The Seneca Nation is firing back at the mayor of Niagara Falls, New York, who threatened to eliminate fire protection services at the tribe's casino.

The tribe has withheld an estimated $400 million from the state in an ongoing dispute over exclusivity provisions in its Class III gaming compact. Niagara Falls has lost out on $60 million but the tribe says it's not to blame for the situation.

“If you have an issue with the nation, remove threats to public safety from your calculus and engage the nation on the respectful government-to-government level. And, to be clear, your issue is not with the nation,” President Robert Odawi Porter wrote in a letter to Mayor Paul Dyster, The Niagara Gazette reported.

Porter said the state could address the situation by paying Niagara Falls and other affected communities pending resolution of arbitration talks. He warned that payments could end altogether if the arbitration goes the tribe's way.

"The financial difficulty the city is experiencing could become more problematic for the city when taking into account the overtly hostile approach your recent comments reflect," Porter wrote in the letter, The Buffalo News reported.

Get the Story:
Seneca Nation "Not the Bad Guys" (WKBW 9/17)
Seneca president warns Niagara Falls it may never see casino payments (The Buffalo News 9/16)
Porter writes Dyster (The Niagara Gazette 9/14)

An Opinion:
Threat of Tax-Free Gas Station/Convenience Store Remains as Threat to Falls Businesses (The Niagara Falls Reporter 9/18)

Related Stories:
City threatens to stop fire protection at Seneca Nation casino (9/12)