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TAHLEQUAH, OK - For the fourth straight year, the Cherokee Nation has a budget in place before October 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year. In a re-convened session of their September meeting, the tribal council approved the budget for fiscal year 2003 by a vote of ten to three.

"This budget took a lot of hard work from everybody", said Council member Barbara Starr-Scott. “It was important to get this done before the new fiscal year started."

The on-time budgets for each of the past four years are noteworthy, considering the Cherokee Nation did not have an approved operating budget for several years in the mid-to-late 90s.

"It’s become standard procedure to get our budgets done on time", said Principal Chief Chad Smith. "We work together to allocate our resources wisely and then spend within our means. It’s just good government."

"This budget isn’t perfect", said Starr-Scott, co-chair of the Council’s Executive and Finance Committee. "I’ll probably never see a budget that I support 100 %. But I do know that it is time to move forward for the good of the Cherokee people and this budget is a good one."