Washington County Commissioners met Tuesday morning to consider a motion that would redirect the county’s 5% hotel‑tax revenue away from the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency and into a special fund. Chairman Nick Sherman led the effort, arguing the agency has not provided sufficient financial documentation.

Background of the dispute

Sherman’s request marks the second time in the past 16 months that he has threatened to withhold the agency’s funding. The dispute stems from an open‑records request filed last year, which the state Office of Open Records denied because the tourism agency is not a government entity. A subsequent appeal to the Washington County Court of Common Pleas was also rejected, and the county is now pursuing another appeal to the Commonwealth Court.

Commissioner Larry Maggi warned that redirecting the hotel‑tax money could cost the county additional legal fees if the issue ends up in court. “We just can’t do that,” Maggi said, noting the county has lost similar cases before.

Commissioners’ positions

During the workshop meeting, Sherman said, “Washington County no longer allows people to have a blank check to walk around and spend taxpayer dollars with no oversight. We, as the elected leaders, are only asking for transparency.” He added that he and Commissioner‑Elect Electra Janis sent a letter to agency head Jeff Kotula on Sept. 10 listing the additional records they want.

Commissioner‑Elect Electra Janis, who joined the meeting by telephone from a conference in Washington, D.C., indicated she would support the motion. “Yes, I plan to be,” Janis responded when asked if she would vote in favor.

Agency director Jeff Kotula countered that the tourism agency has already provided a “high‑quality, clean audit conducted by an independent, certified public accounting firm” in March. He emphasized that under state law, commissioners cannot dictate audit standards or withhold funds unless the agency fails to submit its required report within 90 days of the fiscal year’s end. “The commissioners can only withhold funds if we do not submit a report within 90 days of the end of our fiscal year,” Kotula said.

Proposed funding changes

In December, commissioners floated a plan to split the hotel‑tax revenue: 75% would go to a joint fund requiring agreement on spending, 20% to the tourism agency, and 5% to the county treasurer as an administrative fee. The proposal stalled over concerns about its legality.

County solicitor Gary Sweat clarified that the current discussion differs from the open‑records case because the Fourth Class County Code requires the tourism agency to provide financial records through its annual audit, not through a broader records request.

Next steps

The commissioners will vote on the motion Thursday at 10 a.m. in the public meeting room on the ground floor of the Crossroads Center building at 95 W. Beau St. in Washington. The outcome will determine whether the agency receives its usual allocation of hotel‑tax revenue or if the funds are placed in a special account pending further review.

Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.