Court Action Forces Halt to LLRIB Tax Rebate Talks

Court Action Forces Halt to LLRIB Tax Rebate Talks

Friday, June 18, 2004 at 15:03

Legal action has forced the Lac La Ronge Indian Band to temporarily suspend all activities related to the distribution of a multi-million-dollar tax rebate settlement.

The issue has been a contentious one for several weeks now.

The band council has been split over what the band should do with 3.75 million dollars it received from the province for fuel and tobacco taxes collected on reserve.

The band was scheduled to hold a meeting today to finalize a questionnaire it was about to take to band members.

But band spokesman Kevin Roberts says that action has been put on hold over word that a band councillor has filed a legal challenge over the affair.

Roberts says the questionnaire isn’t being challenged, but the councillor does have a problem with an option that was raised earlier concerning per capita distribution and giving a share to on-reserve retailers.

Roberts couldn’t say how long of a delay the legal challenge might create.