
Greetings:
During this challenging time when we at the City of Tulsa must
reduce our budget, we have found a way to save the Early Settlement
program, which has been housed in the City of Tulsa Municipal
Court. The City of Tulsa has formed a partnership with state and
county governments, and private contributions also will help
support this program that has helped so many people.
Established since 1982, Early Settlement provides dispute
resolution services to individuals through trained, volunteer
mediators certified by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. With sessions
usually lasting about an hour and requiring only a minimal $5 fee,
Early Settlement mediation allows citizens to avoid the time and
cost of litigation. In more than 80 percent of cases, both parties
reach a lasting, mutually acceptable solution.
In order to save the Early Settlement Program from proposed
budget cuts for Fiscal Year 2010, I immediately convened a Mayor's
Emergency Task Force to analyze current and long-term funding
options for the program. The program's immediate funding need of
approximately $120,000 was needed in order to continue for the next
fiscal year. That money now has been committed through public and
private contributions, with the state, city and county sharing
equally and additional private contributions closing the remaining
gap.
A team comprising of Judge Jane Wiseman, Judge Rebecca
Nightingale, Judge Linda Morrissey, Tulsa County Commissioner Karen
Keith, Terry Simonson of Tulsa County, private attorneys Truman
Rucker and Ned Dismukes, and a member of the Mayor's Management
team was formed, and meetings were held weekly to address the
funding issues.
As a result of the work of the Mayor's Task Force, the State of
Oklahoma (through the Supreme Court) committed to continue making a
contribution to the program of $30,000. The City of Tulsa
agreed to match that amount, and Tulsa County followed with a
$30,000 matching contribution. The remaining $30,000 has been
committed by private organizations, individuals and non-profits
through a special fund set up with the help of the Tulsa County Bar
Foundation.The Task Force will continue to meet in the months ahead
to address the issue of long term funding.
Preserving the Early Settlement program is an important example
of what we in Tulsa, Tulsa County and Oklahoma can do when we work
together to find creative solutions even with leaner budgets. It's
a privilege to be your Mayor in our top-rated livable city.
Sincerely,
Kathy Taylor
Mayor