— Muskogee County Commissioners on Tuesday agreed to clear Creek Nation property from county tax rolls, opening the door for federal impact aid to Oktaha Schools.

However, McIntosh County Commissioners are waiting for the Creek Nation to redraft its proposal before making a similar agreement, affecting their schools.

The Muscogee Creek Nation had asked commissioners in counties within its jurisdiction to approve resolutions to remove some of its housing property from tax rolls. At least three area school districts, Oktaha, Checotah and Eufaula, were hoping their commissioners would allow the property to be removed so they could qualify for the federal impact aid. The federal government pays impact aid to make up for certain properties removed from tax rolls.

The Creek Nation had dissolved its housing program through the state of Oklahoma several years ago, thus putting its housing on tax rolls. However, efforts to re-establish a housing authority met a state constitutional challenge. Earlier this year, the Oklahoma Legislature passed a law allowing any Native American tribe to assume management of their property and providing for continuation of the exemption.

At their regular meeting Monday, Muskogee County Commissioners approved a Creek Nation resolution authorizing removal.

“I don’t know where the confusion exists,” Commissioner Gene Wallace said.

He said if anyone wants to challenge the resolution they can.

McIntosh County Commission Chairman Tim Pendley said the McIntosh commissioners had consulted with the assistant district attorney and asked the Creek Nation to pass a new resolution pursuant to the enabling legislation passed earlier this year.

Oktaha School Superintendent Jerry Needham said the counties and the Creek Nation “are on the right track to resolving the issue.”

Needham said earlier that removing the Creek property could impact $80,000 in federal impact aid.

Needham said he attended the McIntosh meeting as a representative of the National Council of Impacted Schools, an agency for schools receiving the aid.

Checotah School Superintendent Mark Calavan said Checotah would get about $54,000 in impact aid for 2011.

Eufaula would get $400,000 in impact aid because so much of the district is under the waters of Lake Eufaula, School Superintendent Dan Edwards said.

Reach Cathy Spaulding at 684-2928 or cspaulding@muskogeephoenix.com.