The ongoing feud between Harford County's tourism group and the county executive has escalated into a legal battle, as Visit Harford! has filed a lawsuit against Robert Cassilly’s administration. The suit, submitted to the Harford County Circuit Court, alleges breach of contract and tortious interference, claiming the administration failed to provide the remaining $215,000 of a promised $645,000, as reported by Maryland Matters.
According to a press release from Visit Harford! referenced by WMAR-2 News, the situation is causing harm to local businesses and economic setbacks in the community. The organization also claims in its lawsuit that a $50,000 state tourism grant was redirected by the county, impacting its operations further. The tourism group’s funding is typically sourced from a hotel occupancy tax rather than directly from county taxpayers.
In response to the lawsuit, a county spokesman expressed disappointment, stating that there were ongoing discussions aimed at resolving the dispute. The Cassilly administration has cited concerns regarding the transparency and efficiency of Visit Harford! as reasons for their funding decisions, pivoting towards a model they consider more transparent and modeled after other Maryland jurisdictions, such as Baltimore County.
Visit Harford! has been managing the county's tourism since 2015 when the then-County Executive Barry Glassman made the decision to outsource the function to the nonprofit, a move reported at the time to save the county money. The contention between the county executive and Visit Harford! peaked when Cassilly vetoed a bill that would allow the organization to receive a portion of hotel tax revenue, a decision he claims was intended to provide effective oversight over government spending. Harford County Council Member Aaron Penman (R), who has clashed with Cassilly before, said that the county executive’s actions in regard to Visit Harford! “violated County Code and breached contractual obligations," according to a statement Maryland Matters reported.
The bitter dispute has added to the growing list of public disagreements featuring County Executive Cassilly, with Harford County State’s Attorney Alison Healey threatening legal action in the past year and Sheriff Jeff Gahler criticizing Cassilly over a deputy-involved shooting settlement. Additionally, councilman Aaron Penman has had multiple run-ins with the county executive over various issues including ethics accusations and the county's budget approvals.
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