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The passage of Proposition 202 by the voters of Arizona
in November 2002 set the stage for new gaming compacts between
the State and the respective tribes. An important provision
of Proposition 202 was the sharing of gaming revenues with
the State. A portion of the revenue to be shared can be retained
by an Indian tribe and distributed itself. Proposition 202
allows an Indian tribe to make twelve percent (12%) of its
total annual contribution in the following form: “Distributions
to cities, towns, or counties for government services that
benefit the general public, including public safety, mitigation
of the impacts of gaming, or promotion of commerce and economic
development.”
The Gila River Indian Community (the “Community”)
has decided to exercise its option to retain and administer
the 12 percent of State-shared revenue itself. The Community
Council has adopted guidelines and procedures for this new
program. Highlights of the program follow.
Geographic Scope
The Community’s policy is to generally limit the distributions
to nearby cities, towns, and counties (i.e., Maricopa and
Pinal Counties, Phoenix, Avondale, Coolidge, Casa Grande,
Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Mesa, and Tempe) but retain
some flexibility to consider more distant but special situations.
Priority
Funding Areas
 The priority areas that the Community will initially concentrate
funding on are:
 Public
Safety (police, fire, EMS)
Transportation
Facilities
Health
Care Services
Economic
Development
Education
In addition to these Priority Areas, the Community reserves
the right to utilize its discretion in funding special programs
and projects not included in the above listing, for example,
the Community could also invite a particular city, town,
or county to submit an application for a mutually negotiated
project.
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