Openness, accountability, and honesty define government transparency. Transparency is government's obligation to share information with citizens. Transparency allows for good and just governance.
We are actively working on ways to provide citizens with more information about what is happening within the Catawba government. This is a work in progress, and we will continue to push for improvement in having open governmental processes.
Many of the transparency projects take time to implement, but we understand how important they are.
Below is a list of transparency improvements that have been implemented or partially implemented:
- One Executive Committee meeting per month open to citizens;
- Individual vote of each Executive Committee member recorded in minutes and on resolutions;
- Government audit available online and financial update in each General Council meeting;
- Citizen portal for viewing governmental information available (minutes and resolutions still being added to the site).
We will continue to push towards the open, honest, and accountable government that Catawba citizens deserve. We are actively working on many additional transparency projects.
Transparency Ordinance
The Transparency Ordinance documents and solidifies the requirements to ensure transparency in the business conducting by the Executive Committee on behalf of the Catawba Nation.
A copy of this ordinance can be viewed here.
Documentation Request forms can be found here.
Government Operations
The overarching goal of the Catawba government is to provide high quality programs and services to our citizens. We keep this goal in mind with every decision we make. This goal guided the creation of our Strategic Plan. We use this plan as a guide
when making decisions about new programs to pursue, relationship to build, daily program operations, and really anything that comes our way.
Each year, during annual reviews, each Division of the tribe sits down as a Team and sets goals for the year to help them accomplish their long-term objectives outlined in the Strategic Plan. Then, each individual employee, creates goals for themselves that help their Team reach their
goals and that develop and stretch them as employees. We are striving for continual improvement. It is also rewarding when we are able to reflect on the goals from the previous year and see that has been accomplished.
Strategic Plan
The 2019-2025 Strategic Plan of the Catawba Nation is a management tool to help focus the Nation’s human and financial resources on the Tribe’s general goals and specific objectives. It also provides the means to assess and adjust the Nation’s direction in response to our changing
socioeconomic environment. It also helps in making fundamental decisions that guide actions for the Catawba Nation is today while positioning our government for maximum future relevance and service.
More information on the Strategic plan can be found on the Our Mission page.
Annual Reports
This yearly report, which is published as the January edition of the Catawba Post, outlines the achievements of the Catawba Nation over the previous year. The report harkens back to our vision, mission, guiding principles, and yearly goals which are found in the Strategic Plan. We include articles highlighting the progress that the departments of the tribe have made, and we provide a high-level overview of the funding the Nation receives to run our programs and services. We are proud to share this report with our citizens each year.
- 2021 Anuual Report issue of The Catawba Post
- 2020 Anuual Report issue of The Catawba Post
- 2019 Anuual Report issue of The Catawba Post
Finances
The Administrative Services Team consists of Accounting, Finance, Grants Management, and Purchasing departments. All of these departments work together to protect the assets of the tribe. Protection is
accomplished through accountability to the Executive Committee, funding agencies, Division Directors, and ultimately to Catawba citizens.
Each January the yearly budget for the tribe is presented in General Council. The budgeting process takes several months with each Director preparing budgets for review. Those budgets are reviewed by the CFO, Tribal Administrator, and then
adopted by the Executive Committee before the new year starts. The January report also discloses the results of the previous year’s audit.
Each July the preliminary audit report is shared detailed actually governmental spending from the previous year as well as other reports that have been submitted to the audit firm for review.
Administrative Services provides high-quality supportive services to all the programs that the tribe runs. They are the center of the organization in many ways, and they are proud of the excellence that they provide to the Catawba Nation.
Audits
The Catawba Nation completes yearly audits of all tribal resources. Tribes who receive federal funds are required to submit a detailed audit report for each year of operations. The report is due by September 30th
of the following fiscal year. In addition, tribes undergo a rigorous form of additional oversight called a Single Audit. In the Single Audit, the auditing firm chooses several grant programs each year to perform compliance testing on to ensure
that the implementation of the program is in line with the federal regulations for the program.
Audits are extremely important. They demonstrate the Catawba Nation’s fiduciary duty to our citizens, assess our financial condition, and compliance with tribal ordinances and grantor regulations.
Contact Information
For questions, or to make an appointement with a member of the Catawba Nation Executive Committee, please contact:
Ashley Sexton, Governmental Affairs Manager
996 Avenue of the Nations
Rock Hill, SC 29730
Phone: (803) 366-4792
ashley.sexton@catawba.com