The Kalispel Tribe has to make direct payments to receive services because many of its properties are held in trust by the U.S. The contract also requires the tribe to give the county nearly $300,000 to cover outstanding payments from the past three years. Under the new agreement, the Kalispel tribe will pay Spokane County $150,000 a year for the next 20 years, primarily to offset costs to the county’s police and court systems.

The county has since shared a copy of the contract in response to a public records request. The Spokane County Commission approved the agreement June 6, although the terms weren’t disclosed at the time. Northern Quest, one of the tribe’s casinos, sits within the city limits. The settlement is significant in large part because it excludes any involvement from Airway Heights, which has historically played a greater role than the county in providing the tribe with services.

Spokane County and the Kalispel Tribe of Indians have reached a settlement that brings the county $296,000 in back payments and outlines how much the tribe will pay in the future for government services, such as law enforcement.

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