"Our businesses had record profits this last year and this was an opportunity to show our appreciation to employees who deliver services directly to our citizens," Smith said. "This budget also includes the highest amounts ever for higher education scholarships and housing rehabilitation and highest operating budgets ever for our existing health clinics."
The bonuses, which amount to $2.1 million, were passed by a vote of 10 to 7. The seven councilors against the bonuses were instead in favor of the $2.1 million being dispensed in merit raises.
The vast majority of the money in the budget is set aside for service programs, according to Cherokee Nation. The budget calls for more than $113 million in spending on health care, including money to construct or expand clinics in Sallisaw, Muskogee, and Nowata and $1 million to assist citizens who need treatment for cancer and chronic diseases.
The nearly $30 million education budget includes the largest amount ever for higher education scholarships and the Johnson O'Malley program, which assists Cherokee students in public schools. It also includes a new initiative sponsored by Smith to create full college scholarships for Cherokee students who are majoring in fields that are in demand within the Cherokee Nation, including a pilot program for nursing. Students who receive these scholarships will be required to work for the tribe or one of its businesses after graduation to help pay back to the tribe. The education budget also includes a record amount of spending for cultural programs, including language development initiatives and language immersion classes.
The housing and community services budget totals nearly $78 million, which the tribe said includes the highest budgets for housing rehabilitation and roads and for the tribe's growing self-help housing initiative.
The tribe's human resources budget of about $30 million includes funding for child development and $1 million for drug prevention efforts in northeastern Oklahoma.
"Every year our budget for services to the Cherokee people grows, but what is most impressive is that our largest growth this year comes from the revenue we generate ourselves - from our businesses," Smith said.
The percentage of the tribe's budget funded by tribal revenues, including business operations, has grown to 24 percent, from just 11 percent five years ago, according to the tribe.
