The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe no longer plans to build a casino in Middleboro, Massachusetts, but town leaders are still expecting a $250,000 annual payment.
The tribe was making the payments under an agreement approved by town voters in 2007. But this year's payment hasn't been made and apparently won't be made because the tribe has decided to build a casino elsewhere. “Said payment should have been received by the town for the start of the fiscal year on July 1,” town leaders said in a letter to the Interior Department, The Brockton Enterprise reported. “A contract does not just end because you say the contract is done,” town selectwoman Murial Duphily told WBUR. “There has to be some kind of settlement payment. So until that is done, the contract is in force. So they owe the yearly payment.” The agreement doesn't appear to have ever been sent to DOI for approval. Get the Story: