Dauphin County commissioners meeting
The Dauphin County commissioners has moved to table its annual award of gaming grant recipients, which were up for approval on Wednesday.
While Commissioner Mike Pries moved to approve $11.1 million for 159 gaming grants, as recommended by the Gaming Advisory Board, fellow commissioners George Hartwick and Justin Douglas declined to second. The commissioners then tabled the vote.
Gaming grants distribute millions of dollars taken from gaming revenue from the Hollywood Casino at Penn National.
Of the $11.1 million worth of projects presented by the board Wednesday, only $10.8 million would be covered by restricted gaming funds, leaving a funding gap of $266,000 for which the Gaming Board asked commissioners to use unrestricted gaming funds.
Restricted gaming funds are specifically earmarked for Dauphin County nonprofits, municipalities and businesses to use for specific projects following an application and approval process.
“We should not be approving spending that exceeds what is available,” Hartwick expressed to the Gaming Board’s solicitor, LaToya Winfield Bellamy.
Hartwick said doing so would have “real financial consequences to taxpayers.” According to the Dauphin County Commissioner, these unrestricted funds make up a “significant portion of our fund balance.”
“Every dollar we spend from that pool directly impacts our financial stability and our ability to avoid future tax increases,” Hartwick said.
Gaming Board Solicitor LaToya Winfield Bellamy presents to the commissioners
Commission Chair Justin Douglas said he planned to abstain from voting on gaming grant allocations due to concerns about the program—dealing with both how grant recipients are selected and how grant dollars are ultimately spent.
“It has become increasingly clear that the system has significant shortcomings, including instances where award funds have been misused,” Douglas said.
The commissioner asked for more oversight structures to be implemented in the program, saying the county does not have a proper auditing process to ensure grant funds are used for what they’ve been awarded for.
“I cannot, in good conscience, continue to support this program in its current form,” he said.
Douglas noted that the organizations applying to receive these grants are doing important work and would benefit from a more transparent grant process.
The Gaming Advisory Board is appointed by the Dauphin County Commissioners. The board makes recommendations for grant awards.
Pries, a commissioner since 2010, said at the meeting that he doesn’t recall the board of commissioners questioning the Gaming Advisory Board in years past.
“I do know this was the first year that I, as one commissioner, was not asked to meet with anyone and give my input in advance, but that’s the job of the Gaming Advisory Board,” he said. “That’s what we selected them to do. That’s what we appointed them to do.”
In 2025, all new members were appointed to the gaming advisory board. They served through the 2025-26 grant cycle, reviewing applications, hearing presentations, and ultimately developing recommendations.
A full list of proposed gaming grant awardees can be found on the Dauphin County Commissioners’ Wednesday meeting agenda.
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