County considers liens against hotel tax scofflaws
LOCK HAVEN, PA – Clinton County has been collecting and distributing a state-allowed hotel tax since 2018, its proceeds used to fund tourism-related activities within the county. But according to word at the county commissioners’ meeting Thursday, two county businesses are delinquent in their payments.
Commissioner Angela Harding explained how the tax works: it’s paid by people staying at local hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts as part of their room fee; that money is then forwarded to the county and then to the Clinton County Tourist Promotion Agency to disseminate for activities designed to bring tourists to the county.
She said “a couple” have not submitted the money due for 18 months or more. The names of the malingers were not released.
Board chairman Miles Kessinger said the county is considering placing municipal liens on the delinquent businesses.
According to information provided to The Record by the commissioners’ office, the hotel tax has provided a significant amount of money for tourism purposes, the annual amount slowed due to the pandemic in 2020:
2018 $402,785
2019 $484,584
2020 $205.324 (COVID shut down year)
2021 $378,212
2022 $267,462 (year to date)
As explained by county chief clerk Jann Meyers, the county keeps four percent of those amounts for administrative costs and passes the rest on to the Tourist Promotion Agency. She said there are 30 some establishments in the county paying the tax.
