City council hears from mediation center advocates

It looks like just an ordinary building on Charles Page Boulevard, but inside are the extraordinary legal services provided by the Early Settlement Center for Mediation .

"We settle lawsuits and try to help people prevent lawsuits through mediation and settlement conferences," said Director LeiLani Armstrong.

They've been doing it for over 40 years. Powered by a small army of volunteer mediators their services are free of charge. What kinds of cases do they handle?

"Real estate, we mediate neighborhood disputes, landlord/tenant issues, consumer merchant issues, family and divorce issues, we really run just about anything you can think of," she said.

They're funded through the state, the county and the city of Tulsa. Last year the center mediated nearly 1,200 cases, saving litigants an estimated $12 million in legal fees and court costs.

"We feel like we’re probably one of the most cost effective elements of government," said Armstrong.

And yet, this year the city is looking to eliminate the $48,000 they contribute to the program, saying in part, "Broadly, this adjustment is part of a strategic effort to prioritize essential services that directly impact the majority of Tulsa residents, and when funding adjustments are proposed, they only target the services that affect the least amount of people or cause the least amount of disruption."

"If you think that this program does not serve the city of Tulsa, I would beg to differ," said Judge Jane Wiseman, one of several folks who attended the city council meeting to express the disruption that would be felt by Tulsans.

"We do hundreds of cases every year affecting Tulsans at no cost," said Dr. Norman Simon.

"We were certainly surprised that this was cut from the city of Tulsa budget," said Judge Wiseman.

"I think what happened is somebody in the municipal court said, 'We don’t use it so we don’t need it.' And I would say to that person, 'It’s not here for you, it’s here for your constituents,'" said Terry Simonson.

The pitch to save the funding for the settlement center, with councilors planning to talk about it.

"We are hoping that the council will realize that this is a tremendous service for the taxpayers and residents of Tulsa," said Armstrong.

Full statement from the city of Tulsa;

Tulsa Municipal Court has only been able to utilize the Early Settlement Mediation Program 1-3 times per year. Currently, the City of Tulsa is the only municipality in the county that contributes to the funding of the program with an annual cost of nearly $50,000. Given its low usage rate within our municipal court system and the imperative to optimize budgetary expenditures based on the financial situation of the City, the decision surrounding funding for the program in the FY26 proposed budget was made. Discussions regarding funding for the program continue and will be discussed this week.

Broadly, this adjustment is part of a strategic effort to prioritize essential services that directly impact the majority of Tulsa residents, and when funding adjustments are proposed, they only target the services that affect the least amount of people or cause the least amount of disruption.