Mayor blames budget shortfalls on Yakama Nation

The mayor of Toppenish, Washington, apologized for blaming the city's budget shortfalls on the tax-free status of the Yakama Nation.

Bill Rogers was complaining to KIMA-TV about the station's coverage of crime in the city. "The Indians don't pay taxes, which affects our revenue to fight the crime," he said on Tuesday.

On Thursday, he apologized in public and plans to apologize in person to the Yakama Nation council today. He noted that tribal members do pay most state and local taxes, with the exception of sales taxes for goods purchased on the reservation.

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Toppenish mayor apologizes for tribe, tax comments (The Yakima Herald-Republic 3/22)