Tribal Council and Management last week began the 2018 budget discussion, an early start this year to another challenging budget season.
Management and Finance presented an initial overview of how to achieve a balanced budget again next year.
A goal for 2018 is to avoid employee lay-offs, though most current non-essential vacancies would have to remain unfilled, said Secretary-Treasurer Michele Stacona.
She also presented another cost-saving idea for the tribes, involving the 5 percent employer discretionary 401(k) Plan contributions.
Each year Tribal Council approves these discretionary contributions. They are contributions on behalf of all eligible employees, whether or not an employee chooses to make his or her own contribution to the plan.
Employees are eligible if he or she has worked 1,000 hours for the tribes, or if the person is already 62 years old.
“The amount of the discretionary contributions is determined by Tribal Council, and may change from time to time,” according to the summary of the tribes’ 401(k) Plan. The contribution amount has been at 5 percent for several years.
Making these contributions is good when the budget conditions are right, Ms. Stacona said. But in the present budget situation, she said, Tribal Council may want to consider a one-year change to the contributions amount.
She presented three alternatives: maintaining the 5 percent, reducing to 2.5 percent, and suspending the contribution for the year.
