AMARILLO, TEXAS -- The Amarillo Dillas baseball team owes Potter County $100,000 in rent for their lease of Potter County Memorial Stadium, also known as the Dilla Villa.
This situation raised the question, are other entities that rent stadiums to United League Baseball teams facing similar issues? Calls were put into all the owners of those stadiums this week. Three of the four that we spoke with said getting payments could be a struggle.
Another call was made to the league. It took a few days to finally speak with the league. But, we were able to finally speak with John Bryant, the CEO of the league's parent company that owns all or parts of all six teams. Bryant said it is pretty much the standard operating procedure at the end of the season to take care of any outstanding balances. He went on to say the situation here in Amarillo is unique because the league owes the entire amount. Bryant said the payments will be made by the deadlines outlined by the Potter County Commission, and that the Dillas are "eternal and will be back next year." That payment plan set by the Potter County Commission, requires that $25,000 be received by Friday the 17th, another $25,000 the following Friday, and $50,000 by September 30th.
Back in August, the league was behind in its rent for May through July due to some kind of misunderstanding. At that time, Dillas' General Manager Mark Lee, said the county forgot to send a signed lease agreement for use of the Dilla Villa, and in turn the Dillas weren't sure what to do with the rent money. It was at the August 2, county commissioners meeting when the Dillas told the county they would pay the $75,000 they owed by August 21, which would have paid for months May through July. But because the payment for August was also late the league now owes $100,000 in rent.
On Monday, September 13, the Potter County Commissioners decided in a 3 to 1 vote to give the league until the end of the month to pay the $100,000 owed or else it would void its lease, and bidding for the Dilla Villa would be open. The league said it had put off making lease payments because it got a copy of the lease agreement late.
