Nation land while the remaining five percent is divided among the other 

13 municipalities. 
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Table 3.7-116 

Nation Land by Municipality and County 

 

Municipality Acres of 

Nation Land 

Percent of 

Nation’s Land 

Percentage of 

Municipality’s Land 

Area 

Village of Canastota 226.4 1.30% 10.70% 

Cazenovia 9.3 0.05% 0.00% 

Fenner 27.9 0.16% 0.10% 

Lenox 826.4 4.76% 3.50% 

Lincoln 367.4 2.12% 2.30% 

City of Oneida 1,039.1 5.98% 7.40% 

Smithfield 296.4 1.71% 1.90% 

Stockbridge 3,620.9 20.85% 17.80% 

Madison County 

Sullivan 180.6 1.04% 0.40% 

City of Sherrill 4.1 0.02% 0.30% 

Town of Augusta 259.4 1.49% 1.50% 

Town of Vernon 1,901.2 10.95% 7.80% 

Town of Verona 8,593.9 49.48% 19.40% 

Oneida County 

Village of Sylvan Beach 6.6 0.04% 1.50% 

Village of Vernon 10.2 0.06% 1.80% 

Madison County 6,594.5 37.96% 1.40% 

Oneida County 10,775.5 62.04% 1.40% 

Total 17,370.0 100.00% 1.40% 

Source: The Nation. 

Table 3.7-117 

Nation Land Holdings by Use 

Land Use Acres % of Nation ands 

Agricultural 11,451 65.92% 

Commercial 215 1.24% 

Community Services 155 0.89% 

Industrial 224 1.29% 

Public Services 166 0.95% 

Recreation and Entertainment 1,545 8.89% 

Residential 1,973 11.36% 

Vacant Land 1,169 6.73% 

Wild, Forested, Conservation Lands and Public Parks 472 2.72% 

Total 17,370 100% 

Note: Agriculture includes vacant agricultural land. 

Source: The Nation 
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Table 3.7-118 

Assessed Value of Nation Land 

 

Current Assessed 

Value 

% of Total Current 

Assessed Value 

Village of Canastota $3,165,100 0.7% 

Cazenovia $61,700 0.0% 

Fenner $6,300 0.0% 

Lenox $4,372,900 1.0% 

Lincoln $844,200 0.2% 

City of Oneida $20,861,611 4.7% 

Smithfield $125,000 0.0% 

Stockbridge $4,440,900 1.0% 

Sullivan $68,000 0.0% 

Madison County 

Total $33,945,711 7.7% 

City of Sherrill $1,380,000 0.3% 

Town of Augusta $366,400 0.1% 

Town of Vernon $6,511,700 1.5% 

Town of Verona $399,534,977 90.2% 

Village of Sylvan Beach $447,600 0.1% 

Oneida County 

Village of Vernon $978,600 0.2% 

Total $409,219,277 92.3% 

 TOTAL $443,164,988 100.0% 

Source: The Nation. 

The $443 million assessed value of Nation land corresponds to 5.9 percent of the total 

equalized value that was exempt from property taxes in Madison and Oneida County. 

2003 is the latest year for which statewide tax exemption data by county is reported by 

the New York State Office of Real Property Services. 

• In Madison County, the current assessed value of Nation lands of $34 million is 

1.0 percent of the total property valuation and 2.4 percent of the total equalized 

exempt value of all tax exempt properties in Madison County in 2003. 

• In Oneida County, the current assessed value of Nation lands of $409 million is 

3.8 percent of the total property valuation and 7.2 percent of the total equalized 

exempt value of all tax exempt properties in Oneida County. (Exemptions as 

reported by the New York State of Office of Real Property Services, 2003.) 

Land Groupings 

As explained in Section 2 of the Preliminary Draft EIS, the Nation grouped its land into 

three categories for the purpose of the Trust Application (see Table 3.7-118). Group 1 is 

the smallest group in terms of land area and number of tax lots and consists generally of 

land associated with the Turning Stone Resort & Casino. Group 2 consists generally of 

land associated with government and cultural facilities, housing, health, education and 

hunting, as well as lands in current use for Nation enterprises, such as convenience stores, 
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services stations, newspaper operations, marinas and agriculture. It includes 37 percent of 

Nation land in terms of land area and more than half of all Nation-owned tax lots. Group 

3 consists generally of undeveloped land, or lands subject to a competing claim of 

sovereignty by the Stockbridge-Munsee Community of Wisconsin, an Indian tribe located 

in Wisconsin. Group 3 includes 43 percent of Nation land in terms of land area. 

Table 3.7-119 

Grouping of Nation Land, by Use 

Grouping Acres % of Total Acres Tax Lots 

Group 1 (Gaming) 3,428 20% 96 

Group 2 (Non Gaming) 6,475 37% 240 

Group 3 (Non Gaming Other) 7,467 43% 104 

Total 17,370 100% 440 

Source: The Nation. 

Group 1 (Gaming) 

Group 1 consists of 96 tax lots covering 3,428 acres in the Towns of Verona and Vernon; 

both in Oneida County (see Table 3.7-118). The real property has a current assessed 

value of $395 million. While 36 percent of Group 1 land is located in Vernon, 99 percent 

of the total assessed value is in Verona. The tax lot with the Turning Resort & Casino, 

gaming floor, valued at $362 million (currently being contested by the Nation), accounts 

for the largest share of Group 1 Nation land. Estimated county, municipal and school 

district taxes based on the current assessed value total $12.6 million. 

Table 3.7-120 

Group 1 (Gaming) Lands 

Tax 

Lots Acres 

% of 

Total 

Acres 

Current 

Assessed 

Value 

% of 

Total 

Current 

Assessed 

Value 

County 

Tax 

Estimate 

Municipal 

Tax 

Estimate 

Estimated 

School 

District 

Tax 

Vernon 19 1,232 36% 5,397,600 1% 24,829 3,940 117,560 

Verona 77 2,196 64% 389,313,000 99% 3,278,015 272,519 8,942,520 

Total Oneida County 96 3,428 100% $394,710,600 100% $3,302,844 $276,459 $9,060,079 

Source: The Nation. 

Based on 2003 (the latest year for which tax exemption data by county is reported by the 

New York State Office of Real Property Services) county full valuation and exemption 

data, Nation land in Group 1 accounts for 6.4 percent of Oneida County’s total property 

valuation and corresponds to 6.6 percent of total exempt value in the County. 
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Group 2 (Non-Gaming) 

Group 2 lands are located in Madison and Oneida Counties and 15 of their constituent 

municipalities (see Table 3.7-119). Group 2 lands are concentrated in Oneida County (72 

percent of total Group 2 land area), more specifically in Verona (62 percent). More than 

half of Group 2 lands in Verona are currently used for agriculture or are vacant 

agricultural land. 

Group 2 lands have a current assessed value of $41 million, with $28 million in Madison 

County and $13 million in Oneida County. Fifty percent of the valuation of Group 2 

properties is from properties located in the City of Oneida, which is the location of Nation 

government offices and the Nation Village of the White Pines. Estimated county, 

municipal, and school district taxes based on the current assessed value total $1.4 million. 

Table 3.7-121 

Group 2 (Non Gaming Lands) 

Tax 

Lots Acres 

% of 

Total 

Acres 

Current 

Assessed 

Value 

% of 

Total 

Current 

Assessed 

Value 

County 

Tax 

Estimate 

Municipal 

Tax 

Estimate 

Estimated 

School 

District 

Tax 

Village of Canastota 13 226 2% $3,165,100 7.8% $26,872 $31,873 $67,504 

Cazenovia 2 9 0% 61,700 0.2% 521 57 1,124 

Lenox 25 638 10% 4,000,900 9.8% 33,968 6,001 86,728 

Lincoln 3 22 0% 275,900 0.7% 2,334 944 6,007 

Oneida 40 789 12% 20,528,711 50.3% 223,763 147,396 407,514 

Stockbridge 1 121 2% 174,500 0.4% 1,480 900 3,801 

Sullivan 2 111 2% 34,800 0.1% 295 132 758 

Total in Madison County 86 1917 28% $28,241,611 69.2% $289,233 $187,303 $573,435 

Augusta 4 2 0% 115,100 0.3% 1,026 1,014 2,828 

Sherrill 9 3 0% 1,243,600 3.1% 9,625 7,773 27,073 

Village of Sylvan Beach 7 7 0% 447,600 1.1% 3,872 2,435 9,100 

Vernon 8 237 4% 799,200 2.0% 3,676 583 16,624 

Village of Vernon 5 10 0% 978,600 2.4% 4,502 6,919 21,314 

Verona 122 4,298 67% 8,966,077 22.0% 75,494 6,276 195,625 

Total in Oneida County 155 4,557 72% $12,550,177 30.8% $98,195 $25,000 $272,564 

TOTAL 240 6,475 100% $40,791,788 100.0% $387,428 $212,303 $845,999 

Source: Oneida Indian Nation, 2006, unpublished 

Group 3 (Non Gaming - Other) 

Group 3 includes 104 tax lots totaling 7,467 acres, 63 percent of which are Madison in 

County mostly in Stockbridge (46 percent of total Group 3 land area) (see Table 3.7-122). 

The remaining 37 percent is located in Oneida County, where the majority of Group 3 

land is in Verona (27 percent of total Group 3 land area). 
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Group 3 lands have a total assessed value of $7.6 million, 75 percent applies to properties 

in Madison County and 25 percent to Oneida County lands. Estimated county, 

municipal, and school district taxes based on the current assessed value total $0.3 million. 

Nation lands in Group 3 account for 0.23 and 0.03 percent of the total assessed value in 

Madison and Oneida Counties, respectively. The full value of Group 3 lands equals 0.4 

percent of the equalized exempt value of Madison County properties and 0.03 percent 

Oneida County’s equalized exempt value. 

Table 3.7-122 

Group 3 (Non Gaming – Other) 

Tax 

Lots Acres 

% of 

Total 

Acres 

Current 

Assessed 

Value 

% of 

Total 

Current 

Assessed 

Value 

County 

Tax 

Estimate 

Municipal 

Tax 

Estimate 

Estimated 

School 

District 

Tax 

Fenner 1 28 0.4% $6,300 0.1% $58 $31 $149 

Lenox 9 189 2.5% 372,000 4.9% 3,158 558 9,498 

Lincoln 5 345 4.6% 568,300 7.4% 4,808 1,944 12,377 

Oneida 5 250 3.3% 332,900 4.4% 3,629 2,390 6,548 

Smithfield 4 296 3.9% 125,000 1.6% 1,114 1,005 2,476 

Stockbridge 47 3,500 46.2% 4,266,400 55.8% 36,179 22,015 92,986 

Sullivan 2 69 0.9% 33,200 0.4% 282 126 723 

Total in Madison 

County 73 4,677 63.2% $5,704,100 75.3% $49,227 $28,068 $124,757 

Augusta 2 258 3.4% 251,300 3.3% 2,239 2,214 6,174 

Sherrill 1 0 0.0% 52,000 0.7% 402 325 1,133 

Vernon 5 432 5.7% 314,900 4.1% 1,449 230 6,859 

Verona 22 2,099 27.7% 1,255,900 16.6% 11,578 963 28,428 

Total in Oneida 

County 30 2,789 36.8% $1,874,100 24.7% $15,668 $3,731 $42,594 

TOTAL 104 7,464 100% $7,578,200 100% $64,895 $31,799 $167,351 

Source: Oneida Indian Nation, 2006, unpublished 

Intensity of Land Usage 

Nation land is used by more than 5,000 persons on a daily basis excluding visitors. 

Average daily number of visitors to Turning Stone Resort & Casino in FY2005 was 

12,200. 

There is an average of 3.4 acres of Nation land per “daytime user”, which includes Nation 

employees, Nation members who are unemployed or not in the labor force (e.g., retired, 

student, homemaker) and young children. By comparison, the average land per daytime 

user in Madison and Oneida Counties as a whole is 3.8 and 1.8 acres per person, 

respectively (see Table 3.7-123). The calculations for Madison and Oneida Counties are 

for the counties as a whole, which means that they include the Nation’s land, members 

and employees. Based on the most recent data, employment has decreased in both 
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counties since 2000. In Oneida County population also has decreased since 2000. While 

2005 data is not available, the acreage per person in both counties is likely to be higher in 

2005 than in 2000. 

 Thus, even when excluding visitors who increase the intensity of land use activities at 

select locations, the Nation land is not used less intensively than land in Madison County 

as a whole. 

Nation Payments Credited Against Property Taxes Claimed 

As shown in Table 3.7-98, the Nation directly paid $38.5 million to local governments in 

Madison and Oneida County. From 2005 through March 2006, local governments 

credited $6.9 million of the Nation's payments against outstanding tax bills (see Table 3.7-

124). Other than Vernon-Verona-Sherrill 

Table 3.7-123 

Land Area per Daytime User 

Madison and Oneida Counties and the Nation 

 Madison County Oneida County The Nation 

Not In labor force 60,607 240,649 233* 

Unemployed 15,135 49,461 62* 

Workers 23,840 108,265 4,611** 

Workers who live within the 

County 16,174 89,035 

In-commuters 7,666 19,230 

Children (less than 16) 9,881 27,374 154*** 

Total Daytime Population 109,463 425,749 5,060 

Land Area (acres) 419,774 776,125 17,402**** 

Average Acreage per Daytime User 3.8 1.8 3.4 

Source: U.S. Bureau of Census, Census 2000, Summary File 1; Census 2000, Journey To Work; Census 2000, American 

Indian and Alaska Native Summary File (AIANSF) ; Nation. 

Notes: * Estimates from the Census 2000 AIANSF; ** 2005 data; *** Sum of Children under age 5 from the Census 

2000 AIANSF and non Member children at the Nation’s Early Learning Center; ****Includes properties reacquired by 

the Nation as of 2005 and 32 acres Nation Territory. 

District (V.V.S), all local school districts were paid in full for the 2005-2006 fiscal year. 

The Nation has questioned V.V.S.’s $4.6 million property tax claim on several grounds, 

including a recent federal court decision stating that the lands are exempt from taxation 

under state law, the assessment is improperly inflated, and because it improperly includes 

tax on Indian gaming activity. As of March 2006, the Nation had paid V.V.S. $298,400, 

which is the fiscal year 2005-2006 tax claim for the properties that are not part of the 

gaming complex. 
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The local governments have continued to send the Nation invoices for property taxes, 

interest, and penalties. As of June 2006, local governments had invoiced the Nation a 

total of $21.4 million in property taxes, including penalties (see Table 3.7.-125). The local 

governments did not credit the Nation for its $7.7 million Silver Covenant Grant 

payments (see Section 3.7.7). 

Table 3.7-124 

Payments Credited to the Nation 

by Local Governments, 2005-2006 (in $000s)

Local Governments County Amount Paid 

School Districts 

Canastota Madison $176.5 

Madison Madison $11.1 

Morrisville-Eaton Madison $2.1 

Oneida Madison $510.0 

Stockbridge Madison $137.1 

Vernon-Verona-Sherrill * Oneida $298.4 

Other Local Governments 

City of Sherrill Oneida $59.8 

City of Oneida Madison $5,089.0 

Oneida County Oneida $650.0 

Total $6,943.0 

* The assessed value of the Turning Stone Resort & Casino is being contested by the Nation. In addition, the Nation 

made a payment of $9,315 to the City of Sherrill in 2006 that was credited against its 2006-2007 tax bill. 

Source: The Nation 
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Table 3.7-125 

Taxes Claimed by Local Government (including penalties and interest), 

June 2006 

Location Town and County 

Total Tax Claims 

Village Tax 

Claims Total 

Town of Augusta $7,496 - $7,496 

Town of Fenner 91 - 91 

Town of Lenox 48,057 - 48,057 

Town of Lincoln 10,610 - 10,610 

Town of Smithfield 2,301 - 2,301 

Town of Stockbridge 59,875 - 59,875 

Town of Sullivan 805 - 805 

Town of Vernon 171,130 - 171,130 

Town of Verona 20,958,230 - 20,958,230 

Village of Canastota 72,531 34,453 106,983 

Village of Sylvan Beach 13,877 7,636 21,514 

Village of Vernon 16,224 6,910 23,134 

V.V.S School District 

Total $21,361,227 $48,999 $21,410,226 

Note:* The assessed value of the Turning Stone Resort & Casino is being contested by the Nation. 

Source: The Nation 

3.7.9.5 Cost of Local Government Services directly related to the Nation 

Under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), an Indian Casino cannot be taxed, nor 

is a Tribe allowed to make payments in lieu of taxes, but only may pay mitigation for 

actual impacts. This section reviews the Nation’s activities in relationship to their need or 

demand for county and local government services. Conceptual estimates are made of the 

amount of county and local government spending that may be reasonably attributable to 

Nation activities. 

County and local government services are traditionally supported by the local property tax 

but also by several other non-property tax local sources (e.g., sales taxes, charges, fees, 

and permits) and non-local sources such as Federal- and State-Aid. To develop an 

estimate of the amount of county and local government service expenditures that may be 

impacted by the Nation activities, this section accounts for these supplementary sources 

and considers only the amount of governmental services spending supported through the 

property tax levy. The property tax payment is the principal revenue source for county 

and local government that would be unavailable should the Nation lands get placed into 

trust. Other socioeconomic sections of this report consider whether, and to what extent, 

the Nation’s activities may contribute revenues to county and local government to mitigate 

the expenditure effects described below. 
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Local Schools 

The total pupil enrollment, the total costs and the total per-pupil costs to educate children 

in the School Districts for which the Nation has land holdings are presented in Table 3.7-

126. Based upon 2004 data compiled from the New York State’s Office of the State 

Comptroller and the New York State Department of Education, school district 

expenditures include all funding categories: general support; operations and maintenance; 

instruction and administration; teaching; school lunch; transportation; and other elements 

of overhead and administration and incorporates debt service. 

Federal-aid and state-aid programs are the dominant means for funding public school 

education spending. State-Aid is the principal means for supporting educational spending 

accounting for 54 percent of the revenues reported in aggregate for the school districts 

with Nation land holdings. By comparison, Federal-Aid accounts for just over 5 percent of 

revenues. The local property tax accounts for just over one-third of the revenue stream for 

local school district education. Additional but relatively minor sources of revenue to the 

subject school districts come from interest earnings and other revenues (e.g. tuition and 

transportation of non-resident pupils, proceeds of insurance adjustments, surplus property 

sales and lunch or store fund sales, and non-property tax payments from use and utility 

taxes). Table 3.7-126 deducts non-local sources of revenue and estimates per-pupil 

spending supported by the local property tax. 

Table 3.7-127 presents a table that estimates the number of Native American school 

children attending local school districts. Based upon input from the Nation Members 

Department, the table identifies the number of school-age children residing in the White 

Pines Village, the 32-acre Territory and the other Nation Land holdings. These estimated 

65 school-age children attend the Oneida or Stockbridge Valley School Districts. The 

table also provides an estimate of the number of Native Americans, approximately 89 

school-age children, living on lands that are not owned by the Nation which are expected 

to make property tax payments either directly or indirectly through rental payments. The 

table does not include children attending the Manlius Pebble Hill School, a private school 

that the Nation has provided tuition for talented and gifted children. 

Based on the estimated number of public school age children on Nation lands outside the 

32-acre territory, the Nation is currently estimated to require about $207,000 of local 

school spending that is supported by the local property tax levy (in FY 2004 dollars) for 

districts with Nation land holdings. This aggregate level of spending is concentrated in 

two school districts that educate Oneida children and who occupy Nation housing. The 

fiscal analysis does not include the costs for educating all Native American children or 

children in Nation member households living off Nation-owned lands excluded from this 

Trust Application (e.g., those on the 32-acre reservation are not included in this analysis). 

The analysis as reported in Table 3.7-126 finds that spending is concentrated in the 

Oneida School District followed by the Stockbridge Valley Central District. 
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For comparison purposes, as illustrated in Table 3.7-124, FY2005-06 payments were 

credited to the Nation for their contributions to the Oneida School District ($510,000) 

and Stockbridge ($137,100) which exceed the estimated costs of local school spending 

required by Nation Member school-age children. Additionally, the Nation made 

payments for their other land holdings benefiting other school districts for which Nation 

Member students were not in attendance. Some caution is warranted in this comparison 

as the school spending estimates are in 2004 dollars while the taxes claimed that were paid 

by the Nation were in 2005 dollars. Further, pinpointing school district attendance levels 

for those in Nation housing is somewhat problematic. However, it appears that the 

amount of school district spending (supported by the property tax) induced by the children 

residing in Member Housing is less than the property taxes levied upon these lands. 

With the Nation’s lands officially taken into trust, the fiscal burden to school districts may 

be lessened or mitigated somewhat through the eligible School District’s pursuit of Federal 

Impact Aid Funding. The amount of Federal Impact Aid is determined by a formula that 

accounts for the number of eligible students enrolled in the school and the Nation’s land 

within the school district that is tax-exempt due to federal ownership or other allowable 

tax-exempt status. A minimum enrollment of 3 percent or 400 eligible student must be 

enrolled in the public school district to meet the eligibility criteria. Based on current 

estimates of Nation school-age children (approximately 5 percent of total enrollment), the 

Stockbridge Valley Central School District appears to meet the threshold eligibility 

requirements to pursue this source of funding. 

Additionally, Stockbridge Valley Central, with its District boundaries inclusive of the 32-

acre reservation, appears to be the only school district that has received assistance through 

the New York State Indian Aid for Public Schools program. Through its Office of Native 

American Education, New York State offers transportation and education reimbursements 

to schools that have students from Indian families living on tribal lands. There is no 

minimum number of enrolled students necessary to be eligible for New York State’s 

program. With the lands conveyed into trust, other school districts should be eligible for 

funding through the program to partially mitigate the costs identified above. 

An additional consequence of conveying lands into trust should be an adjustment in the 

application of the Combined Wealth Ratio Formula used to indicate wealth on the New 

York State Tax Report. Local Districts have noted that they received less State Aid and 

reduced eligibility for grants because the formula considers full valuation per pupil which 

includes the value of Nation lands thus making local school districts appear “wealthier” in 

terms of the application of the formula. 
A

Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-126 

School District Spending Attributable to School Age Children on Nation Lands 

School Districts with Nation Land Holdings 

Total District Expenditures 

Number of Enrolled Pupils 

Expenditures per Pupil 

Revenues: State & Federal Aid, Interest, Other Non-Local Per Pupil 

Revenues: Supported by Local Property Tax Per Pupil 

ExistinChildre

Oneida $40,978,273 2,551 $16,064 $8,049 $3,869 40 Cazenovia $21,181,943 1,805 $11,735 $4,406 $7,329 0 Canastota $18,773,848 1,547 $12,136 $7,241 $4,895 0 Morrisville-Easton $15,512,461 877 $17,688 $10,807 $6,881 0 Madison $8,600,752 464 $18,536 $12,070 $6,466 0 Stockbridge $7,866,125 532 $14,786 $11,892 $2,894 18 Sherrill $27,949,467 2,328 $12,006 $7,689 $4,317 0 Total $140,862,869 10,104 $102,950 $62,153 $36,653 58 

Source: New York State Comptrollers Office, 2006; Nation Housing (unpublished), 2006; The Louis Berger Group, Inc., 2006.Source: Note: Total District Expenditures and expenditures per pupil include operations and equipment and capital outlays. 
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Table 3.7-127 

Estimate of Member and Native American Children by School District On- and Off 

Nation Lands 

Nation Housing Lands 

School District 

Village 

of 

White 

Pines Reservation 

Other Nation 

Land 

Holdings Sub-Total 

NonNation 

Lands Total 

Oneida 33 1 7 41 46 94 

Stockbridge Valley 5 6 13 24 13 50 

V.V.S 0 0 0 0 11 11 

Canastota 0 0 0 0 19 19 

Total 38 7 20 65 89 174 

Source: Nation (unpublished), 2006. 

Nation Share of County and Local Governments 

The Nation’s demands for local governments and services have been estimated for the 

Counties, Cities, Towns, and Villages and in which the Nation has land holdings. The 

method for cost estimation of the Nation’s share of fiscal expenditures for these entities 

generally involves the following steps: 

1. Revenue and expenditure data were collected from the New York State, Office of the 

State Comptroller for year 2004 budget, the most recent year for which uniformly 

reported data was available. The Town of Verona’s budgetary data was not available 

in time for the statewide Comptroller’s Report for several years including the subject 

year, but the Town provided their missing budgets upon request. 

2. Revenues by source were benchmarked to identify that portion of local government 

spending that was raised from the Property Tax assessment as opposed to other 

sources for each relevant jurisdiction. The following are major non-property tax 

revenue source items to consider for the subject municipalities and counties: 

Intergovernmental Revenues - Federal and State Aid for general purposes, health, 

highway and transportation and social services, and other sources fall into this 

category. Intergovernmental revenues also include utility revenues and all revenues not 

otherwise classified such as repayments of social services and income from health 

departments, sewer departments, water departments, and home and community 

services departments. Unclassified or miscellaneous other revenues are in this category 

from licenses, permits, rentals, sales, fines and forfeits, recoveries, and refunds. This 

also includes tobacco settlement payments including securitized payments. Interfund 

revenues are not included under this category. 

Non-Property Tax – This category includes ales taxes or sales tax credits that may be 

distributed by the County, franchise revenues, off-track betting surtaxes, hotel room 

occupancies, harness and flat track admission taxes, interest and penalties, etc. 
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Other Tax - Interest and penalties on taxes inclusive of sewer and water rents, 

payments in lieu of taxes, gain from sales of tax acquired properties, and town 

payments to reduce the county tax levy are included in this category. 

3. Expenditures by function were then examined for county and local government 

services and include the following major functional categories which are defined in 

greater detail below: General Government; Education (county only); Public Safety; 

Public Health; Transportation; Economic Assistance; Culture-Recreation; and Home 

and Community Services. 

4. An appropriate cost allocation method and metric was applied to each functional 

expenditure category. Expenditures by function typically involve services to support 

residential and nonresidential activities undertaken in their respective jurisdictions. 

Depending on the functional expenditure category and the nexus between the Nation’s 

operations and the governmental service, the appropriate allocation metric for costs 

may reflect a principally residential beneficiary (i.e. per capita), both residential and 

non-residential beneficiaries (e.g. full time equivalent population or FTEP), or demand 

usage requirements (e.g., vehicle-trips, etc.). 

5. Based on the assigned cost allocation metric and the Nation’s estimated or projected 

activity volumes, the Nation’s demand for local spending that is supported by the 

property tax levy was estimated. 

Public Safety 

Police, fire, and other public safety such as traffic control, public safety administration, 

animal control, building inspection, civil defense, and examining boards are among the 

departments whose spending is included in this functional category for municipalities (see 

Table 3.7-128, Column 1). For Counties, the category also includes sheriff, jail, 

rehabilitation services, and probation, among other activities. The Nation’s estimated 

share of public safety costs and required expenditures is presented in Table 3.7-128. 

The cost allocation metric for this category is based upon estimates of the residential 

population living on Nation’s Lands, the workers reporting to job establishment locations 

on Nation lands, and the daily visitors frequenting the Turning Stone Resort & Casino 

(Table 3.7-128, Column3). The resulting FTEP metric is a measure of demand for public 

services attributable to visitor activity, employment, and population. Time weights are 

applied to each demand factor to create a resident equivalent population estimate or FTEP 

which is used as the basis for allocation of public safety costs which are expected to be 

triggered by visitors, employees and residents. 

The property tax is not the sole basis for funding county or local expenditures so a 

downward adjustment is also made to exclude expenditures that are funded by other 

revenue sources (Table 3.7-128, Column 6). 

The last two columns report the Nation’s estimated need for public safety expenditures 

based on their attributed share of the full-time equivalent population or FTEP (Table 3.7-

128, Columns 7 and 8). 
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Based on this methodology, the activities on Nation’s land tend to have a greater impact 

on public safety expenditures for Oneida and Madison Counties and the City of Oneida 

than other municipalities. Table 3.7-128 illustrates the order-of-magnitude of these 

attributed costs for the Nation’s activities when other sources of revenue than the property 

tax are accounted for as sources of funding for service delivery. 

As reported elsewhere in Chapter 3, the burden and responsibility for public safety on the 

gaming floor of the Turning Stone Resort & Casino extend beyond the jurisdiction of 

county and local governments to State policing and regulatory institutions. The Nation 

absorbs these costs through its substantial reimbursement payments to the New York State 

Police and the New York Racing and Wagering Board, respectively, for their law 

enforcement and compliance examinations of gaming activities. Additionally, the 

Nation’s police department conducts policing activities that have the practical effect of 

reducing the number of service calls and/or time commitment required of other policing 

jurisdictions. In the absence of the Nation’s police department, it can be reasonably 

anticipated that other jurisdictions would have to increase their resource commitments to 

address the public safety function. 

Additionally, as described in Section 3.7.7.3, the Nation has recognized that it uses many 

of the municipal services of the jurisdictions in which it owns property. The Nation and 

municipalities have signed service agreements in the past as a means by which local 

governments can be reimbursed for the Nation’s use of municipal services (see Table 3.7-

96). In the area of public safety, fire protection agreements have been developed with the 

Town of Verona and in the past with the Village of Canastota. Police deputization 

agreements were also in effect with Madison and Oneida County for a period of more 

than five years before they were cancelled in the year 2000 and, as part of such 

agreements, the Nation agreed to pay reasonable administrative costs incurred by the 

Sheriff’s department, including fees for background checks, with a minimum guaranteed 

payment per quarter. The Nation had also agreed to carry liability insurance for 

indemnification purposes. 

Beyond these considerations, it should be recognized that the estimate of the Nation’s need 

for public services presented in this section is an estimate of the county and local costs 

attributable to the Nation’s activities that would fall to the property tax for payment if 

such payment were to be made. Other economic and fiscal sections account for the 

indirect means – for example, sales tax or property tax payments made by vendors or 

workers in the Oneida enterprises and government living outside the Nation lands -- by 

which local jurisdictions receive revenue or compensation for Nation activities in the 

absence of the property tax payment. 

Health 

This category consists of expenditures for ambulance services, public health 

administration, registrar of vital statistics, and all other health services. These services are 
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primarily serving the residential population of subject jurisdictions and, thus, costs could 

be fairly allocated on a “per capita” basis. However, the visitors and work force to the 

Turning Stone Resort & Casino may require health-related services on occasion and 

therefore a more conservative approach to cost allocation was employed (i.e., the FTEP 

approach). Table 3.7-129 illustrates the relatively small size of total spending in this 

category for most local jurisdictions particularly when adjustments are made to account 

for non-property tax sources of revenue (e.g., health department income). County 

spending is significantly greater but significant portions of spending are supplemented by 

Federal-Aid, State-Aid and departmental income from fees and charges. 

In addition, as described elsewhere in Chapter 3, it is noted that the Nation operates a 

health clinic available to its Members and other Native Americans which offers 

preventative care and medical care services, provides health insurance for its Members and 

delivers medical care to Nation heath center clients whether or not they have medical 

insurance. Some of these services and benefit programs are funded through Indian Health 

Service Federal Grants and others are provided by the Nation. 

There health benefits and services to Nation Members and other Native American tribes in 

the area offer a measure of relief to county and local government in the area of public 

health spending. There are likely to be fewer uninsured individuals seeking health care 

services from County or Local jurisdictions (see Section 3.7.5) and a smaller proportion of 

total patient visits to the emergency room for medical treatments better handled at clinics. 

Economic Assistance 

This category consists of expenditures to promote the economic welfare of the town, 

villages and city residents. For Counties, the category also includes expenditures for 

infirmaries and social services, administration and programs (including county 

expenditures for services for recipients, medical assistance - MMIS/Medicaid, aid to 

dependent children, child care, home relief, etc.). 

These services are primarily intended to serve the residential population of subject 

jurisdictions and, thus, costs have been allocated on a population “per capita” basis. 

Table 3.7-130 illustrates the very high spending levels required of the Counties, reflective 

of the substantial dependency in the region on inter-governmental transfers for social 

services through Federal-Aid and State-Aid programs. The Nation’s estimated per capita 

share of total spending is attributable to its residential populations residing in dwellings 

established through the Nation’s residential housing programs which are more 

concentrated in Madison County than Oneida County. 

Culture-Recreation 

This category consists of expenditures for parks, playgrounds, youth and adult recreation 

programs, libraries, recreational facilities, and other cultural and recreational activities. 

These services are generally intended to benefit the residential population, therefore, a 
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population per capita cost allocation method was used to estimate the Nation’s attributed 

costs (see Table 3.7-131). The Nation’s demand for these services is minimal from most 

local jurisdictions with slightly higher costs incurred in the City of Oneida along with the 

Counties which are the jurisdictions in which more residences are sited on Nation lands. 

Home and Community Services 

This category typically includes expenditures for the operation and administration of a 

water, sewer, electric, gas or steam system. Additionally the category includes expenditures 

for garbage collection and disposal, drainage and storm sewers, housing and community 

development, natural resources, and activities intended to improve the general 

environment. These services are generally intended to benefit the residential population; 

therefore, a population per capita cost allocation method was used to estimate the 

Nation’s attributed costs (see Table 3.7-132). 

Many of these service categories such as water and sewer are heavily supported by income 

from user charges and other fees. Table 3.7-133 illustrates the relative importance of these 

sources in comparison to the property tax and budget for several communities with 

Nation lands. It can be seen that in several municipalities in which the Nation has 

relatively more land holdings, the municipal jurisdictions draw revenues from fees and 

services to support their activities. For example, the Town of Verona collected more than 

$700,000 in water and sewer income in FY2004 – 180 percent more than was collected by 

the property tax. For comparison purposes, and while the fiscal years differ, the Nation 

paid the Town of Verona $581,400 in water and sewer charges in FY2005. Other 

municipalities with significant Nation land holdings that rely more heavily upon such fees 

include Stockbridge, the City of Oneida and the Village of Canastota, among other 

jurisdictions. 

The Nation has recognized that it uses water and sewer services in the jurisdictions in 

which it owns property. The Nation has developed water and sewer agreements with the 

Village of Canastota, City of Oneida and the Town of Verona for which it pays user 

charges and other charges and fees for services provided. Water user charges are also 

made to the Village of Vernon. 

Education 

This category includes the county’s contribution to the community colleges, tuition 

payments to community colleges, education of handicapped students, and miscellaneous 

education expenditures. This category is not applicable to towns, villages and cities. 

County education expenditures are primarily intended to deliver services to a residential 

population so costs have been allocated on a per capita basis. Therefore, the Nation’s 

need for these services is primarily confined to its small residential population base (see 

Table 3.7.-134) 
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General Government and Debt Service 

The general government category includes expenditures for executive, legislative, judicial 

and financial operations for county and local governments. In the case of general 

government expenditures, calling upon a separate sovereign nation to absorb the general 

costs of another local government is a challenge to its sovereignty. As reported in a 

separate section of the Draft EIS, the Nation’s government also maintains executive, 

legislative, judicial and financial operations. The Nation seeks to consult with other 

governments on a government-to-government basis but does not seek to be subjects of 

another government and, thus, do not demand these services from them. However, from 

the county and local government perspective, the policy and administrative functions of 

general government include the affairs of the Nation and its members and those who work 

or visit the Nation’s lands and enterprises. 

Table 3.7-135 presents the estimated costs of general government services on a full time 

equivalent population basis. The assessed valuation method as a basis for cost allocation 

is problematic; the valuation approach does not necessarily reflect the actual cost of 

general governmental services. The valuation method is made further problematic for 

estimating the Nation’s share of general government costs by the continuing dispute over 

Turning Stone Resort & Casino’s valuation. 

Debt service is a cost of operating county and local governments that is supported by 

property tax payments among other revenue sources. The Nation’s estimated debt service 

contribution is derived from a debt-to-operating cost ratio which is then applied to the 

total estimated operating costs for all other categories for which the Nation makes a 

demand for county or local governmental services. 

Transportation 

The transportation category includes expenditures for maintenance and improvements of 

county and municipal roads and bridges, snow removal, street lighting, landscaping of 

roads, sidewalk maintenance, off-street parking, and other transportation-related items. 

The Nation’s estimated share of transportation costs and required expenditures is 

presented in Table 3.7-136. 

The cost allocation metric for this category is based upon estimates of the Nation’s share 

of trip generation within the municipal and county jurisdictions. Trip generation for the 

Nation attributable to its visitors, employment establishments and residents in the study 

area municipalities and counties were derived from the Nation’s land uses and major 

attractions (e.g., Turning Stone Resort & Casino, SavOn Convenience Stores and Gas 

Stations). The data was supplemented with estimates of population and employment 

levels by municipal location. Trip generation rates for the Nation and the surrounding 

municipalities and counties were based upon rates reported by the Institute of 

Transportation Engineers and estimates of intensity of land development (i.e., square 
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footage per employee factors) reported by the Energy Information Administration for 

various land use types. 

Trip generation serves as a proxy measure for the degree of roadway usage attributable to 

the Nation by assessing the number of trips generated or attracted in the individual 

jurisdictions in which the origin or destination activity is located and calculating the 

Nation’s share against that caused by non-Nation activities. Further refinements in 

assessing roadway demands would require further consideration of trip distances. 

Additionally, trip origin-destination surveys may sometimes be deployed to refine trip 

distributions and traffic routing assignments. Any route assignment share that would 

track the Nation’s contribution to the network vis-à-vis all traffic must be further crossreferenced against the responsible governing jurisdiction for each roadway segments in the 

transportation network to support a refined estimation of fair share responsibilities for 

maintenance and operations. 

Travel network models can be developed to support such refined analyses at some 

considerable cost, although they are generally calibrated for the major arterial segments 

and developed to plan for capital improvements attributable to regional travel movements 

rather than to assess maintenance obligations. The Traffic Section of the EIS does not 

note the need for major capital improvements. 

Utilization of the travel network model approach for the purpose of supporting fiscal 

responsibilities related to maintenance would have to include and simulate travel behavior 

on the minor links of a local roadway network. Such a tool would need to be designed to 

measure 24-hour volumes for work and non-work trip purposes not only on the major 

access roads to the Turning Stone Resort & Casino but other portions of the local street 

network throughout the studied jurisdictions to adequately compare vehicles mile traveled 

attributable to the Nation with all other vehicle miles traveled. 
A

Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-128 

Nation’s Share of Public Safety Spending, 2005 (in 2004 Dollars) 

 (Col. 1) (Col. 2) (Col. 3) (Col. 4) (Col. 5) (Col. 6)  Nation  Full-Time Nation  Equivalent Nation Need Property Tax County Municipality Spending Per FTEP Population Need Share Contribution Madison City of Oneida $4,269,074 $347.44 321 $111,636 2.6% 18.5% Madison Village of Canastota $917,967 $200.53 10 $2,063 0.2% 36.0% Madison Cazenovia $236,754 $34.15 0 $0 0.0% 65.4% Madison Fenner $43,797 $30.74 0 $0 0.0% 58.1% Madison Lenox $153,070 $17.03 25 $418 0.3% 63.7% Madison Lincoln $112,663 $68.45 13 $900 0.8% 77.7% Madison Smithfield $44,712 $42.23 0 $0 0.0% 78.4% Madison Stockbridge $27,098 $13.62 29 $397 1.5% 62.1% Madison Sullivan $640,733 $46.11 3 $132 0.0% 75.1% 

Subtotal - Madison $6,445,868 401 $115,547 

Oneida City of Sherrill $497,104 $145.36 15 $2,175 0.4% 22.7% Oneida Village of Sylvan Beach $92,455 $76.65 0 $0 0.0% 33.9% Oneida Village of Vernon $217,962 $196.81 0 $0 0.0% 21.3% Oneida Augusta $55,351 $29.64 0 $0 0.0% 50.5% Oneida Vernon $132,042 $25.76 12 $314 0.2% 14.1% Oneida Verona $15,199 $2.23 3,520 $7,844 51.6% 7.2% Oneida Vienna $344,116 $64.76 0 $0 0.0% 40.3% 

Subtotal - Oneida $1,354,229 3,547 $10,333 

Oneida County $32,651,817 $130.41 3,547 $462,575 1.4% 21.5% Madison County $8,592,506 $121.56 398 $48,425 0.6% 32.3% Total $49,044,420 $636,880 

Source: New York State Office of the State Comptroller. 
A

Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-129 

Nation’s Share of Public Health Spending, 2005 (in 2004 Dollars)

 (Col. 1) (Col. 2) (Col. 3) (Col. 4) (Col. 5) (Col. 6) ( Nation  Full-Time Nation A Equivalent Nation Need Property Tax NCounty Municipality Spending Per FTEP Population Need Share Contribution NMadison City of Oneida $55,472 $4.51 321 $1,451 2.6% 18.5% $Madison Village of Canastota $15,600 $3.41 10 $35 0.2% 36.0% $Madison Cazenovia $6,978 $1.01 0 $0 0.0% 65.4% $Madison Fenner $5,664 $3.98 0 $0 0.0% 58.1% $Madison Lenox $51,505 $5.73 25 $141 0.3% 63.7% $Madison Lincoln $7,050 $4.28 13 $56 0.8% 77.7% $Madison Smithfield $3,891 $3.68 0 $0 0.0% 78.4% $Madison Stockbridge $100 $0.05 29 $1 1.5% 62.1% $Madison Sullivan $101,620 $7.31 3 $21 0.0% 75.1% $

Subtotal - Madison $247,880 401 $1,705 $

Oneida City of Sherrill $176 $0.05 15 $1 0.4% 22.7% $Oneida 

Village of Sylvan Beach $3,763 $3.12 0 $0 0.0% 33.9% $

Oneida Village of Vernon $64 $0.06 0 $0 0.0% 21.3% $Oneida Augusta $1,486 $0.80 0 $0 0.0% 50.5% $Oneida Vernon $1,769 $0.35 12 $4 0.2% 14.1% $Oneida Verona $2,186 $0.32 3,520 $1,128 51.6% 7.2% $Oneida Vienna $30,905 $5.82 0 $0 0.0% 40.3% $

Subtotal - Oneida $40,349 3,547 $1,133 $

Oneida County $20,131,927 $80.40 3,547 $285,207 1.4% 21.5% $Madison County $10,465,526 $148.06 398 $58,980 0.6% 32.3% $Total $30,885,682 $347,026 $

Source: New York State Office of the State Comptroller. 
A

Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-130 

Nation’s Share of Economic Assistance Spending, 2005 (in 2004 Dollars) 

 (Col. 1) (Col. 2) (Col. 3) (Col. 4) (Col. 5) (Col. 6)  Nation  Nation Nation Need Property Tax County Municipality Spending Per Capita Population Need Share Contribution Madison City of Oneida $1,086 $0.10 163 $16 1.5% 18.5% Madison Village of Canastota $27,539 $6.16 6 $39 0.1% 36.0% Madison Cazenovia $6,446 $0.95 0 $0 0.0% 65.4% Madison Fenner $545 $0.32 0 $0 0.0% 58.1% Madison Lenox $12,274 $1.39 23 $32 0.3% 63.7% Madison Lincoln $0 $0.00 10 $0 0.0% 77.7% Madison Smithfield $0 $0.00 0 $0 0.0% 78.4% Madison Stockbridge $320 $0.15 34 $5 1.6% 62.1% Madison Sullivan $1,600 $0.11 3 $0 0.0% 75.1% 

Subtotal - Madison $49,810 239 $92 

Oneida City of Sherrill $0 $0.00 9 $0 0.0% 22.7% Oneida 

Village of Sylvan Beach $0 $0.00 0 $0 0.0% 33.9% 

Oneida Village of Vernon $0 $0.00 0 $0 0.0% 21.3% Oneida Augusta $1,200 $0.61 0 $0 0.0% 50.5% Oneida Vernon $2,000 $0.37 3 $1 0.1% 14.1% Oneida Verona $3,452 $0.53 52 $28 0.8% 7.2% Oneida Vienna $5,565 $0.95 0 $0 0.0% 40.3% 

Subtotal - Oneida $12,217 64 $29 

Oneida County $158,064,112 $672.72 62 $41,467 0.0% 21.5% Madison County $30,126,231 $427.89 239 $102,389 0.3% 32.3% Total $188,252,370 $143,976 

Source: New York State Office of the State Comptroller. 
A

Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-131 

Nation’s Share of Culture and Recreation Spending, 2005 (in 2004 Dollars)

 (Col. 1) (Col. 2) (Col. 3) (Col. 4) (Col. 5) (Col. 6) (C Nation A Nation Nation Need Property Tax NCounty Municipality Spending Per Capita Population Need Share Contribution NMadison City of Oneida $867,128 $78.99 163 $12,851 1.5% 18.5% $Madison Village of Canastota $217,047 $48.56 6 $304 0.1% 36.0% $Madison Cazenovia $52,696 $7.79 0 $0 0.0% 65.4% $Madison Fenner $4,968 $2.96 0 $0 0.0% 58.1% $Madison Lenox $60,236 $6.81 23 $155 0.3% 63.7% $Madison Lincoln $8,458 $4.51 10 $46 0.5% 77.7% $Madison Smithfield $4,600 $3.76 0 $0 0.0% 78.4% $Madison Stockbridge $11,570 $5.52 34 $188 1.6% 62.1% $Madison Sullivan $531,807 $35.05 3 $119 0.0% 75.1% $

Subtotal - Madison $1,758,510 239 $13,663 $

Oneida City of Sherrill $251,523 $80.46 9 $735 0.3% 22.7% $Oneida 

Village of Sylvan Beach $76,914 $71.15 0 $0 0.0% 33.9% $

Oneida Village of Vernon $89,684 $76.13 0 $0 0.0% 21.3% $Oneida Augusta $9,710 $4.92 0 $0 0.0% 50.5% $Oneida Vernon $17,995 $3.31 3 $9 0.1% 14.1% $Oneida Verona $23,536 $3.61 52 $189 0.8% 7.2% $Oneida Vienna $27,992 $4.77 0 $0 0.0% 40.3% $

Subtotal - Oneida $497,354 64 $934 $

Oneida County $2,775,316 $11.81 62 $728 0.0% 21.5% $Madison County $536,529 $7.62 239 $1,823 0.3% 32.3% $Total $5,567,709 $17,149 $

Source: New York State Office of the State Comptroller. 
A

Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-132 

Nation’s Share of Home and Community Services, 2005 (in 2004 Dollars)

 (Col. 1) (Col. 2) (Col. 3) (Col. 4) (Col. 5) (Col. 6)  Nation  Nation Nation Need Property Tax County Municipality Spending Per Capita Population Need Share Contribution Madison City of Oneida $4,260,346 $78.99 163 $12,851 0.3% 18.5% Madison Village of Canastota $888,622 $48.56 6 $304 0.0% 36.0% Madison Cazenovia $122,109 $7.79 0 $0 0.0% 65.4% Madison Fenner $9,765 $2.96 0 $0 0.0% 58.1% Madison Lenox $184,802 $6.81 23 $155 0.1% 63.7% Madison Lincoln $9,552 $4.51 10 $46 0.5% 77.7% Madison Smithfield $13,905 $3.76 0 $0 0.0% 78.4% Madison Stockbridge $114,965 $5.52 34 $188 0.2% 62.1% Madison Sullivan $644,817 $35.05 3 $119 0.0% 75.1% 

Subtotal - Madison $6,248,883 239 $13,663 

Oneida City of Sherrill $2,346,729 $80.46 9 $735 0.0% 22.7% Oneida Village of Sylvan Beach $290,851 $71.15 0 $0 0.0% 33.9% Oneida Village of Vernon $519,034 $76.13 0 $0 0.0% 21.3% Oneida Augusta $25,657 $4.92 0 $0 0.0% 50.5% Oneida Vernon $156,702 $3.31 3 $9 0.0% 14.1% Oneida Verona $979,949 $3.61 52 $189 0.0% 7.2% Oneida Vienna $188,069 $4.77 0 $0 0.0% 40.3% 

Subtotal - Oneida $4,506,991 64 $934 

Oneida County $8,482,284 $36.10 62 $2,225 0.0% 21.5% Madison County $5,563,864 $79.02 239 $18,910 0.3% 32.3% Total $24,802,022 $35,732 

Source: New York State Office of the State Comptroller. 
A

Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-133 

Sewer and Water Income in Comparison to Property Tax and as 

Share of Total Revenues, 2004 

Sewer and Water/ 

Sewer and Water as P

 Sewer Water Property Property Taxes as Percentage 

oM

County Municipality Income Income Taxes Ratio of Revenues LMadison City of Oneida $1,959,288 $2,116,145 $2,678,424 152.2% 28.1% 7Madison 

Village of Canastota $1,036,482 $0 $1,307,578 79.3% 28.5% 1

Madison Cazenovia $0 $22,383 $1,163,058 1.9% 1.3% 0Madison Fenner $0 $0 $397,971 0.0% 0.0% 0Madison Lenox $4,801 $107,305 $1,092,075 10.3% 6.5% 3Madison Lincoln $0 $0 $462,825 0.0% 0.0% 2Madison Smithfield $0 $0 $368,831 0.0% 0.0% 1Madison Stockbridge $0 $84,036 $396,801 21.2% 13.1% 1Madison Sullivan $0 $0 $3,356,541 0.0% 0.0% 0Oneida City of Sherrill $229,586 $0 $925,767 24.8% 5.6% 0Oneida 

Village of Sylvan Beach $269,116 $5,559 $487,209 56.4% 19.1% 1

Oneida Village of Vernon $303,973 $398,822 $276,840 253.9% 54.0% 1Oneida Augusta $0 $0 $405,184 0.0% 0.0% 1Oneida Vernon $0 $26,274 $201,297 13.1% 1.8% 7Oneida Verona $298,325 $419,181 $252,651 284.0% 20.3% 1Oneida Vienna $0 $41,582 $871,946 4.8% 1.9% 0Oneida $6,540,513 $0 $60,094,162 10.9% 2.3% 1Madison $411,498 $0 $25,982,446 1.6% 0.5% 1

Source: New York State Office of the State Comptroller. 
A

Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-134 

Nation’s Share of County Education Spending, 2005 

(in 2004 Dollars) 

 (Col. 1) (Col. 2) (Col. 3) (Col. 4) (Col. 5) (Col. 6) (C Nation A Nation Nation Need Property Tax NCounty Spending Per Capita Population Need Share Contribution NOneida $17,608,632 $74.94 62 $4,619 0.0% 21.5% $9Madison $3,221,348 $45.75 239 $10,948 0.3% 32.3% $3Total - Two Counties $20,829,980 301 $15,568 $4

Source: New York State Office of the State Comptroller. 
A

Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-135 

Nation’s Share of General Government Spending, 2005 (in 2004 Dollars) 

 (Col. 1) (Col. 2) (Col. 3) (Col. 4) (Col. 5) (Col. 6)  Nation  Full-Time Nation  Equivalent Nation Need Property Tax County Municipality Spending Per FTEP Population Need Share Contribution Madison City of Oneida $1,176,913 $95.78 321 $30,776 2.6% 18.5% Madison Village of Canastota $387,082 $84.56 10 $870 0.2% 36.0% Madison Cazenovia $264,075 $38.09 0 $0 0.0% 65.4% Madison Fenner $92,639 $65.03 0 $0 0.0% 58.1% Madison Lenox $519,854 $57.84 25 $1,421 0.3% 63.7% Madison Lincoln $91,696 $55.71 13 $733 0.8% 77.7% Madison Smithfield $89,572 $84.61 0 $0 0.0% 78.4% Madison Stockbridge $93,938 $47.23 29 $1,375 1.5% 62.1% Madison Sullivan $1,291,677 $92.95 3 $265 0.0% 75.1% 

Subtotal - Madison $4,007,446 401 $35,440 

Oneida City of Sherrill $608,707 $177.99 15 $2,664 0.4% 22.7% Oneida Village of Sylvan Beach $193,692 $160.58 0 $0 0.0% 33.9% Oneida Village of Vernon $105,861 $95.59 0 $0 0.0% 21.3% Oneida Augusta $119,917 $64.22 0 $0 0.0% 50.5% Oneida Vernon $353,572 $68.97 12 $840 0.2% 14.1% Oneida Verona $765,648 $112.27 3,520 $395,133 51.6% 7.2% Oneida Vienna $298,022 $56.09 0 $0 0.0% 40.3% 

Subtotal - Oneida $2,445,419 3,547 $398,637 

Oneida $31,041,484 $80.40 3,547 $285,207 0.9% 21.5% Madison $9,919,126 $148.06 398 $58,980 0.6% 32.3% Total $47,413,475 $778,265 

Source: New York State Office of the State Comptroller. 
A

Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-136 

Nation’s Share of Transportation Spending, 2005 

 (Col. 1) (Col. 2) (Col. 3) (Col. 4) (Col. 5)  Nation  Trip Adjusted  Generation Nation Property Tax Nation County Municipality Spending Share Need Contribution Need Madison City of Oneida $1,716,854 2.07% $35,524 18.5% $6,560 Madison Village of Canastota $652,882 6.21% $40,550 36.0% $14,580 Madison Cazenovia $1,878,796 0.02% $362 65.4% $236 Madison Fenner $436,059 0.05% $202 58.1% $118 Madison Lenox $563,513 0.95% $5,335 63.7% $3,396 Madison Lincoln $278,720 0.25% $703 77.7% $546 Madison Smithfield $267,668 0.54% $1,448 78.4% $1,135 Madison Stockbridge $429,895 1.15% $4,962 62.1% $3,080 Madison Sullivan $1,472,218 0.01% $175 75.1% $131 

Subtotal - Madison $7,696,605 $89,260 $29,781 

Oneida City of Sherrill $478,895 3.65% $17,480 22.7% $3,975 Oneida Village of Sylvan Beach $300,416 3.33% $10,006 33.9% $3,393 Oneida Village of Vernon $80,085 0.20% $163 21.3% $35 Oneida Augusta $666,595 0.00% $0 50.5% $0 Oneida Vernon $700,842 3.71% $25,987 14.1% $3,675 Oneida Verona $799,305 54.79% $437,963 7.2% $31,320 Oneida Vienna $1,155,173 0.00% $0 40.3% $0 

Subtotal - Oneida $4,181,311 $491,599 $42,398 

Oneida $30,000,198 1.43% $427,996 21.5% $92,172 Madison $13,347,265 0.79% $105,875 32.3% $34,223 Total $55,225,379 $1,114,730 $198,575 

Source: New York State Office of the State Comptroller. 
Section 3 

Affected Environment

Bureau of Indian Affairs 

Draft EIS 

Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

3-387

Summary 

Under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), an Indian Casino cannot be taxed, nor 

is a Tribe allowed to make payments in lieu of taxes, but only may pay mitigation for 

actual impacts. This section seeks to first determine the cost of services resulting from the 

Nation’s enterprises. The estimated level of Nation’s costs by each functional category and 

jurisdiction that are attributable to the property tax is summarized and reported in Table 

3.7-137. 

The total cost estimate and the respective individual cost estimates per functional category 

and jurisdiction should be interpreted as giving an “order-of-magnitude” estimate of the 

size and types of cost incidence resulting from the Nation’s use of county and local 

services. The allocation methods used to estimate the actual cost of government services 

by government jurisdiction that are described in this section do not use the value of 

property as a “proxy” for assigning costs. As can be seen in this section, the value of 

property is not necessarily a good indicator of the costs of services required of that 

property from county or local governments. 

The section considers the Nation’s demand for local government services for all the 

jurisdictions for which the Nation has land holdings. The analytical methods used here 

provide a means for considering the types of governmental services and specific 

communities that are more likely to be affected by the Nation’s activities. These 

communities would appear to be the Town of Verona, the City of Oneida, Village of 

Canastota along with Oneida and Madison Counties. Additionally, the Stockbridge 

Valley Central School District and the Oneida School District appear to be more affected 

by the current enrollment patterns, requiring local funding of students. 

Along with other discussions in this Draft EIS, this section has described the Nation’s 

approach to payment for the costs of services required. The Nation has indicated that it 

recognizes that it uses many of the services of county and local jurisdictions in which it 

owns property. In fact, the Nation and locally affected jurisdictions have signed service 

agreements in the past as a means for reimbursing local governments for their use of 

services required. The Nation has indicated a continued willingness to enter into service 

agreements in the future. 

Additionally, other sections of this report describe several linkages between the economic 

activities of the Nation and the generation of revenues for local government. The Nation’s 

governmental activities and the success of some its enterprises may also mitigate the 

demand for local government services (e.g., education, health, social services). 
Affected En

Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-137 

Summary of Nation’s Share of County and Local Spending, 2005 (in 2004 Dollars) 

County Municipality 

General Govt. 

Public Safety Health Transport 

Economic Assistance 

Culture & Recreation 

Home Community Educati

Madison City of Oneida $5,683 $20,614 $268 $6,560 $3 $2,373 $2,373 $0 Madison Village of Canastota $313 $742 $13 $14,580 $14 $109 $109 $0 Madison Cazenovia $0 $0 $0 $236 $0 $0 $0 $0 Madison Fenner $0 $0 $0 $118 $0 $0 $0 $0 Madison Lenox $904 $266 $90 $3,396 $20 $99 $99 $0 Madison Lincoln $570 $700 $44 $546 $0 $36 $36 $0 Madison Smithfield $0 $0 $0 $1,135 $0 $0 $0 $0 Madison Stockbridge $854 $246 $1 $3,080 $3 $116 $116 $0 Madison Sullivan $199 $99 $16 $131 $0 $90 $90 $0 

Subtotal - Madison $8,523 $22,667 $430 $29,781 $40 $2,823 $2,823 $0 

Oneida City of Sherrill $606 $495 $0 $3,975 $0 $167 $167 $0 Oneida Village of Sylvan Beach $0 $0 $0 $3,393 $0 $0 $0 $0 Oneida Village of Vernon $0 $0 $0 $35 $0 $0 $0 $0 Oneida Augusta $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Oneida Vernon $119 $44 $1 $3,675 $0 $1 $1 $0 Oneida Verona $28,257 $561 $81 $31,320 $2 $14 $14 $0 

Subtotal - Oneida $28,982 $1,100 $81 $42,398 $2 $182 $182 $0 

Oneida County $61,422 $99,619 $61,422 $92,172 $8,930 $157 $479 $995 Madison County $19,065 $15,653 $19,065 $34,223 $33,097 $589 $6,112 $3,539 Total - County and Local $117,992 $139,040 $80,999 $198,575 $42,069 $3,751 $9,597 $4,534 School District:  Oneida $154,77 Stockbridge $52,091 

Subtotal - Schools $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $206,86

 Total $117,992 $139,040 $80,999 $198,575 $42,069 $3,751 $9,597 $211,40
Section 3 

Affected Environment

Bureau of Indian Affairs 

Draft EIS 

Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

3-389

Transportation – State Roads 

To assess the fiscal impact of the Nation on state transportation infrastructure, a 

framework was created to estimate the magnitude of Nation impacts on the region’s (New 

York State Region 2) roadways. To this end, a trip generation analysis, traffic volume 

analysis, a roadway capacity inventory and cost estimate provides a basis for measuring 

fiscal burdens. Table 3.7-138 shows traffic volumes associated with Nation land. Table 

3.7-139 provides an inventory of area roadway mileages by jurisdiction. Table 3.7-140 

calculates the share of fiscal burden attributable to the Nation based on estimated costs 

per centerline mile. 

Table 3.7-138 

Traffic Volume Estimates for Oneida Nation Operations 

(Col.1) (Col. 2) (Col.3) (Col.4) (Col.5) (Col. 6) (Col.7) (Col.8) 

TAZ ID Peak 

Hour 

Volumes 

on Major 

Roadway 

Volumes 

Generated 

by Nation 

Lands 

Major 

Roadway 

Associated 

With TAZ 

Associated 

Towns, 

Villages or 

Cities 

Length 

in 

Segment 

in TAZ 

(miles) 

% of Major 

Roadway 

Volumes 

Associated with 

Nation Lands 

Nation's 

Estimated 

Share of 

Roadway 

(miles) 

1 2086 1550 NYS RT 365 Verona 3.7 74% 2.7 

2 536 1 NYS RT 31 Verona 3.9 0% 0.0 

3 536 104 NYS RT 31 Verona 3.8 19% 0.7 

4 0 N/A N/A N/A 0% N/A 

5 536 2 NYS RT 31 Verona 3.6 0% 0.0 

Verona 2.0 0.8 

Lenox 0.8 0.3 

Vienna 2.5 1.0 

6 668 255 NYS RT 13 

Sylvan 

Beach 0.2 38% 0.1 

Lenox 2.5 0.03 

7 552 5 NYS RT 31 Sullivan 1.5 1% 0.02 

8 856 189 NYS RT 5 Lenox 4 22% 0.9 

Oneida 3.6 1.0 

9 1186 324 NYS RT 5 Sherrill 2.4 27% 0.65 

Stockbridge 2.6 0.78 

10 548 167 NYS RT 46 Oneida 3.4 30% 1.02 

11 548 2 NYS RT 46 Stockbridge 4 0% 0.0 

No 

TAZ** 2 

Source: C&S Engineers; The Louis Berger Group. 

Traffic volume studies were performed on primary roadways associated with Nation lands 

and activities in ten Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZs). Table 3.7-138 provides detail on the 

roadway segments that were analyzed and shows the adjacent jurisdictions. It provides 

the first step in creating a basis for estimating costs attributable to the Nation. The traffic 

volume analyses focused on segments of New York State Routes 365, 31, 13, 5 and 46. 
Section 3 

Affected Environment

Bureau of Indian Affairs 

Draft EIS 

Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

3-390

These roadway segments were selected because of their proximity to Nation lands and 

activities, and for their role as either primary commuter or access roads for visitors to the 

Turning Stone Resort & Casino. The highest share of traffic attributable to the Nation 

occurs on NYS RT 365 in Verona, where the Nation lands were calculated to generate 

about 74 percent of the trips during peak hours. This segment is one of the most heavily 

trafficked roads in the area and is a main access route to Turning Stone Resort & Casino. 

The 74 percent share of trips on this roadway segment translates into about 2.7 centerline 

miles, which allows for the estimation of cost impacts in centerline mile terms. 

Table 3.7-139 provides an additional scale for assessing the impact of Nation’s activities 

on the region’s roadway network. It shows the inventory of centerline highway (roadway) 

miles in the region by jurisdiction, including totals for local municipal (towns, villages, and 

cities), County and New York State Region 2 (D.O.T. and other State) mileages. 

Table 3.7-139 

Inventory of Centerline Mileage Oneida Area Jurisdictions 

Centerline Highway Mileage by Jurisdiction 

Local Jurisdictions 

Town, 

Village or 

City 

County Total 

Local 

D.O.T. 

Owned 

Other 

State 

State & Local 

Combined 

Oneida County 

Verona 98 35 132 31 7 171 

Vienna 79 19 98 18 0 116 

Sylvan Beach 10 0 10 1 0 12 

Sherrill 16 0 16 2 0 18 

County Total 1790 594 2385 421 48 2853 

Madison County 

Lenox 33 25 58 16 4 78 

Stockbridge 34 24 58 7 0 65 

Sullivan 91 40 131 17 9 156 

Oneida 36 0 36 4 1 42 

County Total 836 439 1274 170 18 1463 

Combined County 

Totals 2626 1033 3659 591 66 4316 

New York State DOT 

Region 2 4486 2244 6729 1332 133 8194 

Source: New York State Department of Transportation. 

Region 2 includes Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Madison, Montgomery, and Oneida counties. 

County Totals reflect all jurisdictions within each county, not just those listed. 

Most of the roadway mileage consists of local city, town or village roads. In Oneida 

County, for example, 83 percent of the centerline mileage in the county is made up of 

roads under local government jurisdiction. In Madison County, local roads make up 87 

percent of the total roadway mileage. The total centerline mileage for Region 2 is shown 
Section 3 

Affected Environment

Bureau of Indian Affairs 

Draft EIS 

Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

3-391

at the bottom of Table 3.7-139. The mileages generally match the scope of fiscal 

responsibility for each level of government. 

State Level Impact – Region 2 

The majority of visitors to the Turning Stone Resort and Casino travel in and out of the 

region on New York State roads, using the roadways listed in Table 3.7-138. Likewise, 

locally-based trips attributable to Nation properties are concentrated primarily on State 

Roads. The Nation’s fiscal impact on the region’s roadway operations and maintenance 

budgets, therefore, fall mainly on the State level. 

In Table 3.7-140 the Nation’s Region 2 impact is presented in cost per centerline mile 

terms and provides low and high scenarios. The low and high scenarios are based on five 

factors. First, an estimate of the cost per centerline mile for State DOT owned and 

operated roads in Region 2 was calculated by dividing the annual transportation 

maintenance and operations budget of about $8.5 million (FY06-07) by the total mileage 

under State DOT jurisdiction, which is 1,332. This resulted in a cost per centerline mile of 

$6,383. In the low scenario the cost per centerline mile is multiplied by the total length of 

the roadways studied and was then multiplied by the weighted average percent of trips 

attributable to the Nation over the total length (40.5 miles) of the segments. In the high 

scenario, the cost per centerline mile is multiplied by the entire length (226) of the studied 

roadways and then multiplied by half of the weighted average percent of trips attributable 

to the Nation. 

The results in Table 3.7-140 show that the low end estimate for the Nation’s attributed 

budgetary responsibility is 0.7 percent of Region 2’s operations and maintenance budget 

with the high end equaling about 2.0 percent of the budget. The high-end range is very 

conservative and probably overstates the level of fiscal impact. Even with the weighted 

average percentage of trips attributable to the Nation cut in half (i.e., at a 12 percent share 

of traffic), the scenario still assumes this share of traffic over the entire length of the State 

roads (Route 5, Route 13, Route 31, Route 46, and Route 365) in Madison and Oneida 

Counties. 

The rationale for providing this high-end estimate is solely to consider the sensitivity of 

costs to traffic share volumes over the approach road network. Indeed, the traffic study 

for this Draft EIS presents evidence that the volume of traffic declines precipitously over a 

10-TAZ zonal network with increasing distance from the Turning Stone Resort & Casino. 

Thus, the lower range of roadway miles (i.e., 40.5 miles) is likely to be the portion of the 

roadway network in which Nation traffic contributes a burden. 

Against these costs, there is also a positive fiscal impact to consider associated with the 

increased Thruway traffic occasioned by the Nation’s development: the State has collected 

millions of dollars of additional toll revenues because of the casino. 
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Table 3.7-140 

Estimated New York State D.O.T. Region 2 Costs Attributable to Nation Lands – 

High/Low Range 

Impact 

Scenarios 

Centerline 

Highway 

Mileage 

Total 

Transport 

Budget 

Cost Per 

Centerline 

Mile 

Length of 

Roadway 

New York 

State 

Highways: 

RTs 5, 13, 

31, 46, 365 

% Trips 

Generated 

by Nation 

Lands 

Estimated 

Cost 

Attributable 

to Oneida* 

% of 

Total 

Budget 

Low 1332 $8,500,000 $6,383 40.5 

Traffic 

Study 

Segments 24% $62,041 0.7% 

High 1332 $8,500,000 $6,383 226 

Entire 

Length, 

Oneida & 

Madison 

Cntys. 12% $173,106 2.0% 

Source: NYS DOT Region 2 Office; New York State Department of Transportation; The Louis Berger Group. 

3.7.9.6 Community Comparison 

The Nation’s increased ownership presence allegedly puts an unspecified burden on 

neighboring community jurisdictions including Madison and Oneida Counties, 15 

constituent cities, towns, and villages and 7 school districts, along with other special 

districts (e.g., fire, library). To assess whether this claim can be substantiated, the current 

fiscal conditions of local governments before and after the Nation’s increased ownership 

were examined. 

Counties, Cities, Towns, and Villages 

Overview

According to the New York State Comptroller’s 2005 Annual Report on Local 

Governments, local governments in Upstate New York are facing difficult challenges. 

These communities have experienced a long-term population decline, due to regional job 

losses. This demographic trend and the recent economic slowdown, combined with the 

increased costs of Medicaid and employee benefits, have put many communities under a 

great deal of fiscal stress. (In New York State the counties are required to share 

responsibility for Medicare costs with the State. Attempting to balance the budget and 

facing stagnant property values, many local governments have resorted to increasing 

property tax rates. Local governments have also increased their reliance on debt, which 

has led outstanding debt to increase considerably. 

The approach used in this section attempts to isolate the local changes faced by the 

neighboring communities from the broader regional trends in Upstate New York. When 

examining changes in the neighboring communities’ fiscal health, spending patterns and 

revenues, between 1990 and 2003 (before and after the bulk of the land reacquisition by 

the Nation took place), only changes that are different from those experienced by 
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comparable communities in Upstate New York could potentially be attributed to the 

Nation increased land ownership presence. 

The analyses, which are explained in more detail below, show that neighboring 

communities generally did not experience a worsening of their fiscal health, a decrease in 

per capita revenues, or a change in per capita expenditures patterns, relative to 

comparable communities, after the land reacquisition by the Nation. Local governments’ 

rankings on the fiscal health indicators that gauge their external resources, spending 

pressures, and long-term debt commitments generally did not change in a negative way 

during the analyzed time period. Local spending on those government functions that 

could potentially be more sensitive to the alleged non-contiguous nature of the land, such 

as public safety, transportation, and home and community services, generally did not 

increase more than in comparable communities during the 1990-2003 time period. Finally, 

neither Madison nor Oneida County faced relative increases in economic assistance 

expenditures after the Nation began reacquiring lands within their historic homeland. The 

number of exceptions to the general positive or stable trend is limited and cannot be 

attributed directly to the Nation ownership presence. 

The following bullet points provide an overview of the key findings of this section and the 

major exceptions: 

• Per capita property tax generally did not change relative to comparable 

communities. 

The interpretation of per capita property tax revenues is ambiguous. An increase in 

property tax revenues denotes an increasing burden on the tax payer, which is 

symptomatic of decreasing fiscal health. An increase in property tax revenues is desirable, 

however, from the point of view of a community faced with high expenditures and low 

revenues from other sources or with a low property tax collection rate. Madison County 

experienced an increase in per capita property tax revenues during the 1990-2003 time 

period. The City of Sherrill, on the other hand, experienced a decrease. 

• Per capita revenues from all sources did not change considerably faster than in 

comparable governments. 

An exception to this trend is the City of Oneida, which ranked very high in terms of per 

capita revenues in 1990, experienced a relative decline in per capita revenues, which was 

partly due to unusually large health care revenues in the early 1990s. The Town of 

Verona, on the other hand, experienced a relative increase in per capita revenues, mainly 

due to an increase in revenues from other sources, which is a residual category that 

includes funds received from the Nation. 

• Community needs, as measured by the poverty rate and spending on economic 

assistance, generally did not increase after the Nation’s land reacquisition. 
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Even though several of the neighboring communities had high poverty rates, only the 

Village of Canastota experienced a considerable increase in its poverty rate between 1990 

and 2000. While in 2003 Oneida County had relatively high economic assistance 

expenditures, both adjusted for population size and compared to its revenues, it exhibited 

the same pattern in 1990. Madison County had very low per capita economic assistance 

expenditures in both years. As the bulk of economic assistance spending takes place at the 

county level, per capita economic assistance spending at the city, town, and village level is 

either very low or non- existent. 

• In most neighboring communities, wealth, as measured by per capita value and per 

capita income, increased or remained stable. 

In Madison County, the City of Oneida, and the Town of Vernon per capita value 

increased considerably between 1990 and 2003, a trend which could potentially be 

attributed to the Nation’s activities in the area. The only exception to the stable or 

increased per capita value is Oneida County, which experienced a decrease in its per capita 

full value. While some of the neighboring towns had per capita incomes that were 

substantially lower than the median, none of the neighboring communities experienced a 

relative decrease in per capita income between 1990 and 2000. Per capita income in 

Madison County and the City of Oneida actually increased, from being around the median 

in 1990 to ranking near the top in 2000. This positive trend could potentially be 

attributed to the impact of the Nation’s economic activities. 

• Neighboring communities generally did not increase their reliance on debt more 

than comparable communities. 

The fiscal stress caused by growing costs and limited revenues increased the reliance on 

debt in many Upstate New York communities. While some neighboring communities had 

a high debt burden in 2003, they exhibited the same pattern in 1990. Only the Village of 

Vernon increased its debt service per capita considerably between 1990 and 2003. The 

Cities of Oneida and Sherrill, and the Towns of Stockbridge, Vernon, and Smithfield 

decreased their debt commitment considerably by reducing their outstanding debt and/or 

their debt service. 

• Per capita expenditures on public safety, transportation, and home and community 

services generally did not change considerably. 

In terms of public safety, only the Town of Smithfield increased per capita spending 

considerably between 1990 and 2003 while the Town of Sullivan experienced a decrease 

in public safety expenditures. The Village of Vernon spent relatively more on 

transportation in 2003 than in 1990. The City of Oneida, on the other hand, decreased its 

per capita transportation spending during the time period. At the same time, the City of 

Oneida increased its per capita spending on home and community services. The Village of 

Canastota decreased its per capita home and community services expenditures. 
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Detailed methodology and findings

To examine the counties and municipalities’ fiscal condition, a set of fiscal health 

indicators for 1990 and 2003 were calculated. These indicators provide information about 

the localities’ fiscal capacity (or their external resources), their current spending pressure, 

and their long-term commitments. To obtain a more in depth look into the neighboring 

communities’ fiscal condition, spending patterns and revenue sources have been examined 

including per capita expenditures and revenue metrics for both years. Because changes 

could have occurred in intermediate years, per capita expenditures and revenue metrics 

have been compiled for several years (See Appendix A for 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 

and 2002 Tables). Local fiscal data has been gathered from the New York State Office of 

the State Comptroller except the data from the Town of Verona which was collected 

directly from the Town and categorized using the Comptroller’s template because the 

Town of Verona failed to report its budget information within the required time period to 

the New York State Comptroller’s Office for 2002 and 2003. Population data has been 

compiled from the U.S. Bureau of Census. Table 3.7-141 provides definitions and criteria 

for a series of fiscal indicators. 

To take into account the reality that changes in a local government’s fiscal condition can 

be caused by a multitude of “external” factors such as broader regional economic trends 

and changes in Federal or State laws and regulations, each neighboring community was 

ranked among comparable municipalities throughout Upstate New York. Comparing a 

neighboring community’s ranking in terms of per capita revenue and expenditures and 

other fiscal health indicators in 1990 with its ranking in 2003 enables assessment of 

changes that are likely to be attributable to local causes. In other words, only those 

changes that were different from the changes that comparable municipalities exhibited 

during the same period (and thus led to a change in the neighboring community’s relative 

ranking) could potentially be attributable to the Nation’s reacquisition program during 

that time. All changes discussed in this report refer to a change in the neighboring 

community’s ranking relative to comparable communities and do not indicate a change in 

the absolute value of the indicator. For example, if Municipality A’s per capita property 

tax burden was $200 in 1990 and $180 in 2003 and it was ranked in the 10th percentile 

in 1990 and in the 50th percentile in 2003, Municipality A’s fiscal health worsened 

between 1990 and 2003 relative to comparable communities even though the value of its 

per capita property tax burden decreased. (Because of this approach, we did not need to 

adjust the dollar amounts for inflation.) 

Comparable communities were selected based on their geographic location, population 

size, and population growth rate. Because each class of local government has distinct 

responsibilities, separate analyses were conducted for counties, cities, towns, and villages. 

Madison and Oneida County were compared with a group of 22 Upstate counties with a 

similar population size and growth rate. The City of Oneida and Sherrill were ranked 
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among 43 comparable cities. Towns and villages in which the Nation owns land were 

compared to a group of 580 and 177 communities, respectively. 
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Table 3.7-141 

Fiscal Health Indicators for Comparative Analysis 

Fiscal health indicators were calculated (indicator selection based on Miller, G. (2002)) to assess the locality’s available 

external resources, its spending pressures, and its long-term commitments. 

1. Available External Resources 

This report discusses four indicators of the current and future external resources that are available to the locality. The 

first indicator, per capita property tax revenues, provides a partial view of the current real property tax burden on the 

taxpayer. (Per capita overlapping property tax revenues - property taxes paid by local taxpayers to all jurisdictions - 

would give a more complete view but was not calculated due to a lack of 1990 data.) The intergovernmental 

revenues as a percent of total revenues indicator illustrates the local government’s current dependence on revenues 

from other governments, which is revenue over which it has no direct control. Finally, per capita full value (which is 

the value of all taxable property in the locality divided by population) and per capita income are used as indicators of 

the community’s wealth and its current and future ability to generate revenues. 

2. Spending Pressures 

Three indicators gauge the spending pressures faced by the locality. First, operating expenditures as a proportion 

of total revenues compares the existing revenues with the amount required for daily operations such as personnel 

and supplies. The poverty rate gives information about the residents’ need for government services. For counties, the 

economic assistance as a percent of total expenditures indicator examines the degree to which the locality’s 

spending is concentrated in services that promote the locality’s economic welfare, such as Medicaid and Temporary 

Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). 

3. Long-term Commitments 

The locality’s long-term commitments in terms of debt are assessed using three indicators. Per capita debt service

adjusts the principal and interest payments for bonds and notes by population. Outstanding debt as a percent of full 

valuation compares all of the debt that is outstanding at the end of the year to the total value of taxable property in the 

locality. The outstanding debt that is subject to the constitutional debt limit, as a percent of that limit, provides 

an indication of the local government’s remaining debt capacity. Long-term commitments such as pension agreements 

and paid vacation are not included in this analysis because this information is not included in the Comptroller’s Office 

data set. 

For all of these indicators, except per capita income and per capita full value, a lower percentage or value is more 

desirable than a higher one. 

PER CAPITA EXPENDITURES 

Per capita expenditures were broken down into the following categories: general government, health, public safety, 

economic assistance, culture and recreation, home and community services and debt service. The New York State 

Comptroller’s Office definitions of these categories can be found in Appendix E. 

PER CAPITA REVENUES 

Per capita revenues were broken down by the following sources: property tax, non-property tax, intergovernmental 

revenues, interest earnings, other revenues. 

For each class, the report includes the following three tables: (1) fiscal health indicators; 

(2) per capita expenditures calculations; and (3) per capita revenue calculations. Each 

table specifies the criteria used to select the comparable communities. The tables are 

located at the end of each section. The results of the analyses are discussed below. 
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Counties

As part of the fiscal health indicator analysis, presented in Table 3.7-141 and discussed in 

detail below, Madison and Oneida County were ranked among a group of 22 Upstate 

New York counties with a population size between 50,000 and 300,000 in 2003 and an 

average annual growth rate of -1% to +0.1% during the last decennium. Tables 3.7-142 

and 3.7-143 present per capita expenditures and revenues metrics for Madison and 

Oneida Counties as well as their rankings among comparable counties. 

Madison County 

The Nation currently owns about 6,594 acres of land in Madison County, which is 1.5 

percent of the County’s total land area. The land and its improvements account for 

approximately 1.4 percent of the value of all real property in Madison. The land holdings 

are located in the Town of Stockbridge, in the City of Oneida, and in seven other 

constituent towns and villages. 

Available External Resources - Madison County had a relatively strong resource base in 

2003. The County relied very little on intergovernmental revenues in 1990 and 2003. 

Improvements in 2003 included an increase in per capita income and per capita full value, 

which could potentially be attributed to the Nation’s economic activities within the 

county. The property tax burden, however, became larger during this time period with 

per capita property tax revenues increasing from 38th percentile in 1990 to the 70th 

percentile in 2003. Because the data do not distinguish between residential and nonresidential sources of property tax, we cannot know whether the increase in per capita 

property tax translates into a property tax burden for the residents. According to the New 

York State Office of Real Property Services (ORPS), 62 percent of the County’s property 

tax revenues in 2003 came from residential tax payers. A breakdown by source of the 

1990 property tax revenues is not available from ORPS. (See Table 3.7-142) (Biennial 

data shows that the real property tax burden increase occurred between 2000 and 2002.) 

Spending Pressures - With the exception of high operating expenditures, Madison 

County’s spending pressures were relatively low in both 1990 and 2003 as the County had 

a low poverty rate in both 1990 and 2000 and spent a relatively small part of its revenues 

on economic assistance. 

Long-term Commitments - Madison County scored relatively well in terms of long-term 

spending commitments in both 1990 and 2003. Debt was low compared to its full 

valuation in both years. While Madison still ranked around the middle of the range in 

terms of per capita debt service and debt to debt limit ratio in 2003, its situation was 

better in 1990. (A closer look at per capita debt service throughout the time period shows 

that the County’s debt service burden fluctuated over time without a clear pattern.) 
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Per Capita Revenues and Expenditures - Per capita expenditures and revenues in 

Madison County were low in both 1990 and 2003 and in each of the intermittent years 

included in the study. Disaggregating expenditures by function shows that Madison 

County spent more than the majority of comparable counties on home and community 

services (which includes utilities and other community services, such as garbage collection 

and housing and community development) and spent relatively little on economic 

assistance in both 1990 and 2003. 

Oneida County 

The Nation started to reacquire land in Oneida County in 1992, with the most valuable 

transactions taking place in 1998. Currently, the total acreage of land holdings in Oneida 

County is 10,776 acres or 1.3 percent of the County’s land area. The land is concentrated 

in the Town of Verona where the Nation owns 8,550 acres of land that include the 

Turning Stone Resort & Casino buildings and grounds. Other constituents with the 

Nation’s land holdings are the City of Sherrill and five of Oneida County’s towns and 

villages. The Nation does not own land in the Cities of Utica and Rome, which together 

accounted for forty percent of Oneida County’s population in 2000. 

Oneida County’s fiscal health was worse than Madison County’s in both 1990 and 2003 

but improved over time. 

Available External Resources - While Oneida County did not have substantial external 

resources in 1990, its resource base was weaker still in 2003. In both years, the County 

heavily relied on intergovernmental revenues. However, county tax payers had low 

property tax burdens throughout this time period and Oneida County ranked around the 

middle in terms of per capita income in both years. Oneida County’s ranking in terms of 

per capita full value decreased after 1998 and the County scored low on this indicator in 

2003. The decrease in the per capita full value coincided with the purchase of valuable 

land holdings by the Nation. However, as these properties remained on the tax rolls, the 

decrease in per capita full value cannot be attributed to the Nation. 

Spending Pressures - Oneida County used a high proportion of its revenues for 

economic assistance in both 1990 and 2003. Data for intermittent years show a decrease 

in per capita spending on economic assistance that started in the mid-1990s and continued 

to 2002. While Oneida scored well in terms of the percent of its revenues that it uses to 

cover its operating expenditures in 1990, it was ranked more in the middle of the range in 

2003. The County’s poverty rate was relatively close to the median in both years. 

Long-term Commitments - In both 1990 and 2003, Oneida County had relatively high 

long-term commitments with its outstanding debt being large compared to its full 

valuation and its debt limit. Oneida County’s per capita debt service was relatively high in 

1990 but ranked more around the middle of the range in 2003. This decrease was, 
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however, not part of a steady trend as debt service per capita fluctuated throughout the 

1990-2003 time period. 

Per Capita Revenues and Expenditures - Oneida County ranked relatively low in terms 

of per capita spending and revenues in both 1990 and 2003 with some fluctuation in 

intermittent years. The County had relatively high per capita economic assistance 

expenditures in both years and received a relatively high proportion of its income from 

other governments. 

Cities

The City of Oneida and the City of Sherrill, the two cities in which the Nation owns land, 

as well as Utica and Rome, the two other cities in Oneida County, were ranked as part of 

a group of 43 cities with comparable characteristics for the fiscal health indicator analysis 

presented in Table 3.7-145 and discussed below. All cities included in this analysis had a 

population of less than 65,000 in 2003 and grew at an average annual rate between -1% 

and +1.5% during the 1990-2000 time period. Tables 3.7-146 and 3.7-147 show the 

cities’ rankings in terms of per capita expenditures and revenues among other Central New 

York cities. 

City of Oneida 

The Nation’s land holdings of 1,046 acres within the City of Oneida account for 7.5 

percent of the City’s total land area. The land and improvements represent 5.8 percent of 

the City’s tax base. 

Available External Resources - The City of Oneida exhibited a very strong resource 

base in both 1990 and 2003. The City had relatively high level of wealth, especially in 

2003 when it ranked near the top both in terms of per capita income and per capita full 

value. This increase in wealth could potentially be associated with the impact of the 

Nation’s economic activities. The City also kept its property tax burden low throughout 

the 1990-2003 time period. While the City of Oneida received a very small share of its 

revenues from other governments in 1990, in 2003 the City ranked more in the middle for 

this indicator. 

Spending Pressures - Spending pressures eased in the City of Oneida between 1990 and 

2003 as operating expenditures claimed a smaller part of total revenues. Relative to 

comparable cities, the City had a relatively low poverty rate in both years.
A

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Table 3.7-142 

Fiscal Health Indicators for Counties with Nation Land 

Per Capita Economic 

Property Intergovernmental Operating Assistance 

Tax Revenues Per Capita Per Capita Expenditures Expenditures Per Capita 

Revenues as % of Income Full Valuation as % of Poverty as % of Debt Service 

($) Total Revenues ($) ($) Total Revenues Rate Total Revenues ($) 

Madison value 178 32.4% 12,334 20,719 100.0% 9.2% 31.7% 14 

share 0.38 0.09 0.61 0.57 0.80 0.09 0.04 0.28 

value 343 33.34% 19,105 35,384 97.7% 9.8% 37.7% 23 

share 0.70 0.05 0.75 0.70 0.70 0.15 0.05 0.45 

Oneida value 129 46.8% 12,227 19,326 89.6% 11.9% 50.3% 45 

share 0.19 0.95 0.57 0.42 0.23 0.66 0.90 0.85 

value 248 47.0% 18,516 29,005 97.3% 13.0% 54.5% 35 

share 0.15 1.00 0.65 0.10 0.60 0.55 1.00 0.55 

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; Office of the New York State Comptroller: US Bureau of Census.Note: Per capita income and poverty rates were calculated for 1990 and 2000.Criteria met by counties included Number of counties included Legendin this analysis: in this analysis:Geographic: Upstate NY 1990 22 Better than Most (ranks in top 3Population Size in 2003: 50,000-300,000 2003 22 Middle of the Range (34th to 661990-2000 Growth: minus 1% plus 0.1% Worse than Most (ranks in botto

19902003

Available External Resources Lo

1990

Spending Pressures

2003
A

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Table 3.7-143 

Per Capita Expenditures in Counties with Nation Land 

Total

Spending General Public Trans- Economic Culture Home 

per Capita Government Safety Health portation Assistance Recreation Com

Madison value 652 71 47 118 106 190 4 7

share 0.14 0.28 0.14 0.71 0.50 MIN. 0.21 0value 1,063 125 109 135 153 396 6 6share 0.00 0.21 0.14 0.36 0.43 0.07 0.29 0

Oneida value 671 60 47 69 49 335 6 2

share 0.21 0.00 0.21 0.35 MIN. 0.71 0.57 0value 1,225 127 126 85 98 636 13 3share 0.21 0.29 0.29 0.07 0.14 0.71 0.64 0

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; New York State Office of the State Comptroller.MIN indicates minimum value, meaning that the community ranked the lowest.

Per Capita Expenditures ($) in Counties with Nation Land 

compared to the Central New York Region1 (N=15)

Expenditures by function

1. The Central New York Region includes the following counties Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, M

Onondaga, Oswego,Otsego, Schoharie, and Tioga.

1990200319902003
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Table 3.7-144 

Per Capita Revenues in Counties with Nation Land 

Long-term Commitments - While the City had heavy long-term commitments in 1990, 

its situation had improved by 2003 when outstanding debt had become considerably lower 

relative to full valuation and to the City’s debt limit. Per capita debt service was high in 

1990 and 2003 and in each of the intermittent years included in this report. 

Per Capita Revenues and Expenditures - The City of Oneida experienced a relative 

decline in terms of per capita expenditures and revenues, partly due to its unusually large 

health care expenditures (and corresponding revenues) in the first half of the 1990s. As 

these expenditures had disappeared by 1996, the City’s per capita revenue and 

expenditures became more similar to that of comparable cities and was ranked near the 

middle of the range in 2003. The City of Oneida spent little on public safety in both 1990 

and 2003. While the City had high per capita expenditures on transportation in 1990, its 

spending level was below the median in 2003. (The decrease, however, was not part of a 

steady decreasing trend during the time period.) Per capita expenditures on home and 

community services increased to a relatively high level after 1998. 

City of Sherrill 

The Nation currently owns six acres of land in Sherrill, which is 0.5 percent of the City’s 

total land area. The valuation of real property owned by the Nation represents 1.1 percent 

of the value of all taxable property within the City. Most of the land was acquired in 1997 

and 1998, with only one purchase in 2002. 

Per Capita Per Capita Per Capita Per Capita Per Capita Per Capita

Total Real PropertyNon-Property Intergov. Interest Other

Revenues Taxes Taxes Transfer Earnings Revenues

Madison value 599 178 71 194 9 147

share 0.07 0.28 0.07 0.00 0.21 0.64

value 1,051 343 115 350 4 238

share MIN 0.50 MIN MIN 0.21 0.35

Oneida value 665 129 107 311 4 114

share 0.28 0.00 0.35 0.78 0.00 0.35

value 1,166 248 247 549 3 120

share 0.21 0.07 0.57 0.78 MIN MIN

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; New York State Office of the State Comptroller

MIN indicates minimum value, meaning that the community ranked the lowest.

1. The Central New York Region includes the following counties Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Fulton, Hamilton,

Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego,Otsego, Schoharie, and Tioga.

1990

2003

1990

2003

Per Capita Revenues ($) in Counties with Nation Land compared to the Central New York 

Region1 (N=15)
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Available External Resources - Sherrill had a very strong resource base in both 1990 

and 2003 with high per capita incomes and full valuation, and a low reliance on 

intergovernmental revenues. While Sherrill’s property tax burden was around the middle 

of the range in 1990, it was low in 2003. The decrease started in the mid-1990s, before 

the Nation acquired the land. While the decrease continued in later years, the Nation’s 

increased ownership presence was not a major factor in the decline of Sherrill’s property 

tax burden ranking as the magnitude of the uncollected property taxes on the Nation’s 

land holdings was too small. All property tax bills that the City submitted to the Nation 

from 1997 to the present add to less than $60,000, or an annual average of $7,500 which 

is less than $2.50 per capita. 

Spending Pressures - The City had the lowest poverty rate of all comparable cities 

included in the analysis in both 1990 and 2003. The proportion of revenues it needed to 

cover operations increased which indicates an increase in spending pressure. 

Long-term Commitments - Sherrill had relatively low long-term commitments in 2003. 

The City’s relatively high per capita debt service in 1990 started decreasing between 1996 

and 1998 and remained low in 2003. The debt subject to the constitutional debt limit also 

decreased between 1990 and 2003. 

Per Capita Revenues and Expenditures - Per capita expenditures and revenues in the 

City of Sherrill remained stable between 1990 and 2003. Sherrill spent little on public 

safety throughout the 1990-2003 time period while having high home and community 

services expenditures. 

Other Cities in Central New York 

While the Nation does not own any land in Utica and Rome, these cities were included in 

the analysis because they account for forty percent of the population of Oneida County. 

Utica, the largest city in Oneida County, had one of the highest poverty rates among 

comparable communities in both years. A relatively weak resource base in 1990 had 

weakened further by 2003, due to a decline in full value per capita, but had improved in 

terms of a decreased property tax burden. In both years, the City exhibited low per capita 

incomes and a high dependence on intergovernmental revenues. In both periods Utica kept 

its debt commitments low. 

Rome, Oneida County’s second largest city, also had a relatively weak resource base in 

2003. The City’s situation deteriorated between 1990 and 2003, mainly in terms of an 

increased reliance on intergovernmental revenues. The City ranked around the middle of 

the range in both years in terms of per capita full value and experienced a considerable 

increase in per capita incomes between 1990 and 2003. Operating expenditures used a
A

Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-145 

Fiscal Health Indicators for Selected Cities 

Per Capita 

Property Intergovernmental Operating O

Tax Revenues Per Capita Per Capita Expenditures Per Capita 

Revenues as % of Income Full Valuation as % of Poverty Debt Service 

($) Total Revenues ($) ($) Total Revenues Rate ($) Fu

Cities with Nation LandOneida value 164 6.17% 11,637 18,772 91.32% 9.97% 172 

share 0.23 MIN. 0.50 0.71 0.90 0.14 0.95 

value 238 23.13% 18,966 32,991 75.83% 12.50% 163 

share 0.07 0.52 0.83 0.88 0.19 0.16 0.80 

Sherrill value 191 12.46% 14,081 23,595 81.21% 4.07% 99 

share 0.42 0.02 0.95 0.90 0.50 MIN. 0.73 

value 295 9.10% 22,311 39,697 88.16% 2.16% 36.20 

share 0.28 0.02 0.97 0.92 0.69 MIN. 0.07 

Other Cities in Central New YorkRome value 215 12.59% 11,171 15,474 89.01% 12.06% 90 

share 0.61 0.04 0.38 0.47 0.78 0.23 0.66 

value 390 25.31% 18,604 22,610 88.10% 14.99% 130 

share 0.71 0.76 0.78 0.40 0.66 0.35 0.61 

Utica value 186 29.85% 10,726 14,783 80.16% 21.73% 69 

share 0.35 0.80 0.23 0.45 0.40 0.90 0.42 

value 278 40.73% 15,248 18,966 84.80% 24.50% 73 

share 0.16 0.97 0.19 0.11 0.47 0.90 0.26 

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; Office of the New York State Comptroller: US Bureau of Census.Note: Per capita income and poverty rates were calculated for 1990 and 2000.MIN indicates minimum value, meaning that the community was ranked the lowest.Criteria met by cities included Number of cities included Legendin this analysis: in this analysis:Geographic: Upstate NY 1990 43 Better than Most (raPopulation Size in 2003: less than 65,000 2003 43 Middle of the Rang1990-2000 Growth: minus 1% plus 1.5% Worse than Most (r

Available External Resources Long-t

1990

Spending Pressures

2003199020032003199020031990
A

Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-146 

Per Capita Expenditures in Selected Cities 

Total

Spending General Public Trans- Culture Home and 

per Capita Government Safety Health portation Recreation Community 

Cities with Nation LandOneida value 2,834 168 163 1,889 154 45 243 

share 1.00 0.92 0.07 1.00 0.71 0.35 0.42 value 1,339 104 350 4 171 66 480 percentile 0.42 0.14 0.14 0.85 0.35 0.71 0.71 

Sherrill value 1,010 106 136 0 103 30 537 

share 0.57 0.42 0.00 0.21 0.21 0.14 0.92 value 1,268 157 152 0 126 60 736 percentile 0.35 0.42 MIN. 0.21 0.14 0.35 0.92 

Other Cities in Central New YorkRome value 1,359 117 184 636 128 49 154 

share 0.85 0.57 0.28 0.92 0.50 0.50 0.00 value 1,497 356 452 4 222 63 263 percentile 0.64 1.00 0.64 0.78 0.64 0.42 0.14 

Utica value 781 105 264 0 68 57 217 

share 0.21 0.35 0.71 0.42 0.00 0.71 0.35 value 1,122 121 482 1 126 65 251 share 0.07 0.28 0.71 0.50 0.07 0.57 0.07 

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; New York State Office of the State Comptroller.MIN indicates minimum value, meaning that the community ranked the lowest.

1990

Per Capita Expenditures ($) in Selected Cities compared to All Cities in the Central New York Region

Expenditures by function

2003199020032003

1. The Central New York Region includes the following counties Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, MadMontgomery, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego,Otsego, Schoharie, and Tioga.

199020031990
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Table 3.7-147 

Per Capita Revenues in Selected Cities 

smaller proportion of revenues in 2003 but an increased poverty rate added to the City’s 

spending pressures. The City also experienced a positive change in its long-term 

commitments with a decreasing debt burden. 

Towns

The ten towns in which the Nation owns 16,189 acres (which is 93 percent of the land 

reacquired) were ranked among a group of comparable towns in Upstate New York. All 

of the 580 towns included in the fiscal health indicator analysis (presented in Table 3.7-

148) had a population between 1,000 and 20,000 in 2003 and experienced an average 

annual population growth between -1% and +1.5% during the last decennium. Tables 

3.7-149 and 3.7-150 present per capita expenditures and revenues for each of the towns 

where the Nation owns land and ranks the neighboring communities among other towns 

in the Central New York Region. 

Per Capita Per Capita Per Capita Per Capita Per Capita Per Capita

Total Real Property Non-Property Intergov. Interest Other

Revenues Taxes Taxes Transfer Earnings Revenues

Cities with Nation Land

Oneida value 2,766 164 161 171 53 2,217

share 1.00 0.21 0.78 0.28 0.92 1.00

value 1,288 238 275 298 14 464

share 0.50 0.07 0.78 0.42 0.71 0.78

Sherrill value 1,048 191 100 131 18 608

share 0.71 0.42 0.28 0.00 0.21 0.85

value 1,337 295 176 122 6 737

share 0.71 0.35 0.14 MIN. 0.28 1.00

Other Cities in Central New York

Rome value 1,326 215 111 167 8 824

share 0.85 0.71 0.35 0.21 0.07 0.92

value 1,294 390 235 328 16 327

share 0.57 0.71 0.64 0.64 0.85 0.21

Utica value 793 186 117 237 32 221

share 0.28 0.28 0.42 0.64 0.50 0.57

value 987 278 210 402 4 94

share MIN. 0.28 0.42 0.71 0.14 MIN.

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; New York State Office of the State Comptroller

MIN indicates minimum value, meaning that the community ranked the lowest.

Per Capita Revenues ($) in Selected Cities 

compared to All Cities in the Central New York Region1 (N=15)

1990

2003

1990

2003

1. The Central New York Region includes the following counties Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer,

Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego,Otsego, Schoharie, and Tioga.

1990

2003

1990

2003
Section 3 

Affected Environment

Bureau of Indian Affairs 

Draft EIS 

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3-408

Town of Verona 

The Turning Stone Casino Resort is mostly located in Verona and is built on part of the 

8,594 acres of land that the Nation owns in the Town, which comprises 19.3 percent of 

the Town’s land area. Reacquisition started in 1992 and continued from 1994 through 

1997. The Nation’s most valuable land holdings were not part of Verona’s tax prior to the 

Sherrill decision in 2005. After the decision, the land was placed on the tax rolls. 

Available External Resources - Verona exhibited a slight improvement between 1990 

and 2003 in terms of its resource base. The Town retained low property taxes throughout 

the time period. While ranked in the middle of the range in terms of per capita income in 

both 1990 and 2000, per capita full value, another indicator of wealth, was especially low 

in both years. The reliance on intergovernmental revenues was high in 1990 but fell 

significantly by 2003. 

Spending Pressures - Verona’s spending pressures were similar or lower than those 

faced by most comparable towns in both 1990 and 2003. It ranked near the middle of the 

range in both years in terms of the percent of its revenues that it needs to cover its 

operations. The Town’s poverty rate decreased, from 36th percentile in 1990 to 15th 

percentile in 2003. 

Long-term Commitments - Due to a lack of data on outstanding debt in 2003, we 

cannot draw any conclusions about the Town’s long-term debt commitments. The Town’s 

per capita debt service remained in the middle of the range in both years. 

Per Capita Revenues and Expenditures - Verona’s per capita expenditures slightly 

increased between 1990 and 2003 with the increase occurring between 1990 and 1992. 

Verona was ranked high in terms of its spending on home and community services for 

each of the years included in this report. Per capita revenues started increasing between 

1992 and 1994 and were ranked higher in 2003 than in the early 1990s. While having a 

very low property tax burden throughout the 1990-2003 time period, Verona relied more 

than most comparable towns on revenues categorized in the residual “other revenues” 

category, which includes funds received from the Oneidas, fines, sales revenues and 

licenses and on sales tax and other non-property taxes. 

Town of Stockbridge 

The Nation owns 3,620 acres of land in Stockbridge, which is 17.9 percent of the Town’s 

land area. Land reacquisition started in 1997, with most of the properties being purchased 

between 1997 and 1998. 

Available External Resources - The Town of Stockbridge had relatively few external 

resources available in both 1990 and 2003. Stockbridge is a relatively low wealth 

community with low per capita incomes and full values. Its reliance on intergovernmental 
Section 3 

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revenues, however, was never particularly high. Per capita property tax revenue was near 

the middle of the range throughout the 1990-2003 time period. 

Spending Pressures - While its poverty rate was close to the median in 1990, 

Stockbridge had a relatively high poverty rate in 2000. Stockbridge experienced a reduced 

spending pressure by needing less of its revenues for daily operations. 

Long-term Commitments - The Town saw a clear improvement during the 1990-2003 

period in terms of long-term commitments. While ranking low in 1990 with very high per 

capita debt and a high debt to full valuation ratio, the Town ranked near the median for 

all of these indicators in 2003 and eliminated the part of its debt that is subject to the 

constitutional debt limit. Data for intermittent years shows that the decrease in debt 

service started between 1998 and 2000. 

Per Capita Revenues and Expenditures - Stockbridge ranked relatively low in terms of 

per capita revenues and expenditures throughout the 1990-2003 period. It relied more 

than most comparable towns on departmental income and spent relatively large amounts 

on home and community services throughout the time period. 

Town of Vernon 

In the Town of Vernon, a total of 1,911 acres of land - about 7.8 percent of the Town’s 

total land area - is owned by the Nation. 

Available External Resources - The Town of Vernon exhibited a strong resource base in 

2003, with an increase in the availability of external resources compared to 1990. Vernon 

had a low property tax burden through the 1990-2003 time period. Vernon experienced 

some improvements in terms of the community’s wealth, with a per capita income and per 

capita full value exceeding that of most comparable towns in 2003. Data for intermittent 

years show that the increased per capita full value started around 1994, which is when the 

Nation started purchasing land in the town. 

Spending Pressures - Although Vernon’s spending pressures were not particularly high 

in 2003, it ranked better in 1990 when it was using a smaller percentage of its revenues for 

operating expenditures. Vernon ranked in the middle of the range in terms of poverty rate 

in both years. 

Long-term Commitments - Vernon had very low long-term commitments in 2003, an 

improvement compared to 1990 when it was ranked closer to the middle of the range. In 

2003 the Town did not have any outstanding debt. While its per capita debt service was 

zero in both 1990 and 2003, it fluctuated somewhat throughout the time period but was 

always ranked in the bottom 40th percentile. 
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Per Capita Revenues and Expenditures - Per capita expenditures in Vernon fluctuated 

throughout the time period but the Town mostly stayed at or below the 25th percentile in 

most years. Per capita revenues were also relatively low throughout the time period with a 

relatively strong reliance on sales tax revenues. 

Town of Lenox 

The Nation owns 826 acres of land in Lenox, 3.5 percent of the Town’s total land area. 

Available External Resources - Lenox had a relatively strong resource base in 2003, 

which was an improvement from 1990 when the Town relied heavily on 

intergovernmental revenues. The Town ranked in the middle of the range in terms of 

wealth as measured by per capita income and per capita full value. Lenox had a low 

property tax burden throughout the time period. 

Spending Pressures - The Town of Lenox faced increased spending pressures between 

1990 and 2003. Although it still ranked in the middle of the range for both indicators in 

2003, operating expenditures soaked up a larger proportion of the Town’s revenues and 

the poverty rate increased. 

Long-term Commitments - Lenox had very high long-term commitments in both years, 

with high per capita debt service and a debt burden. Per capita debt service fluctuated 

somewhat throughout the 1990-2003 time period but the Town was always ranked at the 

60th percentile or above. While ranking near the median in 1990 in terms of its debt to 

debt limit ratio, the Town had exhausted a relatively high percent of its debt limit in 2003. 

Per Capita Revenues and Expenditures - Lenox had low per capita expenditures and 

revenues throughout the 1990-2003 time period. 

Town of Lincoln 

The Nation owns 367 acres of land in the Town of Lincoln, accounting for 2.3 percent of 

the Town’s land area. 

Available External Resources - Lincoln scored relatively well in terms of the available 

external resources in both years. The Town had a high per capita income, per capita full 

value was close to the median, and the per capita revenue burden was kept below the 

median. 

Spending Pressures - The Town’s spending pressure eased as the share of revenues 

needed for operations decreased considerably between 1990 and 2003. The Town had a 

low poverty rate in both years. 

Long-term Commitments - The Town of Lincoln had relatively low debt commitments 

in both years, especially in 2003. Per capita debt service decreased between 1990 and 
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2003 the debt that is subject to the constitutional debt limit was reduced to zero by the 

end of 2003. 

Per Capita Revenues and Expenditures - Per capita spending fluctuated considerably 

throughout the 1990-2003 time period, starting very low in 1990 to increase to the middle 

of the range, reaching its peak in 1996, and decreasing again to a very low ranking in 

2002 and 2003. The high level of spending in the mid-1990s was associated with a 

temporary increase in spending on contractual services related to the home and 

community services. In both 1990 and 2003, however, the Town ranks very low in terms 

of home and community services expenditures. Per capita revenues followed a similar 

pattern, ranking low (13th percentile) both in 1990 and 2003 but hitting the 76th 

percentile in 1994. Increased federal revenues from 1994 to 1998 accounted for this 

revenue increase. 

Town of Smithfield 

The Town of Smithfield includes 296 acres of Nation Indian land, which account for 1.9 

percent of its land area. 

Available External Resources - Smithfield had a very weak resource base in both years, 

with low wealth and a high property tax burden. In 2003 the Town experienced a 

decrease in its reliance on intergovernmental revenues which strengthened its resource base 

slightly. 

Spending Pressures - In both years, Smithfield was facing very high spending pressures 

due to very high poverty rates. In 2003 operational expenditures accounted for a larger 

part of the Town’s revenues, creating more pressure on the budget. 

Long-term Commitments - The Town of Smithfield showed improvements in terms of 

its long-term commitments in 2003. The Town scored well in terms of per capita debt 

service and reduced its outstanding debt to zero. 

Per Capita Revenues and Expenditures - Throughout the 1990-2003 period, per capita 

revenues in Smithfield were in the middle of the range when ranked among comparable 

towns. Per capita expenditures were slightly less stable but remained between the 25th and 

55th percentile in each of the years included in this report. Public safety expenditures 

increased significantly between 2000 and 2002, going from 4th percentile in 1990 to 53rd 

in 2003 due to spending on contractual services related to fire protection. 

Town of Augusta 

The Nation owns 259 acres of land in Augusta, which accounts for 1.5 percent of the 

Town’s area. 
Section 3 

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Draft EIS 

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3-412

Available External Resources - Augusta had relatively limited external resources in both 

1990 and 2003. The Town experienced an increasing property tax burden but a decreased 

reliance on intergovernmental revenues between 1990 and 2003. Community wealth was 

low in both years. 

Spending Pressures -Spending pressures were eased between 1990 and 2003 as a smaller 

share of the revenues was needed to cover the costs of operations. Augusta ranked around 

the middle of the range in both years in terms of poverty. 

Long-term Commitments - The Town ranked very well in terms of long-term 

commitments in both years. Per capita debt service increased between 1990 and 2003. 

However, at the end of 2003 outstanding debt was back down to zero. 

Per Capita Revenues and Expenditures - Per capita expenditures and revenues hovered 

around the median for all years included in the study. 

Town of Sullivan 

The Nation owns 181 acres of land in the Town of Sullivan, accounting for 0.4 percent of 

Sullivan’s land area. 

Available External Resources - Sullivan had a relatively strong resource base in both 

years. The Town had high per capita incomes and ranked near the median in terms of per 

capita full value in both years. The property tax burden had been stable throughout the 

1990-2003 time period and ranked the Town in the middle of the range. 

Spending Pressures - Sullivan had low spending pressures in both years. The Town had 

a low poverty rate and spent only a small share of its revenues on operating expenditures. 

Long-term Commitments - 1990 Sullivan had a high outstanding debt and high debt 

service payments. While per capita debt service was still very high in 2003, total debt had 

come down considerably and ranked the Town near the median. 

Per Capita Revenues and Expenditures - Both per capita expenditures and revenues 

remained relatively low (around the 20th to 30th percentile) each of the years included in 

this report. Sullivan had particularly high public safety expenditures in the 1990s due to 

spending on contractual services and capital outlay related to fire safety. 

Town of Fenner 

Fenner is one of the municipalities in which the Nation owns very little land, just one 28-

acre tax lot. Fenner had a relatively weak resource base in both years, with a high 

property tax burden in both years and an increased reliance on intergovernmental 

revenues in 2003. Fenner ranked well in 2003 in terms of the spending pressure indicators 

and did not have any outstanding debt in 2003. 
Section 3 

Affected Environment

Bureau of Indian Affairs 

Draft EIS 

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3-413

Town of Cazenovia 

In Cazenovia, the Nation owns only two properties (burial grounds)with a combined area 

of 9 acres. Cazenovia is a high wealth community compared to other Upstate New York 

towns and kept the property tax burden right under the median in both 1990 and 2003. It 

scored well on the spending pressure indicators and had low debt commitments in both 

years. (The Nation’s land in Cazenovia are tax-exempt.) 
Section 3 

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Table 3.7-148 

Fiscal Health Indicators for Towns with Nation Land 

Outstanding

Per Capita Intergovernmental Operating Outstanding Debt Subject to

Property Revenues Per Capita Per Capita Expenditures Debt Constitutional 

Tax as % of Income Full Valuation as % of Poverty Per Capita as % of Debt Limit

Revenues Total Revenues ($) ($) Total Revenues Rate Debt Service Full Valuation as % of Debt Limit

Verona value 19 30.14% 11,665 17,792 81.05% 8.34% 13 0.71% 0.00%

share 0.01 0.79 0.49 0.27 0.46 0.36 0.62 0.86 MIN

value 49.59 21% 18,017 29,418 79% 6% 21.54

share 0.05 0.51 0.53 0.25 0.45 0.15 0.65

Stockbridge value 114 24.94% 9,694 16,304 88.48% 11.24% 22 1.05% 1.63%

share 0.47 0.62 0.11 0.16 0.74 0.62 0.79 0.91 0.55

value 190.71 22.12% 15,856 26,126 70.71% 12.86% 9 0.32% 0.00%

share 0.53 0.57 0.24 0.13 0.17 0.77 0.43 0.63 MIN

Vernon value 37 25.80% 12,632 21,308 66.03% 9.60% 0 0.06% 1.10%

share 0.05 0.67 0.66 0.50 0.06 0.49 MIN 0.36 0.46

value 37 23.62% 19,523 56,130 81.68% 9.79% 0 0.00% 0.00%

share 0.02 0.65 0.71 0.83 0.55 0.50 MIN MIN MIN

Lenox value 59 40.38% 11,511 19,886 71.67% 7.81% 16 0.78% 1.04%

share 0.14 0.96 0.44 0.42 0.15 0.32 0.68 0.88 0.45

value 117 18.57% 17,398 35,012 78.95% 10.64% 24 0.59% 8.54%

share 0.26 0.41 0.45 0.45 0.44 0.57 0.68 0.73 0.95

Lincoln value 107 25.98% 13,133 23,771 91.84% 7.54% 7 0.05% 1.01%

share 0.43 0.67 0.75 0.63 0.82 0.30 0.44 0.33 0.45

value 173 24.73% 20,751 36,858 74.92% 5.09% 2 0.07% 0.00%

share 0.43 0.66 0.80 0.50 0.28 0.10 0.28 0.36 MIN

Smithfield value 147 33.93% 9,594 16,196 82.99% 12.51% 20 0.11% 1.82%

share 0.65 0.88 0.10 0.15 0.54 0.72 0.76 0.46 0.57

value 270 21.37% 14,860 25,818 91.29% 16.22% 8 0.00% 0.00%

share 0.77 0.54 0.10 0.12 0.84 0.93 0.39 MIN MIN

Augusta value 84 28.24% 10,425 15,990 91.85% 9.60% 0.00 0.00% 0.00%

share 0.27 0.74 0.23 0.13 0.82 0.48 MIN MIN MIN

value 195 20.24% 16,367 26,213 84.28% 8.64% 16 0.00% 0.00%

share 0.54 0.50 0.29 0.13 0.65 0.40 0.56 MIN MIN

Sullivan value 136 19.91% 13,222 19,770 66.55% 6.14% 31 1.72% 16.06%

share 0.59 0.35 0.77 0.41 0.07 0.19 0.86 0.96 0.98

value 209 19.09% 20,982 32,536 66.05% 7.01% 73 0.26% 0.00%

share 0.59 0.43 0.83 0.37 0.10 0.27 0.93 0.58 MIN

Fenner value 204 19.20% 12,780 18,884 75.29% 12.91% 27 0.32% 5.58%

share 0.84 0.31 0.69 0.35 0.24 0.74 0.83 0.72 0.86

value 234 27.97% 19,409 34,960 69.87% 7.12% 24 0.00% 0.00%

share 0.68 0.76 0.70 0.45 0.15 0.28 0.69 MIN MIN

Cazenovia value 98 27.93% 19,684 38,690 84.13% 4.30% 0 0.00% 0.00%

share 0.36 0.74 0.99 0.89 0.60 0.07 MIN MIN MIN

value 158 30.77% 28,957 61,707 73.60% 4.33% 1 0.01% 0.19%

share 0.39 0.82 0.99 0.88 0.24 0.07 0.27 0.28 0.58

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; Office of the New York State Comptroller; US Bureau of Census; the Budget Office of the Town of Verona.

Note: Per capita income and poverty rates were calculated for 1990 and 2000; Due to lack of data, poverty rates and per capita income in 2000 were calculated for 558 towns only.

MIN indicates minimum value, meaning that the community ranked the lowest.

Criteria met by towns included Legend

in this analysis: in this analysis:

Geographic: Upstate NY 1990 580 Better than Most (ranks in top 33%)

Population Size in 200 1,000-20,000 2003 580 Middle of the Range (34th to 66th percentile)

1990-2000 Growth: minus 1% plus 1.5% Worse than Most (ranks in bottom 33%)

1990

2003

1990

1990

2003

1990

2003

1990

2003

1990

2003

Number of towns included 

1990

2003

1990

2003

1990

2003

2003

1990

2003

Available External Resources Spending Pressures Long-term Commitments
Section 3 

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Draft EIS 

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3-415

Table 3.7-149 

Per Capita Expenditures in Towns with Nation Land 

Total

Spending Trans- Economic Culture Home and Debt Service

per Capita Health portation Assistance Recreation Community Per Capita

Verona value 201 0 110 5 1 27 13

share 0.25 0.22 0.31 0.88 0.13 0.71 0.60

value 371 0 132 0 3 131 22

share 0.40 0.37 0.18 MIN. 0.26 0.88 0.69

Stockbridge value 217 1 110 0 5 34 22

share 0.32 0.49 0.30 MIN. 0.65 0.75 0.77

value 332 0 205 0 3 57 9

share 0.28 0.09 0.45 MIN. 0.29 0.74 0.49

Vernon value 166 0 94 6 1 16 0

share 0.14 0.00 0.22 0.90 0.18 0.58 MIN.

value 321 0 133 0 13 22 0

share 0.26 0.41 0.19 MIN. 0.72 0.54 MIN.

Lenox value 126 3 39 0 2 25 16

share 0.03 0.76 0.00 MIN. 0.35 0.67 0.67

value 184 6 54 1 9 21 24

share 0.03 0.84 0.01 0.81 0.61 0.53 0.71

Lincoln value 157 3 107 0 0 3 7

share 0.12 0.80 0.28 MIN. 0.02 0.29 0.46

value 190 4 139 0 4 4 2

share 0.04 0.74 0.21 MIN. 0.38 0.25 0.35

Smithfield value 238 1 157 0 2 4 20

share 0.42 0.51 0.55 MIN. 0.33 0.35 0.74

value 390 3 257 0 3 10 8

share 0.44 0.70 0.57 MIN. 0.31 0.40 0.46

Augusta value 233 0 167 8 4 4 0

share 0.39 0.00 0.59 0.94 0.54 0.36 MIN.

value 382 1 267 1 3 10 16

share 0.42 0.56 0.60 0.66 0.28 0.41 0.59

Sullivan value 214 3 65 0 16 15 31

share 0.31 0.75 0.07 MIN. 0.87 0.57 0.85

value 314 7 83 0 32 24 73

share 0.23 0.87 0.03 MIN. 0.90 0.57 0.94

Fenner value 251 0 163 0 3 4 27

share 0.46 0.34 0.57 MIN. 0.35 0.35 0.82

value 405 2 293 0 3 4 24

share 0.49 0.66 0.67 MIN. 0.27 0.26 0.73

Cazenovia value 168 1 112 0 8 7 0

share 0.15 0.61 0.32 MIN. 0.72 0.43 MIN.

value 220 1 125 1 5 18 1

share 0.08 0.55 0.16 0.76 0.44 0.52 0.34

Per Capita Expenditures ($) in Towns with Nation Land compared to Central New York Towns1 

Expenditures by function

1990

2003

1990

2003

1990

2003

2003

1990

2003

1990

2003

1990

2003

1990

2003

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; New York State Office of the State Comptroller; Town of Verona (2003 Verona data) 

1. The Central New York Region includes the following counties Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, 

Montgomery, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego,Otsego, Schoharie, and Tioga. 

MIN. indicates minimum values, meaning that the community ranked the lowest. 

1990

2003

1990

2003

1990
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Table 3.7-150 

Per Capita Revenues in Towns with Nation Land 

Per Capita Per Capita Per Capita Per Capita Per Capita Per Capita

Total Real Property Non-Property Intergov. Interest Other

Revenues Taxes Taxes Transfer Earnings Revenues

Verona value 200 19 92 60 5 24

share 0.26 0.01 0.84 0.53 0.19 0.73

value 471 50 170 98 3 151

share 0.64 0.04 0.89 0.62 0.58 0.93

Stockbridge value 214 114 0 53 6 41

share 0.34 0.41 MIN. 0.45 0.28 0.86

value 330 191 1 73 3 62

share 0.32 0.47 0.13 0.47 0.50 0.80

Vernon value 189 37 80 49 15 8

share 0.21 0.05 0.81 0.36 0.77 0.36

value 257 37 138 61 3 19

share 0.14 0.02 0.80 0.33 0.61 0.37

Lenox value 121 59 1 49 3 9

share 0.04 0.13 0.47 0.36 0.05 0.37

value 197 117 2 37 2 39

share 0.05 0.20 0.15 0.05 0.24 0.68

Lincoln value 163 107 1 42 6 7

share 0.13 0.38 0.47 0.24 0.26 0.28

value 251 173 2 62 3 11

share 0.13 0.40 0.17 0.35 0.42 0.14

Smithfield value 235 147 0 80 5 3

share 0.44 0.58 MIN. 0.69 0.16 0.05

value 358 270 0 76 1 10

share 0.41 0.70 MIN. 0.50 0.15 0.14

Augusta value 220 84 59 62 8 6

share 0.36 0.23 0.75 0.56 0.50 0.21

value 396 195 111 80 2 7

share 0.47 0.48 0.76 0.52 0.33 0.05

Sullivan value 194 136 1 39 10 8

share 0.23 0.53 0.48 0.18 0.63 0.37

value 328 209 5 63 3 48

share 0.30 0.52 0.22 0.36 0.48 0.74

Fenner value 266 204 0 51 7 4

share 0.57 0.80 MIN. 0.40 0.38 0.14

value 465 234 0 130 3 98

share 0.63 0.60 MIN. 0.70 0.40 0.86

Cazenovia value 156 98 0 44 6 8

share 0.12 0.31 MIN. 0.26 0.31 0.30

value 264 158 0 81 2 22

share 0.15 0.34 MIN. 0.52 0.32 0.40

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; New York State Office of the State Comptroller

MIN indicates minimum value, meaning that the community ranked the lowest.

Note: The number of towns included in the 1990 analysis is 248; 235 towns are included in the 2003 analysis.

1990

2003

1990

2003

1990

2003

1990

2003

1990

2003

1990

2003

1990

2003

Per Capita Revenues ($) in Towns with Nation Land compared to All Towns in the Central New York Region1

1. The Central New York Region includes the following counties Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, 

Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego,Otsego, Schoharie, and Tioga.

1990

2003

1990

2003

1990

2003
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Villages

For the fiscal health indicator analysis (presented in Table 3.7-151), the three villages in 

which the Nation currently owns land are part of a set of 177 Upstate New York villages 

that had a population size between 500 and 5,999 in 2003 and a population growth rate 

between -1% and +0.1% between 1990 and 2000. Tables 3.7.-152 and 3.7-153 present 

the per capita expenditures and revenues metrics for each of the three villages, comparing 

them to other villages in the Central New York Region. 

Village of Canastota 

The Village of Canastota includes 226 acres of land owned by the Nation, which 

represents 10.7 percent of the Village’s land. Most of the land was purchased in the late 

1990s. 

Available External Resources - Canastota had a relatively weak resource base in 1990 

and was slightly better in 2003. The Village had relatively low per capita income in both 

years. Per capita full value slightly increased but ranked around the middle of the range in 

both years. Between 1990 and 2003, the Village’s property tax burden slightly increased 

and the Village’s reliance on intergovernmental tax revenues decreased. 

Spending Pressures - Canastota’s spending pressures increased with a growing 

population living in poverty. (The Village ranked in the middle in 1990 but was ranked in 

the 77th percentile in 2000.) 

Long-term Commitments - While Canastota had a very high debt burden in 1990, its 

outstanding debt ratios were better in 2003. Throughout the 1990-2003 period, the 

Village had a high per capita debt service. 

Per Capita Revenues and Expenditures -Canastota exhibited relatively high per capita 

spending throughout the 1990-2003 period, ranking high in each single spending category, 

except general government. Canastota’s revenues remained high throughout most of the 

time period but ranked closer to the median in 2003. 

Village of Vernon 

In 1998 and 1999, the Nation reacquired 5 properties of land, totaling 10 acres, in the 

Village of Vernon. 

Although the Village of Vernon still had a relatively strong resource base in 2003, its 

situation was somewhat better in 1990. A relatively high wealth village, it ranked near or 

above the median both in terms of per capita income and per capita full value in both 

years. Vernon increased its reliance on intergovernmental revenues between 1990 and 

2003 and ranked around the median in the latter year. The Village had a very low poverty 

rate in both years and reduced spending pressures by using less of its revenues on 

operations. While the Village was ranked near the median in terms of the debt to 
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valuation ratio in both 1990 and 2003, its per capita debt service had become very high in 

2003, an increase that commenced in the late 1990s. Vernon exhibited relatively high per 

capita revenues and expenditures in both years, with an increase in per capita spending on 

transportation-related equipment and construction after 2000. 

Village of Sylvan Beach 

The Nation reacquired seven properties of land in 2004, for a total of 5 acres. No 

reacquisition activities had taken place in or before 2003.
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Table 3.7-151 

Fiscal Health Indicators for Villages with Nation Land 

Per Capita 

Property Intergovernmental Operating 

Tax Revenues Per Capita Per Capita Expenditures Per Capita 

Revenues as % of Income Full Valuation as % of Poverty Debt Service 

($) Total Revenues ($) ($) Total Revenues Rate ($) 

Canastota value 161 31.8% 10,681 15,186 55.1% 10.1% 165 

share 0.65 0.92 0.20 0.45 0.05 0.50 0.94 value 288 15.9% 16,324 28,915 72.7% 14.8% 133 share 0.73 0.56 0.34 0.60 0.31 0.77 0.78 

Vernon value 107 5.7% 12,853 22,155 83.8% 6.9% 68 

share 0.34 0.05 0.67 0.82 0.67 0.25 0.65 value 226 14.4% 17,930 32,707 62.5% 9.7% 189 share 0.48 0.52 0.62 0.75 0.11 0.32 0.92 

Sylvan Beach value 109 22.5% 10,205 17,069 75.4% 20.1% 209 

share 0.35 0.80 0.13 0.60 0.35 0.97 0.97 value 539 11.6% 15,876 44,355 60.6% 17.0% 376 share 0.98 0.43 0.26 0.90 0.09 0.88 0.99 

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; Office of the New York State Comptroller: US Bureau of Census.Note: Per capita income and poverty rates were calculated for 1990 and 2000.Criteria met by villages included Number of villages included Legendin this analysis: in this analysisGeographic: Upstate NY 1990 177 Better than Mos

Population Size in 2003: 500 - 5,999 2003 177 Middle of the Ra1990-2000 Growth: minus 1% plus 0.1% Worse than Mo

200320031990200319901990

Available External Resources Spending Pressures Long
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Table 3.7-152 

Per Capita Expenditures in Villages with Nation Land 

Total

Spending Public Trans- Culture Home a

per Capita r Safety Health portation Recreation Comm

Canasto value 830 86 2 86 17 430 

share 0.83 0.76 0.90 0.64 0.58 0.85 value 861 209 3 157 37 192 share 0.68 0.85 0.85 0.72 0.66 0.5

Vernon value 661 78 0 37 8 409 

share 0.74 0.68 0.58 0.17 0.34 0.83 value 1,201 141 0 185 156 440 share 0.82 0.66 0.47 0.85 0.96 0.80 

Sylvan value 910 8 3 167 68 331 

share 0.88 0.06 0.91 0.94 0.95 0.78 value 1,819 36 5 385 95 497 share 0.94 0.22 0.87 0.98 0.95 0.84 

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; New York State Office of the State Comptroller

Expenditures by function

19902003

Per Capita Expenditures ($) in Villages with Nation Land compared to All Villages in the Central Ne

1. The Central New York Region includes the following counties Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Fulton, Hamilton, Her

Montgomery, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego,Otsego, Schoharie, and Tioga.

1990200319902003
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Table 3.7-153 

Per Capita Revenues in Villages with Nation Land 

School Districts 

Overview

The Annual Report on Local Governments from the New York State Office of the State 

Comptroller shows that, between 1993 and 2003, the State’s school districts (not 

including New York City) increased expenditures more than other local governments. In 

2003, school districts throughout the State continued to be largely dependent on property 

tax revenues and State aid, two revenue sources which together accounted for more than 

90 percent of statewide school district revenues (not including New York City). Total 

outstanding debt for New York State school districts (not including New York City) 

increased by 125 percent between 1998 and 2003. 

The following summarizes the findings of this assessment: 

• While per pupil expenditures in the neighboring districts followed the statewide 

upward trend, they generally increased less than in comparable communities. 

• In the two main neighboring districts (V.V.S and Stockbridge) per pupil revenues 

increased more than in comparable communities. 

• Neighboring districts were generally ranked at or above the median in terms of 

State aid per capita in both years. 

Per Capita Per Capita Per Capita Per Capita Per Capita Per Capita

Total Real Property Non-Property Intergov. Interest Other

Revenues Taxes Taxes Transfer Earnings Revenues

Canastota value 637 161 69 202 23 181

share 0.78 0.74 0.61 0.90 0.77 0.73

value 775 288 119 123 7 238

share 0.62 0.81 0.65 0.57 0.64 0.58

Vernon value 686 107 60 39 20 460

share 0.80 0.46 0.56 0.22 0.70 0.92

value 1,190 226 115 172 8 669

share 0.84 0.60 0.61 0.69 0.68 0.90

Sylvan Bea value 858 109 121 193 77 358

share 0.86 0.48 0.89 0.88 0.97 0.87

value 1,382 539 260 160 9 415

share 0.87 0.97 0.99 0.65 0.75 0.82

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; New York State Office of the State Comptroller.

Per Capita Revenues ($) in Villages with Nation Land compared to All Villages in the Central New York Region1 

1990

2003

1. The Central New York Region includes the following counties Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, 

Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego,Otsego, Schoharie, and Tioga.

1990

2003

1990

2003
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• In the three school districts in which the Nation reacquired lands to the highest 

degree (V.V.S., Stockbridge, and Oneida), per pupil property tax revenues were 

low and remained stable. 

• The neighboring districts’ per pupil full value also remained relatively stable before 

and after the Nation reacquired land. 

• Although most neighboring communities faced an increased property tax burden, 

as measured by the real property tax levy as a percent of full valuation, the 

increase was part of a trend among Upstate New York school districts and not all 

districts saw an increase in their ranking relative to comparable communities. 

• While most of the neighboring school districts increased their debt between 1990 

and 2003, most did not exhibit an increase in their ranking among comparable 

communities. 

• Only Stockbridge and two school districts in which the Nation acquired little land 

(Madison and Morrisville) ranked higher in terms of per capita debt service in 

2003 than in 1990. 

Detailed methodology and findings

The fiscal condition of the neighboring school districts was analyzed by calculating per 

pupil revenues, expenditures, and full value metrics and a real property tax to full 

valuation ratio (See Table 3.7-154). As with the county and municipality analysis 

presented above, the seven school districts in which the Nation reacquired land were 

ranked among comparable communities in Upstate New York for both 1990 and 2003. 

Considerable changes in a school district’s ranking over time could potentially be linked to 

a local event that occurred during that time period, such as the reacquisition of lands by 

the Nation. 

The school districts where the Nation owns land include Sherrill, Stockbridge, Oneida, 

Canastota, Madison, Morrisville and Cazenovia. The number of school districts included 

in this analysis is 460 in 1990 and 459 in 2003. The Sylvan-Verona Beach School 

District, which included the Sylvan-Verona Beach Elementary School, was eliminated in 

the mid-1990s. The Sylvan-Verona Beach Elementary School is now part of the Oneida 

City School District. 

Verona-Vernon-Sherrill (V.V.S.) District 

The V.V.S. District includes schools in Verona, Vernon and Sherrill. The district includes 

about 9,400 acres of Nation land, which is more than 50 percent of the land that was 

reacquired by the Oneidas. 

Per pupil expenditures and revenues fluctuated considerably between 1990 and 2003 but 

were relatively low in both years. Per pupil State aid hovered around the median 

throughout the 1990-2003 period. Sherrill’s per pupil property tax revenue was relatively 

low in both years, though it increased slightly from the 18th percentile in 1990 to the 27th 

percentile in 2003. The district’s per pupil full value was relatively low (around 30th 
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percentile) and stable during the 1990 to 2003 time period. The real property tax burden 

increased during the 1990-2003 period as the tax levy grew faster than the full valuation. 

The district had a relatively low debt service in both years. Its total outstanding debt per 

pupil decreased relative to other school districts, from being ranked around the middle in 

1990 to ranking in the lower third in 2003. 

Stockbridge School District 

All or part of the land reacquired by the Nation in the Towns of Stockbridge, Lincoln, 

Vernon, and Smithfield and in the City of Oneida is located in the Stockbridge School 

District. With 4,250 acres, the district has the second largest acreage of reacquired land. 

Expenditures per pupil fluctuated over time but were around the median in both years. 

Stockbridge was ranked around the median in terms of per pupil revenues in 1990 but was 

ranked considerably higher in 2003 mainly due to an increase in other revenues, a residual 

category that includes payments received from the Oneidas under the Silver Covenant 

Grant Program. Throughout the time period, per pupil state aid was high (90th 

percentile), while per pupil real estate taxes were very low (below 10th percentile). 

Nevertheless, as full value per pupil remained very low throughout the 1990-2003 period 

(below 10th percentile), the property tax debt burden increased because the property tax 

levy grew more than the full valuation. 

While the district was doing relatively well in terms of debt commitments in 1990 when it 

ranked at the median in terms of per capita debt service and ranked low in terms of 

outstanding debt per capita, it had high per capita debt service and very high per capita 

outstanding debt in 2003. 

Oneida School District 

The Oneida City School District includes approximately 1,400 acres of land reacquired by 

the Nation. 

Per pupil expenditures and revenues both decreased between 1990, when they were ranked 

around the middle of the range, and 2003, when they were ranked in the lowest third. 

While the Oneida District was ranked high in terms of State aid in 1990, it ranked near 

the median in 2003. Compared to other Upstate New York school districts, the Oneida 

district received little revenue from property taxes throughout the time period. Between 

1990 and 2003 per pupil full value increased but was still well below the median value of 

Upstate school districts in 2003. The Oneida District experienced a decreased property 

tax burden with the tax levy to full valuation ratio growing less than in comparable 

communities. 

Per capita outstanding debt was high in 1990 but was below the median in 2003. Its per 

capita debt service was relatively low in 1990 and even lower in 2003. 
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Canastota School District 

Currently, the Nation owns 1,230 acres of land in the Canastota School District. 

In terms of per pupil expenditures, the district ranked around the median in 1990 while 

ranking around the 10th percentile starting in 2000. Its per capita revenues were lower 

than in most school districts in 1990 and were lower still in 2003. Reliance on State aid 

decreased between 1990 and 2003, ranking the district relatively low in 2003. 

Canastota’s per pupil property tax revenue increased from the lower third in the early 

1990s to the median from 1996 on. Per pupil full value increased only slightly over time, 

ranking around the median in 2003. The real property tax levy outpaced full valuation, 

resulting in an increased property tax burden. 

In terms of outstanding debt, Canastota ranked around the median in 2003, which was an 

improvement compared to 1990. The district’s per capita debt service was ranked around 

the middle in both years. 

Other School Districts 

The school districts of Madison, Morrisville and Cazenovia also include land that was 

reacquired by the Nation. Together these districts account for about four percent of the 

Oneidas land or about 700 acres. Per pupil metrics for these school districts are included 

in Table 3.7-154 below.
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Bureau of Indian Affairs Draft EIS Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust

Table 3.7-154 

School Districts with Nation Land 

Full Real Property Expenditures Debt Outstanding Revenues Property State Aid Federal Aid Int

Valuation Tax Levy per Pupil Service Debt per Pupil Taxes per Pupil per Pupil Inve

per Pupil as % of per Pupil per Pupil per Pupil pe

Full Valuation

Sherrill 1990 value 112,846 1.3% 6,746 173 1,712 5,804 1,436 3,783 195 

share 0.34 0.17 0.36 0.20 0.55 0.06 0.18 0.52 0.39 

2003 value 191,603 1.9% 11,980 678 6,530 11,412 3,657 6,342 599 

share 0.31 0.51 0.18 0.34 0.32 0.14 0.27 0.42 0.34 

Stockbridge 1990 value 80,448 1.3% 7,059 331 812 6,569 1,053 4,861 435 

share 0.06 0.20 0.50 0.50 0.30 0.43 0.06 0.89 0.94 

2003 value 141,046 1.8% 13,429 1,797 18,715 14,270 2,607 9,706 866 

share 0.05 0.41 0.42 0.88 0.86 0.73 0.08 0.91 0.64 

Oneida 1990 value 93,519 1.6% 7,189 231 2,787 6,634 1,523 4,371 242 

share 0.16 0.53 0.54 0.31 0.73 0.47 0.23 0.78 0.58 

2003 value 200,726 1.7% 12,534 206 7,258 11,165 3,427 6,566 703 

share 0.36 0.36 0.29 0.06 0.37 0.10 0.23 0.46 0.45 

Canastota 1990 value 107,608 1.4% 7,056 423 2,726 6,301 1,531 4,086 222 

share 0.29 0.29 0.49 0.67 0.72 0.27 0.24 0.66 0.50 

2003 value 220,887 2.0% 11,563 980 10,323 11,424 4,452 6,101 604 

share 0.47 0.62 0.12 0.55 0.54 0.14 0.49 0.39 0.35 

Madison 1990 value 96,140 1.6% 8,064 350 2,791 6,625 1,545 4,457 376 

share 0.19 0.53 0.76 0.54 0.73 0.46 0.25 0.80 0.91 

2003 value 189,857 2.3% 25,637 1,960 18,503 16,617 4,451 10,097 1,016 

share 0.30 0.87 0.96 0.91 0.86 0.90 0.48 0.94 0.78 

Morrisville 1990 value 103,837 2.1% 6,718 93 1,526 6,765 2,151 4,029 275 

share 0.27 0.93 0.35 0.10 0.50 0.54 0.48 0.62 0.68 

2003 value 181,786 1.8% 17,721 1,614 17,763 14,225 3,361 9,459 803 

share 0.25 0.45 0.77 0.82 0.84 0.73 0.21 0.90 0.57 

Cazenovia 1990 value 199,284 1.9% 6,714 449 1,547 6,674 3,750 2,393 125 

share 0.77 0.80 0.34 0.71 0.50 0.48 0.83 0.13 0.13 

2003 value 318,237 2.0% 11,096 658 5,305 10,746 6,286 3,725 350 

share 0.76 0.58 0.06 0.32 0.23 0.05 0.76 0.10 0.08 

Source: The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; New York State Office of the State ComptrollerMIN indicates minimum value, meaning that the district ranked the lowest.Note: Non-property taxes are included in the total revenues but are not listed separately in the table. In 1990, only the Cazenovia School District had non-property tax revenues, with per capit2003, the Sherrill school district had per capita non-property tax revenues of $119 and the Cazenovia district's per capita non-property tax revenues equaled $8.1. School Districts in New York City, on Long Island, and in the Hudson Valley are excluded from this analysis; a total of 460 and 459 school districts are included in the 1990 and 2003 analys

Revenues by Source

School Districts with Nation Land compared to All School Districts1
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3.7.10 Social Conditions 

In 1999, the federal government commissioned a study to examine the behavioral impacts 

of gambling. The National Gaming Impact Study Commission, which was charged by 

Congress to study the impacts of gaming, set out to update a previous 1976 federal study 

on gambling. The 1999 report addressed a wide array of behaviors associated with 

gambling including personal bankruptcy, crime, employment related impacts, mental 

health and divorce. 

Numerous other government and academic studies have been conducted since the 

National Gaming Impact Study Commission’s report. These studies assess a wide range of 

potential social impacts associated with the prevalence of gaming. Below is a discussion of 

possible social costs associated with casino gambling. Whether these social conditions 

have affected the Study Area communities and the broader area are considered. 

3.7.10.1 Bankruptcy 

National Trends and Studies 

Over the past fifteen years the rate of individuals declaring bankruptcy has risen 

dramatically. In the same time period, the number of commercial gaming facilities and 

casinos has soared. This had led some to an allegation that there is a connection between 

the two. 

In 1999 concern over a possible link between bankruptcy and gambling led the federal 

government to direct the Department of Treasury to study the relationship between 

bankruptcy and gambling. Its report, entitled “A Study of the Interaction of Gambling 

and Bankruptcy,” found that there are numerous contributing factors when an individual 

files for bankruptcy. Three major factors were identified: 

• Higher national levels of debt relative to income; 

• Increased access to credit cards and consumer credit; and 

• Reduced social stigma of declaring bankruptcy. 

It also identified demographic factors that put one at risk for bankruptcy, such as divorce, 

high medical expenses, and unemployment. 

The study found no statistically significant connection between state bankruptcy rates and 

the presence of casino gambling. Further, it found no statistically significant relationship 

between bankruptcy rates and casinos at a county level. With regard to frequent high-risk 

gamblers, the U.S. Treasury determined that there is a weak relationship between high-risk 

gambling and probability of declaring bankruptcy. 

A more recent working paper by Creighton University in 2005 by Ernset Gross and 

Edward Morse analyzed the same topic as the Treasury Department but came to a 

different conclusion. The paper concludes that there is a 2.0 percent higher bankruptcy 
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rate in counties with casinos than those without a casino. The study examined the 

“lifecycle” effects of casinos and found that after the opening of a casino bankruptcy rates 

actually decline. However, over time bankruptcy rates increase and after a period of nine 

years bankruptcy rates in counties with gaming facilities are higher than those with no 

casino. Specifically, there are 7.82 bankruptcies per 1000 people in casino counties 

compared to 6.39 bankruptcies per 1000 people in counties without a casino. 

Madison and Oneida Counties 

Turning Stone Resort & Casino has been in operation since 1993. As previously 

mentioned, the bankruptcy rate in the United States has been rising since the early 1990s. 

Figure 3.7-24 demonstrates the number of non-business related bankruptcy filings per 

1000 people in the United States, New York State, Madison County, and Oneida County. 

As can be seen all four lines mirror one another. Oneida County experienced increased 

bankruptcy filings in 1997. In 1999, rates briefly dipped below the national average. 

Madison County, like the rest of the country, experienced an increase in bankruptcy 

filings. With the exception of 2004, it has consistently been below national filing trends. 

While below the national average, Madison County’s bankruptcy rate is higher than New 

York State. It was lower than the State’s rate only in 1993 and 1994. 

In the mid-1990s Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome closed down leading to large layoffs in 

the Madison and Oneida County region. Prior to 1996, Oneida County had a bankruptcy 

rate that was higher than New York State but lower than the national rate. In 1996 one 

more person per 1000 residents filed for bankruptcy in Oneida County than in the nation. 

The following year had a similar number of bankruptcy filings for both Oneida County 

and the country. In 1998, both the national and Oneida County’s bankruptcy rate fell. 

Oneida County’s fell more steeply and was the same as the national rate. Since then, the 

County’s rate has been slightly higher than the national average and follows national 

trends. 

As has been noted, many factors contribute to bankruptcy. While the counties have 

bankruptcy rates higher than the State average, Madison County’s is lower than the 

national rate and Oneida’s is slightly higher than the national rate. Bankruptcy trends in 

Madison and Oneida County generally trend with those of the State and the nation. This 

suggests that larger national and state trends, such as unemployment and the economy, 

play a role in the bankruptcy rates experienced in Madison and Oneida County. 
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Figure 3.7-24 

Non-Business Bankruptcy Filings per 1000 Residents, 

Madison County and Oneida County, 1990 2004 

Source: Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), Administrative Office of the United States Courts, United 

States Judiciary

3.7.10.2 Crime 

National Trends and Studies 

Increased crime is often cited as a negative externality of casinos. This topic has been 

studied by economists and social scientists as the number of gambling facilities has 

increased. The previously mentioned National Gaming Impact Study Commission’s report 

did not study the impacts of gambling on crime. It did determine that pathological 

gamblers are more likely to commit crime than other citizens. The report also noted other 

studies that have found a connection between gambling and increased crime may be 

unreliable due to the methodology. 

The Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) in a report entitled “Impact of Gambling: 

Economic Effects More Measurable than Social Effects” published in 2000 analyzed 

Atlantic City and found that crime did increase after the introduction of casinos. 

However, it concluded that too many factors play a role in crime and it is unknown 

whether or not crime would not have increased without the casinos. 

-

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Bankrupcty Rate per 1000 Residents

Oneida County

Madison County

New York State

National 
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More recent studies conducted after the publication of these government reports by 

Gazel,et al. suggest that crime may increase after the introduction of a casino to a 

community. Stitt, et al. found that in 51 percent of communities with casinos crime 

increased. They did not find any change in crime rates two or three years after the casino 

opened. 

Grinols and Mustard, in their 2005 study, concluded that casinos increase all index crimes 

(index crimes are categorized as murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, 

larceny and motor vehicle theft) except murder. Specifically, their study determined that 

8.6 percent of property crimes and 12.6 percent of violent crimes in counties with casinos 

were attributable to the casino. The crimes were estimated to cost the average person $75 

in 1996 dollars. Additionally, crime does not generally increase until three years after the 

casino opening. 

Madison County and Oneida County 

In 1996, the New York State Task Force on Casino Gambling issued a report to the 

Governor George Pataki to assess the potential effects of casino gambling throughout New 

York State. The report notes that nationwide there were modest increases in low-level 

offenses after the introduction of a casino. The report cites the Turning Stone Resort and 

Casino as an example of what may happen if casino gambling were to expand in New 

York State. It states, “crime has been low and limited to less serious property crimes. 

Moreover, an analysis of crime within a 50-mile radius of Turning Stone does not support 

the notion that casino gambling has brought crime to surrounding communities. 

Index crimes, due to their seriousness and frequency, serve as indicators of the nation’s 

crime experience. Like other law enforcement agencies, the New York State Division of 

Criminal Justice Services divides index crimes into two categories, violent crime and 

property crime. Within the violent crime category are murder, rape, robbery, and 

aggravated assault. Property crime consists of burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft. 

Madison and Oneida Counties have lower violent crime rates than New York State 

(excluding New York City). Both have experienced fluctuations over time. In the case of 

Madison County, its violent crime rate and property crime rate are much lower than the 

State. Oneida County’s violent crime rate is lower than the State’s with the exception of 

1997; the County’s property crime rate was lower than the State’s prior to 1995, but in 

1995 it climbed to above the State rate. Though it has declined since then, it is still higher 

than the overall State. 

Below are graphics that illustrate violent and property crime rates for the two Counties 

and New York State (non New York City). With regard to violent crimes, after 1993 

when the casino opened both counties experienced a drop in violent crime. However, in 

subsequent years the rate increased at a time when the overall State rate had been steadily 
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declining. In 1997, both counties began to experience a drop in violent crime and by 2004 

the violent crime rates were similar to pre-Turning Stone Resort & Casino levels. 

In the early 1990s, property crime rates in both Counties were lower than the State’s 

property crime rate. Like the State, both Counties were experiencing a decline in property 

crime. However, in 1993 the Counties began to experience an increase in property crimes 

while the 

Figure 3.7-25 

Violent Crime Rates, Madison County, Oneida County, 

and New York State, 1990-2004 

Source: New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Uniform Crime Reporting system. 

State property crime rate continued to decline. The number of crimes began to decline 

again in 1997. By 2004 crime in Madison County was lower than in 1990 and the State 

rate. Oneida County’s crime rate in 2004 was lower than in 1990 but it was still higher 

than the State rate. 

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Crimes per 1000 Residents

Oneida County

Madison County

New York State (excluding New

York City)
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It is worth noting that the Nation lands occupy only a small portion of the two counties, 

1.6 percent in Madison County and 1.4 percent in Oneida County, and that the Nation 

did not own much land in the early 1990s. Oneida County contains the cities of Utica and 

Rome, two of the twenty largest New York cities, which both have problems typical to 

large urban areas. To analyze more closely the crime rates in the surrounding 

communities, crime rates were examined at the police district level. In Madison and 

Oneida County, towns 
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Figure 3.7-26 

Property Crime Rates 

Madison County, Oneida County, and New York State, 1990-2004 

Source: New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Uniform Crime Reporting system. 

do not have their own police department; only villages and cities do. Towns and some 

villages in these counties do not have their own force; rather, they rely on the state police 

and county sheriff for policing services. The following graphs highlight the local police 

districts in which the Nation owns property. 

Madison County Municipalities 

As depicted in Figure 3.7-24, Canastota experienced a drop in index crimes from 1990 to 

1993. After 1993 both the village (from 14 crimes per 1000 to 20) and the County rates 

rose (from 22 crimes per 1000 to 23), though Canastota’s rose at a much steeper rate. 

Canastota has crime rates lower than the overall County with the exception of 2000. In 

2001 the rate dropped below the County level and was at its second lowest reported 

number of crimes per 1000 residents from 1990 to 2001. 

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

40.0

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Property Crime per 1000 Residents

Oneida County

Madison County

New York State (excluding

New York City)
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In contrast to Canastota, the City of Oneida has had higher crime rate than the County 

average. Like Canastota it experienced a decline in the crime rate from 1997 to 1998. 

However, after 1998, crime rate increased in the City. 

For comparison’s sake, New York State (excluding New York City) was also included in 

the graph. As can be seen, the City of Oneida had a higher number of crimes per 1000 

residents than the overall State. On the other hand, Madison County and Canastota have 

a lower crime rate than the State (non-New York City). 

Figure 3.7-27 

Index Crimes in Canastota Village and City of Oneida, 

Madison County 1990 – 2004 

Source: New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Uniform Crime Reporting system. 

Note: The Village of Canastota did not report crimes to the New York State Division of Criminal Services for the years 

2002-2004. 

In New York State, villages and cities have their own police forces; towns are patrolled by 

the county sheriff’s office and the county state police. Figure 3.7-27 illustrates the number 

of crimes reported to the county sheriff and county state police. Overall, the crime rate in 

the towns is significantly less than the County or State average. 

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Crimes per 1000 Residents

Canastota Village Police

Madison County

Oneida City Police

New York State (excluding

New York City)
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Figure 3.7-28 

Index Crimes in Madison County, 1990 to 2004 

Source: New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Uniform Crime Reporting system. 

Oneida County Municipalities 

Both the Village of Vernon and the City of Sherrill experienced an increase in crime in 

1993. Prior to then, both had a crime rate lower than that of Oneida County. However, 

after 1993, Vernon Village’s rate rose dramatically and matched Oneida County’s crime 

rate. Sherrill experienced a much smaller increase of 14.9 crimes per 1000 residents to 

19.8 crimes per 1000 residents. In 1998 crime rates in Vernon Village, Sherrill, and 

Oneida County all began to drop. Since then they have risen again and in 2004 Vernon 

and Sherrill had crime rates higher than their 1990 levels. 

As in Madison County, the Oneida County Sheriff and Oneida County State Police, which 

patrol the towns, reported crime rates much lower than the overall County levels (See 

Figure 3.7-28). Both the Sheriff and the County State Police crime rates have remained 

fairly level over time. 

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Crimes per 1000 Residents

Madison County Sheriff

Madison County State Police

Madison County

New York State (excluding New York City)
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Figure 3.7-29 

Index Crimes for Selected Oneida County Villages and Cities, 

1990-2004 

Note: The City of Sherrill reported 11 months for the years 2001 and 2002. 

Source: New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Uniform Crime Reporting system. 

Crime at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino

As discussed in Section 3.7.5.1, the Nation maintains its own police force to patrol its 

properties, including the Turning Stone Resort & Casino. The Nation Police maintains 

detailed records of their call response activities. In 2003, the Nation Police received 

12,488 calls for service. Of the calls, 21.5 percent, or 2,683 calls, occurred at the Turning 

Stone Resort & Casino. Many of the calls were for regularly scheduled tasks such as 

money escorts, which totaled 1,433 calls or an average of four a day, and background 

investigations on potential employees, which in 2003 totaled 871 calls. The Nation’s 

SavOn gas stations and convenience stores accounted for the largest number of service 

calls attributable to drive-offs, according to Arthur Pierce, Oneida Indian Nation Police 

Department Commissioner. 

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Crimes per 1000 Residents

Vernon Village Police

Sherrill City Police

Oneida County
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Figure 3.7-30 

Index Crimes in Oneida County, 1990-2004 

Source: New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Uniform Crime Reporting system. 

3.7.10.3 Problem Gambling 

National Trends and Studies 

The previously mentioned National Gambling Impact Study Commission report estimates 

that there are 117.5 million adult gamblers in the United States that do not “evidence 

negative consequences” and 7.5 million who are either problem or pathological gamblers. 

The American Psychiatric Association classifies pathological gambling as an impulse 

control disorder with three dimensions: damage, loss of control, and dependence. 

Pathological gambling often occurs in conjunction with other behavioral problems such as 

substance abuse, mood disorders and personality disorders. 

Based on a National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago study 

conducted in the 1999 for the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, living within 

50 miles of a casino increases the lifetime prevalence of problem gambling from 1.2% of 

the population to 2.3% and of pathological gambling from 0.9% to 2.1%. 

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Crimes per 1000 Residents

Oneida County Sheriff

Oneida County State

Police

Oneida County
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Madison County and Oneida County 

Recognizing that problem gambling is a serious concern, the Nation has taken steps to 

ensure that problem gamblers are aware of available programs. Additionally, the Nation 

has taken active measures to ensure that their business operations do not enable problem 

gambling. This includes annual mandatory compulsive gambling intervention training for 

all player development hosts, Oneida Nation Gaming Commission inspectors, and all 

managers and supervisors in the gaming and security departments. In addition, a variety 

of printed materials concerning problem gaming, such as posters and rack cards, are 

displayed in public areas of the casino and identify organizations that provide help and 

treatment. Employees can also orally distribute the information. There are public service 

announcements on the Turning Stone & Casino’s web site, and via telephonic recordings 

(i.e., “on hold” messages). 

The Turning Stone Resort & Casino also has extensive interaction with outside agencies 

that work with problem gamblers. The Human Resources group at Turning Stone Resort 

& Casino works very closely with the New York Council on Problem Gambling 

(NYCPG), a not-for-profit independent corporation not affiliated with the Government of 

the State of New York. Once a year, the NYCPG comes to train employees to recognize 

and deal with problem gamblers. Positions requiring Annual Problem Gaming Awareness 

Training are as follows: 

• Games Shift Managers 

• Games Pit Managers 

• Games Floor Supervisors 

• Security Shift Managers 

• Security Shift Supervisors 

• Security Officers 

• Player Development Hosts 

• Gaming Commission Inspectors 

The Turning Stone Resort & Casino reimburses NYCPG for the cost of this training. The 

NYCPG also periodically reviews internal policies and controls for managing problem 

gamblers. Additionally, the Turning Stone Resort & Casino recently joined the National 

Conference on Problem Gaming. 

Finally, the Turning Stone Resort & Casino management and the Oneida Nation Gaming 

Commission have implemented a voluntary program whereby patrons with a gambling 

problem can have their names included on a list of individuals who are to be denied 

admission to the casino. Individuals on this list cannot return to the casino without the 

prior approval of the Oneida Nation Gaming Commission and strict rules govern whether 

someone may be reinstated. For a voluntarily excluded person to be taken off the list, he 
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or she must send a written request to the Gaming Commission after staying on the list for 

a minimum of one year. If a person places himself on the list a second time, he must wait 

a minimum of two years to return and a hearing before the Gaming Commission is 

mandatory. If a person places herself on the list for a third time, the ban is permanent and 

she may not be reinstated. 

The Oneida Nation Gaming Commission, the principal government entity that is 

responsible for regulating all gaming activities at the casino, provided a statistical snapshot 

of its exclusion list for months in 2001, 2003, and 2006. 

Table 3.7-155 

Number of Persons on Turning Stone 

Resort & Casino Exclusion List

Voluntary Involuntary Total 

October 2001 166 300 466 

March 2003 211 351 562 

March 2006 384 514 898 

Source: Oneida Nation Gaming Commission, The Nation, unpublished, 2006 

When an individual asks to put his name on the voluntary exclusion list, Turning Stone 

Resort & Casino, in addition to honoring the patron’s request, refers the individual to the 

professional counselors at Human Technologies Corporation, a Utica-based organization 

that provides gambling counseling and educational services in Central New York. Human 

Technologies began providing professional counseling and education services in 1996. 

Additionally, it provides general education, training and outreach programs to mental 

health and addiction service providers, schools, families, and significant others affected by 

someone with a gambling problem. 

According to Human Technologies, an average of 179 people a year have sought their 

counseling services. Approximately 55 percent are casino gamblers; others trace their 

addiction to the lottery, internet gambling, horse track racing, and/or sports betting. 

Additionally, 25 percent have a co-occurring disorder such as substance abuse or 

depression. The following table illustrates the number of people seeking help at Human 

Technologies. 
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Table 3.7-156 

Number of Individuals Seeking 

Treatment at Human Technologies, 1996 - 2005 

Year 

Individuals Seeking 

Treatment 

Total Number of Visitors to 

Turning Stone Casino 

Percentage of Total 

Visitors 

1996 130 2,397,200 0.005% 

1997 140 2,504,562 0.006% 

1998 150 3,386,682 0.004% 

1999 153 3,547,603 0.004% 

2000 167 3,501,938 0.005% 

2001 180 3,805,922 0.005% 

2002 176 4,163,002 0.004% 

2003 223 3,942,275 0.006% 

2004 250 4,164,751 0.006% 

2005 223 4,458,063 0.005% 

Source: Human Technologies, Utica, New York, 2006, unpublished 

As can be seen, the number of people seeking help at Human Technologies represent a 

small fraction of the total number of visitors to the Turning Stone Casino. Additionally, 

the Nation has put in place numerous support systems to ensure that individuals and their 

families have access to support and counseling. 

3.7.10.4 Suicide 

National Trends and Studies 

An increase in suicide rates is believed to be an unfortunate result of the introduction of 

casinos. A 1992 study concluded that problem and pathological gamblers have a higher 

suicide rate than the rest of the public (Lesieur). Another study completed by Phillips et al. 

examined whether gamblers or those associated with them experience atypically high 

suicide rates. Phillips et al. found that Las Vegas, which is home to many of the nation’s 

casinos and gambling facilities, has the highest levels of suicide in the nation, both for 

residents of Las Vegas and for visitors to that setting. “In general, visitors to and residents 

of major gaming communities experience significantly elevated suicide levels. In Atlantic 

City, abnormally high suicide levels for visitors and residents appeared only after gambling 

casinos were opened. The findings do not seem to result merely because gaming settings 

attract suicidal individuals.” Specifically, visitors to Atlantic City, NJ, and to Reno, NV, 

were 1.75 and 1.5 times more likely to commit suicide. 

Madison and Oneida County 

Suicide rates in Madison and Oneida County have experienced fluctuations over time. 

Table 3.7-157 below illustrates the number of suicides per 10,000 residents from 1991 to 

2003, the earliest and latest data available. 
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Table 3.7-157 

Suicide Rates per 10,000 Residents, 

Madison and Oneida County, 1991 - 2003

Year Madison County Oneida County New York State 

(non New York City) 

1991 0.6 1.0 0.9 

1992 0.9 1.0 0.9 

1993 0.7 1.0 0.8 

1994 0.6 0.6 0.9 

1995 0.7 0.9 0.8 

1996 0.4 1.0 0.8 

1997 0.9 0.5 0.8 

1998 0.7 0.8 0.8 

1999 0.6 0.5 0.7 

2000 1.0 0.8 0.8 

2001 2.0 1.2 0.8 

2002 1.0 0.6 0.8 

2003 1.3 0.9 0.7 

Source: New York State Department of Health 

New York State’s (non-New York City) suicide rate has remained constant over the time 

range with both an average and median of 0.81 suicides per 10,000 residents. Both 

counties experienced a drop in suicides in 1993 while the State rate remained level. 

Madison County’s rate has risen and fallen above and below the State rate with no 

discernable direction. It had a low of 0.4 in 1996 to a high of 2.0 in 2001. Oneida 

County has experienced similar ups and downs with a low of 0.5 in 1997 and a high of 

2.0 in 2001. The two counties experience rises and falls in the suicide rate at similar 

times. 

Suicide and the depression that generally precedes suicide is an extremely complex matter, 

both sociologically and psychologically. It is very difficult to measure how much of an 

impact gambling has on the decision making process that leads someone to take his own 

life. Those who argue that there are large social costs to casinos concede that “the 

literature has not provided sufficiently reliable social cost estimates” (Grinols, and. 

Mustard, 2001). 

3.7.10.5 Social Costs 

Several cost-benefit analyses have attempted to quantify the social cost of gambling, with 

estimates ranging from insignificant to very serious (Collins and Lapsley). Most studies 

lack a clear definition of the term “social cost” and the elements included in the cost 

estimates vary across studies (Collins and Lapsley, Walker and Barnett). Examples of 

costs used in the literature are bankruptcy, theft, suicide, depression, divorce, 

unemployment benefits, income lost from missed work, and corruption of public officials. 

Many of the costs that are included in the cost-benefit analyses are difficult to quantify 
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and many studies do not indicate how they quantified the costs. Furthermore, because 

pathological gambling is often accompanied by other behavioral problems, such as 

substance abuse, it is difficult to establish the causality between gambling and the 

problems faced by the pathological gambler such as unemployment and depression. Even 

when gambling is a factor, it is very difficult to establish whether it is a primary factor and 

to quantify the degree to which it contributed to the problem. 

Walker and Barnett address the lack of a social cost definition in the gambling literature 

by defining an action’s social cost as “the amount by which that action reduces aggregate 

societal wealth”. According to this definition, transfer payments (e.g., unemployment 

benefits) and other transfers of wealth from one person to another (e.g., theft) do not 

constitute social costs. While theft itself does not represent a social cost (because it is a 

transfer of wealth from the victim to the thief), social costs associated with theft include 

the psychological cost on the victim and the opportunity cost associated with the use of 

resources to prevent theft (e.g., buying locks). 

Collins and Lapsley highlight the difference between social costs and private costs, the 

latter including only those costs to the gambler himself that he rationally considered prior 

to gambling. Following this definition, costs borne by problem and pathological gamblers 

could thus constitute social costs. However, there is no agreement in the literature about 

the definition of “rationality” or even about the legitimacy of including any costs borne by 

the gambler in a social cost estimate. 

Examples of estimates of the social costs of gambling are presented below. All of these 

studies presented itemized cost estimates. 

• Thompson, et al. estimated the annual cost per problem gambler at $9,496. Costs 

include lost work hours, unemployment compensation, lost productivity, bad 

debts, civil court, thefts, arrests, trials, probation, incarceration, therapy, and 

welfare. 

• While Walter and Barnett do not provide their own estimate of the social cost of 

gambling, they reduce the estimated cost per compulsive gambler that was 

presented by Thompson et al. in a 1997 study from $9,469 to $2,974 by taking 

out transfers of wealth such as unemployment benefits, theft, and bad debts. The 

adjusted cost estimate includes the cost of civil court cases, police, trials, 

incarceration, the cost to collect bad debts, and the cost of treatment. The authors 

point out that this adjusted estimate would be lowered further if these costs were 

not solely attributed to pathological gambling. 

• A study prepared by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the 

University of Chicago performed for the National Gambling Impact Study 

Commission in 1999 provides an estimate of the social cost of gambling that 

includes the cost of job loss, unemployment benefits, welfare benefits, poor 

physical and mental health, and pathological gambling treatment. The study 

estimated an annual social cost of $715 per problem gambler and of about $1,200 
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per pathological gambler. NORC estimated that after deducting the costs that are 

transfer payments such welfare and unemployment benefits, the annual social cost 

is $560 per problem gambler and $1,050 per pathological gambler. 

• In addition to annual impacts, NORC also estimated lifetime impacts, which 

include the cost of bankruptcy, arrests and corrections, and divorce. They 

estimated lifetime cost at $5,130 and $10,550 for problem and pathological 

gamblers, respectively. Without transfer payments, lifetime social costs are $3,580 

for problem gamblers and $7,250 for pathological gamblers.