Big Splash Owner On Water Park Controversy

The owner of Big Splash says a recent controversy over the water park is being blown out of proportion. Loretta Murphy talked to The News On 6 on Monday about why she hasn't paid last year's rent as county leaders are beginning their own search for answers.

"We have not been here for 25 years, providing good family entertainment, by not paying our bills," said Loretta Murphy, Big Splash Owner.

Loretta Murphy is before our News On 6 camera again after county commissioners discovered Big Splash had not paid rent for 2007, a total of more than $130,000.

"I just want to get to the bottom of it and find what the situation is," said John Smaligo, Tulsa County Commissioner.

Murphy says there are two reasons why the rent is past due. She says she was waiting on a sponsorship deal from Coca-Cola to be finalized and is still struggling after her parking lot at the fairgrounds was torn up during last year's construction. She says the construction cost Big Splash more than $300,000 last summer.

"I think we were hoping that the fairgrounds would have a little mercy on our situation with all of the additional costs that we incurred by having the parking lot tore up," said Murphy.

Murphy says she first talked with Expo Square CEO Rick Bjorklund last October about the rent. Bjorklund does not have the authority to grant an extension and reports to the county commissioners. But, Commissioners John Smaligo or Randi Miller say they were never told about the unpaid rent.

The commission also gets a financial report on Big Splash once a month and Randi Miller says she never saw anything in the reports between last October and this month indicating Big Splash had not paid its rent.

"If there's financial issues with tenants that's something that we the board are responsible for. The CEO does not have that responsibility because ultimately we have to answer to the citizens," said Randi Miller, Tulsa County Commissioner.

In addition to the unpaid $130,000, the Expo Square accounting office had a check from Big Splash for $68,000 dating from 2006 that it had not cashed. Murphy tells The News On 6 she never asked Expo Square to hold the check and says Big Splash could not have stayed in business for 25 years without being a good partner to Tulsa County.

The $68,000 check has been taken to the bank and is in the process of being deposited. The Fair Board is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to officially begin its investigation.
Meanwhile, Commissioner John Smaligo has returned a $5,000 check to the Murphy's, who gave it as a contribution to his campaign.