Clinton County Economic Partnership

On November 22, 2025,the Lock Haven Express published, an article which included incomplete and misleading statements attributed to the Clinton County Auditors regarding the Clinton County Economic Partnership (CCEP).Since that date, representatives of the CEEP have met on multiple occasions with the Clinton County Auditors with the expectation that the Clinton County Auditors would publicly correct their prior incomplete and misleading statements. Since this has not occurred, it is incumbent upon the CCEP to publicly correct the incomplete and misleading statements of the Clinton County Auditors.

The auditors expressed concerns about the relationship between the Clinton County Tourism Promotion Agency (“TPA”) and the CCEP which the auditors incorrectly stated to be two entities. This statement ignores the history of economic development in Clinton County. In 1991, the Industrial Development Corporation of Clinton County, the Clinton County Tourist Promotion Agency, and the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce agreed to the creation of an umbrella organization to deal with all aspects of economic development in Clinton County, including industrial development, tourism promotion, and traditional chamber of commerce functions.

On December 30, 1991, Articles of Amendment were filed with the Corporation Bureau of the Pennsylvania Department of State amending the name of the Industrial Development Corporation of Clinton County to Clinton County Economic Partnership. During a trial period to confirm that the new arrangement would operate successfully, the TPA and Chamber were committees of the CCEP. In 1995, the TPA and the Chamber became permanent committees of the CCEP and ceased to operate independently of the CCEP.

The transition of the TPA to be part of the CCEP was finalized March 18, 1995, when the Clinton County Commissioners upon receipt of a sufficient number of resolutions from Clinton County municipalities approving the CCEP as the County’s tourist promotion agency adopted a resolution designating the CCEP as the County’s tourist promotion agency. 

The state statute authorizing the hotel tax provides that a county can have only one designated tourist promotion agency. The CCEP has been the designated tourist promotion agency at all times since March 18, 1995. The status of the CCEP as the County’s designated tourist promotion agency was reaffirmed by a majority of the Clinton County Commissioners subsequent to the November 22, 2025 article in the Express.

Admittedly, confusion was created by disbursement of hotel taxes to the CCEP by checks payable to Clinton County Tourist Promotion Agency until this was corrected in 2024 by the County at the instruction of the County Solicitor.

In the article the auditors acknowledge that they had received a response from the CCEP. The CCEP provided the auditors with a comprehensive written response exceeding 30 pages that fully addressed every item cited in the audit. Each of the auditors acknowledged in affidavits signed December 5, 2025, that the CCEP responses were received on or about October 16, 2025. More than a month after receipt of the CCEP response, none of these responses were included or referenced by the auditors, resulting in a one-sided and inaccurate portrayal of the facts and giving the public the false impression that improper or inappropriate actions had occurred. 

Record-Keeping Allegations

The alleged record-keeping deficiencies referenced were minor clerical issues that were corrected in QuickBooks within minutes. These issues arose during the transition between bookkeepers and were promptly resolved. Safeguards have since been implemented to prevent recurrence. Characterizing these matters as substantive deficiencies is misleading.

Procedural Allegations

Claims of procedural irregularities were also fully addressed in documentation provided to the auditors. A former employee granted compensatory time to another employee who had worked in excess of forty (40) hours in a week.. The Fair Labor Standards Act requires private sector employers to pay overtime for hours worked in a week in excess of forty at the rate of time and a half. Only government agency employers can grant compensatory time instead of paying time and a half for overtime hours. This error was identified by the interim CEO and immediately corrected, with the employee being paid all wages to which she was entitled.

Regarding allegations of conflict of interest, the auditors disregarded both the facts and governing documents. When the CCEP bookkeeper resigned, the organization implemented a temporary solution to maintain financial operations. The CCEP bylaws provide that the organization shall be operated in accordance with the most recent revision of Roberts Rules of Order. The current revision of Roberts Rules provides at Section 45:4 that “No member should vote on a question in which he has a direct personal or pecuniary interest not common to other members of the organization.” The CCEP Chairman votes on motions only in the event of a tie vote and did not vote on retaining a business in which he has an ownership interest and fully disclosed his conflict of interest to the Operating Board of the CCEP before the board approved the arrangement. This temporary arrangement ended with the former bookkeeper returning after multiple unsuccessful attempts to secure bookkeeping services from other outside firms. The auditors did not request to review the CCEP bylaws or minutes of the meeting at which the temporary bookkeeping arrangement was approved.

Overhead and Reimbursement Claims

Assertions regarding increased overhead contributions from tourist promotion funds failed to provide the complete story.  The interim CEO of the CCEP identified that operating costs had risen substantially over time, while the reimbursement model had remained unchanged for years. Adjustments were made to adjust the contribution of tourist promotion funds to overhead expenses to be consistent with the CCEP’s actual current operating costs for tourist promotion, which exceed $100,000 annually. This was an overdue correction, not an escalation of spending.

In the affidavits signed by each auditor on December 5, 2025, each of the auditors admits that they have not issued a formal opinion, nor have they incorporated any of the information from the October 16, 2024 communication from the CCEP or their meetings with the County Commissioners into any report. Public distribution of an incomplete audit report is not sanctioned by the County Code and is unprecedented. Never before have auditors publicly disseminated an incomplete report.

Setting the Record Straight

The CCEP has served as the county’s officially recognized tourist promotion agency since 1995. For nearly three decades, the CCEP has advanced economic development, supported local businesses, attracted major employers, developed business parks, and promoted tourism throughout Clinton County.

The hotels operating in Clinton County exist as a direct result of economic development initiatives led by CCEP. Tourism promotion and economic development are not separate functions; they are inseparable. Without business growth, tourism cannot thrive.

CCEP remains committed to transparency, accountability, and its mission to serve the people and businesses of Clinton County. Inaccurate reporting based on incomplete information does a disservice to the public and undermines the work of those who have volunteered their time and expertise for decades.