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Romanelli remains ogema as removal effort fails to secure enough votes,

December 23, 2024

Romanelli remains ogema as removal effort fails to secure enough votes

Romanelli: In my mind, it was basically a political hit job.

By Scott Fraley, Dec 20, 2024
https://www.manisteenews.com/news/article/little-river-ogema-survives-removal-vote-19990316.php


Ogema Larry Romanelli of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, will remain in office after a tribal
council vote failed to secure enough support for his removal.

The council convened on Dec. 16 to address allegations against Romanelli that included gross
misconduct, malfeasance, failure to fulfill constitutional duties and failure to provide required
financial reports.

The removal proceedings were initiated on Dec. 4, stemming from concerns over the delayed
submission of the 2023 Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Single Audit to the United States
Department of the Interior — a constitutional requirement for the tribal government.

The motion to remove him required a minimum of seven affirmative votes from the nine-member
council but received only six, with three council members voting against the measure, according to a
news release from the tribal council. As the resolution did not meet this threshold, Romanelli retains
his position.

The council presented its case during a hearing held at the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians
Government Center Lodge and via Zoom for tribal members.

"Witnesses provided testimony detailing the implications of the alleged failures, including the
potential for financial sanctions and the erosion of trust in the tribe's administrative processes," the
press release stated.

In an interview following the vote, Romanelli expressed frustration over the nature of the charges and
Little River ogema survives removal vote https://www.manisteenews.com/news/article/little-river-ogema-survive...
the portrayal of the situation.

"My frustration was that the charges looked not so very good, and it had to do with filing late audit
reports," Romanelli said.

"It was a rough year for a number of reasons. Our accounting department lost four or five employees
all within a few months," he said. "The department has only got a 12-person staff, so when you lose
those five employees, it gets really rough."

He also pointed to additional responsibilities placed on the accounting department which he said
compounded the delays.

"The tribal council put out a general welfare check to all our tribal citizens, and that further jammed
up our accounting department, and they knew it," Romanelli said. "I warned them that if you do this,
our accounting department is already understaffed."

Despite the delays, Romanelli noted that the tribe is actively working to complete the audit and
submit it to the Department of the Interior by the required deadline.

"We have until, I believe it's Jan. 28 to file," he said. "We believe we'll either have it by the end of the
year, and probably at the latest mid-January."

Beyond the procedural issues, Romanelli voiced deeper concerns about the motivations behind the
attempt to remove him, suggesting that internal politics and alleged prejudices may have played a
role.

"In my mind, it was basically a political hit job," Romanelli said. "Unfortunately, there's some issues
within our tribe among elected officials that are very concerning."

While he did not name individuals, Romanelli mentioned that he had raised these matters with tribal
leadership.

When approached for comment on the matter, tribal council speaker Tammy Burmeister declined to
provide a statement on behalf of the council. Burmeister was among the council members who voted
in favor of removing Romanelli from office.

Romanelli, who has served as ogema for 18 years and is currently in his fifth term, noted that he does
not plan to seek re-election in 2026, due to his age and a belief in the importance of new leadership.

"I'm 73-years-old and I've been serving for 18 years now," he said. "I probably won't (run again)
because of my age, and because sometimes you do need new blood in here."
He expressed a desire to address internal issues within the tribe before the end of his term.

"When I resign or when I give up my seat, I want to know that my tribe is in the best shape it can be,"
Romanelli said. "I want to clean up the ills within this tribe before I leave. I want to leave and know
that it's operating properly like a government should, that we don't have these negative vibes going
on."

The tribal council acknowledged the outcome and emphasized the importance of addressing the
concerns raised during the proceedings.

In their press release, they stated: "Although the concerns raised during the proceedings highlighted
key issues within the tribe's administration, the constitutional process ultimately upheld the ogema's
continuation in office. Moving forward, ogema Romanelli is tasked with addressing the matters
brought to light during this process and reaffirming his commitment to the tribe's welfare."