The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation has sharply rebuked Vallejo leaders after a divided City Council approved an agreement clearing the way for the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians to pursue a temporary gaming facility. Tribal leaders said the city rushed through the decision, limited public scrutiny and weakened confidence in local government.
Council members voted 4-2 in favor of the Memorandum of Understanding. Councilmembers Tonia Lediju and Alexander Matias voted no, while Mayor Andrea Sorce was absent from the meeting.
Under the reported deal, Scotts Valley would pay Vallejo $502,000 in each of the agreement’s three years to offset demands on police and other city services. The package also includes an additional $100,000 up front in the first year. City documents say that the annual total contains $12,698 in lieu of property tax and $27,302 for administrative support. Another $100,000 each year would go to a local nonprofit selected in coordination with the city.
The proposed temporary site would sit on tribal land near the Interstate 80 and Highway 37 interchange.
In a statement seen by ReadWrite, the Tribal Council said the agreement advanced in a single meeting even after residents, tribal governments and other community voices asked for more time and fuller review. Yocha Dehe said the process left little room for meaningful public participation.
According to the tribe, more than 1,000 pages of meeting materials were posted late and continued changing until shortly before the session started. Yocha Dehe said that made it difficult for anyone to digest the documents, understand the terms or prepare informed comments before the vote.
“Tuesday night’s decision by the Vallejo City Council to move forward with a Memorandum of Understanding for Scotts Valley’s temporary gaming facility raises serious concerns about process, transparency, and public trust,” said the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation Tribal Council.
The tribe also accused city staff of giving elected officials and the public an incomplete picture of the project. It said staff failed to disclose that Scotts Valley’s broader casino proposal could soon face an adverse outcome in federal proceedings that are expected to conclude in the near future. Yocha Dehe added that its own letters outlining those concerns were not included in the public record.
Yocha Dehe questions timing and urgency of Vallejo casino after council approval
Yocha Dehe said city officials also created a false sense of urgency by suggesting the project might move ahead without city involvement. The tribe argued that permits needed for the temporary casino still require Vallejo approval, meaning the city had more negotiating power than it exercised.
“Scotts Valley is not pushing for this agreement because it wants to pay the City, it is doing so because it needs the City,” the Tribal Council said. “Unfortunately, the City handed away its rights without getting much in return.”
Critics of the deal, according to the statement, continue asking why Vallejo moved now instead of waiting for the federal review to finish. Yocha Dehe said city staff told the council and public that the temporary casino would not open for months, a timeline the tribe said overlaps with the expected federal decision.
“Proceeding at this stage to commit City resources just weeks before the federal decision is complete is irresponsible and shortsighted,” the statement said.
The dispute comes as multiple California tribes have publicly opposed the Vallejo casino plan and separate litigation seeks to block the larger project. Recent court action also ordered the U.S. Department of the Interior to reconsider earlier approvals tied to Scotts Valley’s proposed casino development, adding uncertainty around the long-term plan.
Yocha Dehe said many opponents still want to know why Vallejo acted immediately instead of waiting for the federal review to finish. The tribe noted city staff also said the temporary casino would not open for months, a timeline it says overlaps with the expected federal decision.
Despite the criticism, Yocha Dehe thanked residents, civic organizations and local allies who spoke during the debate. The tribe also praised Mayor Sorce, Councilmember Lediju and Councilmember Matias for what it called principled and candid evaluations of both the agreement and the approval process.
The statement said Yocha Dehe’s ties with Vallejo residents and community groups were built over decades through trust and partnership. Tribal leaders closed by reaffirming support for tribal self-determination and gaming on a tribe’s own ancestral lands, saying that principle reflects the will of California voters. They added that the nation’s commitment to Vallejo and its Patwin ancestral homelands remains unchanged, and that it intends to keep investing in the region’s wellbeing.
Featured image: Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians
The post Yocha Dehe slams Vallejo Council over rushed casino deal approval process appeared first on ReadWrite.
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
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