Madison County has filed a court motion seeking to foreclose on nearly 100 properties owned by the Oneida Indian Nation.

The county wants a state Supreme Court judgment that the Oneidas have failed to pay 2.3 million dollars in property taxes. County attorney John Campanie calls it "an ordinary tax foreclosure hearing." Oneida nation spokesman Mark Emery declined comment, saying they were not aware of the proceedings.

The Oneidas have amassed about 17-thousand acres in Madison and Oneida counties, including the Turning Stone Casino. Municipal leaders say they got the green light to collect taxes last month when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the nation cannot claim sovereignty on land that's been outside its reservation for generations. The tribe since has applied to the federal government to hold all its lands in trust, which would make them permanently free from taxes and local laws. (Associated Press)

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Last updated on April 29, 2005