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From: The Robesonian, Friday, January 30, 2004
Date: 31 Jan 2004
Time: 18:13:07 -0500
Remote Name: 172.152.61.160
The following article was written by Scott Witten, Staff Reporter to the Robesonian: SPLIT VOTE OUSTS TRIBAL ADMINISTRATOR: Council Picks Leon Jacobs to Hold Post Pembroke - For the second time in two weeks, Darlene Jacobs was fired as administrator of the Lumbee Tribal Office. The Lumbee Tribal Council voted Thursday night to uphold a decision by the tribe's chairman to dismiss Jacobs, but the vote was less than lopsided. The council met in closed session for about 90 minutes before an ll to 9 vote to fire Jacobs. Councilman Sanford Locklear abstained. Tribal leaders then voted 12 to 9 to hire Leon Jacobs,Lumbee, who is the tribal manager of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe of Connecticut. Leon Jacobs and Darlene Jacobs are not related. Most council members declined to talk about the decision, saying it was a personnel matter. Kent Hunt was an esception. "My vote...was not cast on a personal level. I simply voted on what was best in the interest of the 54,000 Lumbee people that I represent sitting on this council," Hunt said. "It's obvious that we have issues to take care of and our move last night was one made in a positive direction." Many of the people who packed the tribal office to watch the proceedings expressed conceren that the tribal government seemed to be getting off to a bad start. About 80 people attended the meeting. Tribal member Rose Marie Townsend said she was disappointed in the council. "I'm afraid this has been a trying ordeal for a number of people, but apparently you can do anything if you have a majority of the votes - and tonight, 11 votes is a majority," Townsend said. Townsend said if the council had held a retreat before Thursday's meeting, tribal leaders might have avoided some of the itfalls of the last few weeks. The council did vote Thursday night to hold a retreat February 20-21. "It is evident that they don't have an understanding about what they should be about as representatives," Townsend siad. "That Constitution should be their Bible, but id doesn't look like a lot of these members have a real understanding of that document." The path to Thursday's meeting began January 16, when newly elected Tribal Chairman Jimmy Goins told Jacobs she would not remain in the post. Leon Jacobs was then appointed by Goins as interim administrator, pending approval by the Tribal Council. Darlene Jacobs filed a grievance with the Lumbee Supreme Court and, last week, the court voted to give Jacobs her job back. The court said Goins violated the tribal constitution by firing Jacobs without the consent of the Tribal Council." According to the Lumbee Constitution, the tribal chairman can nominate a tribal administrator, but the nominee must be approved by the Tribal Council. The administrator must be removed by the same process according to the Constitution. Goins attended Thursday's meeting, but left before the session was over. Darlene Jacobs was said to be in the tribal office Thursday night, but did not appear in council chambers. Goins said earlier that he decided not to re-appoint Jacobs after an investigation found possible violations within the tribe's housing program. Jacobs said her decisions as tribal administrator were made with good intentions and in the best interest of the tribe. She said a majority of the decisions were made after consulting with former Tribal Chairman Milton Hunt and the tribe's attorney. She served as tribal administrator since March 2003, when she replaced Ruth Dial Woods. Not everyone in the audience Thursday saw the proceedings as a negative. ONe man, who asked that his name not be used, said he expected the council to unite for the good of the people. "I'm just now sure when," he said.