Commissioners apologize to chamber

Organization has been reporting how it spends taxpayer dollars

Last month, the Berks County commissioners publicly complained about a lack of transparency by the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance on how they were spending taxpayer dollars.

On Thursday, the commissioners apologized.

It turns out the chamber was being transparent after all. Only no one informed the commissioners.

As part of a Dec. 16 discussion about the county budget, Commissioner Kevin Barnhardt issued an objection to a $500,000 allocation to the chamber.

He said that in the spring he had reached out to the chamber asking for an explanation of how they spend the county’s annual contribution, looking for details on how the money was impacting economic development.

Barnhardt said he hadn’t yet received any substantial response and urged his colleagues to hit pause on future allotments to the chamber.

Also at that meeting, Chairman Christian Leinbach shared with the board that he had sent an email to Greater Reading Chamber Alliance President Jim Gerlach asking that he present the commissioners in the coming months with a report on how the 2021 contribution was spent.

Leinbach also stressed that, for the first time, the county required the chamber to sign a contract for 2022 that specifically outlines the work they are supposed to be doing.

“I believe we have a good agreement in place and let’s see what the report has to say early in 2022,” he said at the time. “But they definitely owe us a definitive and public report on their activity.”

At Thursday’s meeting, the commissioners admitted they misspoke in December. It turns out the chamber had, indeed, been sending quarterly reports to the county.

“That information was incorrect, and on behalf of the county I want to publicly apologize to the chamber,” Leinbach said of the discussion at the December meeting. “Very simply, we got it wrong.”

Leinbach said none of the commissioners was aware of the reports, adding the issues that led to the mistake are being addressed. Moving forward, he said, the quarterly reports will be sent directly to the commissioners and chamber officials will provide reports at least twice a year at public meetings. The first presentation is scheduled for Feb. 3.

Leinbach also said he has spoken personally to chamber officials to offer an apology.

Following Thursday’s meeting, Gerlach issued a statement on behalf of the chamber thanking the commissioners for publicly acknowledging their mistake.

“We greatly appreciate Commissioner Leinbach’s comments today and look forward to continuing our great partnership with the commissioners and their staff,” it read. “The county’s funding has allowed us to make significant strides on meaningful projects such as CHIRP grants, agribusiness support, business retention and downtown development. We are excited to work together to build and expand our local economy in 2022 and beyond.”