Treasurer Finalizes Budget Ahead of Budget Vote
A letter from Fenton N. Soliz, Treasurer & CFO, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
Dear Tribal Members,
Thank you to everyone who participated in our January and February Membership Meetings and asked direct, important questions. I heard you clearly—especially concerns about the size of the FY26 budget, what changed between versions, and how items like grants and indirect costs work.
This letter is meant to stand on its own and give you the answers in plain language, based on the final budget.
The biggest question: “How did we go from about $19M to over $40M?”
In FY25, the total budget was approximately $19.1M. The FY26 final consolidated budget is approximately $43.1M—an increase of roughly $24M.
That increase is not because our day-to-day Tribal government operations suddenly doubled. The largest driver is federal funding awarded for specific programs and projects. In the FY26 budget, federal revenue is approximately $33.7M. These are restricted dollars that must be spent on the specific purposes they were awarded for, with required reporting and accountability.
One example of what’s included in the FY26 budget is major project funding—including a single construction-related project that exceeds $10M (the childcare facility construction). This is why the top-line number is so much larger: the budget reflects the full scope of program activity we are now managing and delivering.
What changed after the February meeting
After the February Membership Meeting, three things needed to be communicated clearly:
The Gaming Commission budget was removed from the governmental budget packet.
This change was made because the Gaming Commission is a gaming function, and this budget vote is focused on the consolidated government budget. This helps make the government budget clearer and easier to track.A formula error on a January summary page was corrected.
One summary page presented earlier in the process had a calculation error affecting the total shown for federal spending. Importantly: the February 8 presentation reflected the corrected approach, and the final budget reflects the corrected totals.We put the “why” in writing, not just in the room.
Many of the questions raised in January were answered verbally at the February meeting. This final version is about making sure the answers are also clearly documented—so members reviewing later are not missing key context.
What IDC is—and why it matters
You also asked about IDC (Indirect Costs). IDC is how grants help cover the Tribe’s shared operating costs that support programs but aren’t tied to a single grant line item—things like IT, HR, accounting, audit, shared facilities, security, utilities, and administration.
In simple terms: IDC is the grant-funded share of the Tribe’s overhead, so program growth doesn’t automatically fall entirely on unrestricted Tribal dollars.
What I want you to know about cost control and savings
A responsible budget isn’t just about revenue—it’s about discipline. This FY26 budget reflects real efforts to control spending and reduce reliance on high-cost areas while protecting services:
Travel reduced by two-thirds (from $148,000 to $49,000)
Accounting consultants reduced by 55% (from $435,000 to $200,000)
HR consultant strategy to reduce ongoing cost (consultant to replace an FTE at $100,000) and implement a payroll system, including payroll service ($75,000)
Workforce commitments: the FY25 budget included a 3% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), and the FY26 budget includes an additional 1% COLA, along with a $25/hour Tribal minimum wage
Why I’m recommending approval
This budget represents a careful, consolidated plan—the first consolidated government budget since 2017—and it reflects what you asked for: clearer presentation, cleaner separation of items, corrected totals, and a stronger focus on accountability.
I take the responsibility of Treasurer seriously. My commitment is to keep listening, keep improving our reporting, and ensure our finances are communicated in a way members can understand and trust.
Sincerely,
Fenton N. Soliz
Treasurer & CFO, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
Visit the Member Portal to dig deeper with the following documents:
FY25–FY26 Budget Packet
FY25-26 Budget Summary
Membership Memo
