Rebate from Mohawk Online funds

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) has announced a one-time rebate for the annual $59 water fee, which is in part due to funds “repatriated” as a result of Mohawk Online’s partnership with Entain coming to an end last year.

“We’re trying to give financial relief to our community members, and this is a very small gesture but it’s something, after all,” said MCK chief Ryan Montour.

An MCK press release from Monday morning quoted MCK grand chief Cody Diabo as saying that the rebate is “thanks to income that was generated through the sale of Mohawk Online,” though Montour clarified that Mohawk Online was not in fact sold when it ended its partnership with Entain.

“It definitely wasn’t sold, it was probably an overlook on his part,” said Montour of the comments in the press release.

Diabo was on vacation this week and was therefore unavailable to provide further clarification concerning his comments about Mohawk Online.

Montour explained that when the partnership between Mohawk Online and Entain ended last year, money from its operational reserves was returned to the MCK.

“We took all that money back when the partnership ended. It’s like generated revenues that were slated to be used for operations, and since there’s no more operations now, we can repatriate it back,” Montour said.

The existing water fee usually totals around $140,000, which goes towards maintaining the water and sewer network. The one-time rebate will mean community members in good standing will not have to pay the fee for this year.

“When the partnership ended and that money was returned, we said ‘Let’s do something for the community members,’” Montour said. “It was an easy decision.”

MCK chief Paul Rice said that the Council table felt it was a good time to offer the rebate to community members.

“The table discussed doing this one-year subsidy especially given the current economic circumstances with inflation, and more recently tariffs that are probably going to increase the cost of everything,” Rice said.

“It’s something that touches the majority of, if not all, community members.”

Discussion of offering a rebate has been discussed for some time at the Council table, said MCK chief Arnold Boyer.

“I brought it up last term on Council that maybe we should start not charging our elders and take them off the billing cycle,” he said.

“At the start of this term it came up again that we should help our elders in which ways possible.”

The rebate is still being finalized, but would be applied to all community members whose accounts are in good standing before the March 31 deadline. For community members who have already paid the water fee, the subsidy would be given as a credit for the next year.

Montour noted that this subsidy is a one-time rebate due to the unique circumstances, and not an annual change.

“We’re all aware of the financial hardships our community members are facing,” he said.

More details about the subsidy will be made available in the coming weeks, MCK Public Relations noted.

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