By Janna Clark, FOX23 News
TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa County says Tulsa Little League owes more than $100,000 in unpaid utility bills and interest. The nonprofit says it was never billed and that its utilities are paid in full.
The dispute is playing out in court, where the Board of County Commissioners sued Tulsa Little League Baseball in March. The league filed a countersuit in July.
The county’s lawsuit says that over a 10-year period, the league failed to pay more than $45,000 for electricity and more than $14,000 for water and sewer. It also seeks more than $53,000 in interest, bringing the total claim to more than $113,000.
The fields near 61st Street and Yale Avenue are owned by Tulsa County and operated by Tulsa Little League under a 15-year agreement. The contract allows the league to use the fields for $10 a year, but says the tenant must pay charges for water, sewer and electricity.
Tulsa County Commissioner Kelly Dunkerley said the county believes the league has not met its obligations under the agreement.
“We’ve looked at the contract very closely, and over the course of several years, they haven’t lived up to their end of the contract,” Dunkerley told FOX23. He said the county sought legal action after it could not resolve the issue directly with the league.
Tulsa Little League disputes the county’s claims. In an email to FOX23, the organization said it “did not receive any communication from Tulsa County Commissioners prior to the surprise demand” and said its utilities “have always been and currently are paid in full.”
In its court filing, the league argues it is not liable for water or electricity expenses because it was never billed. It blames what it calls the county’s negligence in managing its records and describes the demand as a six-figure bill received 11 years late.
Dunkerley said changes in county leadership and difficult-to-research records contributed to the delay in identifying the charges. He said the county spent considerable time reviewing records before filing suit.
The county’s lawsuit seeks payment and says the lease could be terminated if the league does not pay. The county also seeks to have the league vacate the fields. In its countersuit, Tulsa Little League says it has not breached the lease and that the county is not entitled to terminate it. The league says it is entitled to continue using the fields.
The countersuit calls the claimed debt “contrived” and alleges that certain individuals seek to profit from canceling the lease. The league has requested a jury trial.
The utility dispute is not the only concern former league board members have raised about the organization’s finances. Several former board members told FOX23 they left over concerns about how money was being handled. Valecia Grube, a former board member who agreed to speak on camera, said financial reports raised questions for her about where funds were going. She said she and others did not receive clear answers.
The next hearing in the lawsuit is scheduled for Nov. 19 in Tulsa County District Court.
