CARNEGIE, Okla. — Kiowa citizens will be heading to the polls to vote on a refinancing proposal, but when that election will actually happen is anyone’s guess.

As part of Saturday’s Kiowa Indian Council meeting, Kiowa Casino Operations Authority chairman Robbie Aduddell presented a proposal that would allow the authority to refinance the tribe’s casino in Devol, Okla., near the Texas border. Currently $46 million in debt, at one time the 60,000 square foot building owed more than $84 million.

If approved, the KCOA would be allowed to negotiate and execute the necessary contracts to refinance the Kiowa Casino – Red River, which could lower its debt by about $5 million and reduce its interest rate. The contracts would also require the tribe and the KCOA to waive sovereign immunity with respect to loan.

“This would only apply to the loan on the casino,” Aduddell said. “We have already been working under a limited waiver. This would just spell it out.

“Under this deal, the only recourse the lender has is the assets of the casino.”

According to the tribe’s constitution, issues presented at the October Kiowa Indian Council, such as Aduddel’s, would go before voters on the first Saturday in November. However, a representative for the Kiowa Tribe could not confirm an election timeline for the issues presented Saturday due to a vacancy on the tribe’s election board.

In addition to the KCOA’s bid, the Kiowa Indian Council also heard a proposal to issue a second annual elder payment. Currently, tribal citizens 65 and older receive a check each December. If adopted, an additional check would be mailed in November.

In addition to the issues presented for the first time Saturday, another 20 issues that were presented at the October 2011 Kiowa Indian Council meeting have not yet gone before voters. Spanning a range of topics including recall elections, office terms and signatory authority on tribal checks, those 20 were re-read Saturday morning at the request of the meeting attendees.