The Senate of the Standing Buffalo First Nation has given up trying to impeach the chief and council.
Instead it plans to hold an early election in the hopes of removing Chief Roger Redman and the band council from office.
The band’s Senate voted to impeach the chief and council last month after it was learned they were paid nearly a million dollars to run the council during a one year period.
The information was contained in an audited report that was widely circulated on the reserve of about 500 residents, located northeast of Regina.
During the fiscal year that ended last March, the chief was paid about $180,000 dollars while six councillors were paid an average of $132,000, all of this tax-free.
The chair of the band’s Senate, Marita Crant, says residents of the First Nation have had enough.
“We are just going to go ahead and do what we have to do and stop this nonsense of him trying to be the governance of this reserve,” she says.
Nominations for the election are scheduled to open next week with the election called for Mar. 16.
Notices to that effect went up Friday but the federal Aboriginal Affairs department still has to give its approval.
However, Crant does not anticipate any problems there.
Earlier this week, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation called for Chief Redman’s resignation.
For his part, the chief has said he has heard the concerns of the band’s residents and council has taken measures to dramatically cut expenses.
He also does not recognize the authority of the Senate, saying it has no power to impeach or to stage an early election.
Elections on the reserve are officially scheduled for November.