A judge on Tuesday dismissed a breach of contract lawsuit filed against Harford County by the tourism board Visit Harford. 

The lawsuit, which named County Executive Bob Cassily and his administration, alleged that the nonprofit never received a final $215,000 payment despite meeting contract requirements to receive the funds. 

"It is essential to clarify that this outcome was not a reflection of the merits nor the strength of our position," Visit Harford said in a statement. "Instead, the dismissal resulted directly from our inability to maintain legal representation due to the county's extensive use of its vast resources."

The board said in a statement that it was released by its attorneys weeks before the trial, legally barring the organization from proceeding. 

"While this is a setback, Visit Harford remains unwavering in its mission to enhance visitors' experiences and to showcase the county as a 'GO-TO' destination to stimulate economic activity and improve the quality of life for residents," the organization said. 

Visit Harford sues Harford County 

The lawsuit was initially filed in July 2024 and requested the third installment of a $645,000 payment, plus interest. 

According to the lawsuit, the administration instructed a state entity to direct a tourism grant away from Visit Harford to the county's Economic Development Office instead. 

Cassilly's office has argued that the money was not given due to a lack of transparency from the tourism board. 

"Upon coming into office, the Cassilly administration undertook a review of all county-funded activities. We had concerns about a lack of transparency and effectiveness concerning Visit Harford, but the county executive decided to take a full year to monitor and evaluate this nonprofit model for tourism," Harford County Spokesperson Matt Button told WJZ in 2024 after the lawsuit was filed. 

"By agreement, we were to send reporting every quarter, and it shows exactly what is being spent, how we're spending it, what programs we're using it for," Visit Harford President Jay Ellenby said at the time.

The county and Visit Harford eventually parted ways due to the dispute. In April, the county launched its in-house tourism marketing department: Hello Harford. 

Harford County files counterclaim 

According to Cassilly, the county filed a counterclaim against Visit Harford. 

On Tuesday, Circuit Court Judge W. Michel Pierson granted the county's request to seek damages and entered a default judgment against the tourism board due to their inability to proceed without an attorney. 

Cassilly said the counterclaim is based on Visit Harford's "failure to account for its use of taxpayer dollars and failure to perform services and provide its work product to the county as required under contract." 

The county intends to present evidence of the funding loss caused by Visit Harford's breach of contract, Cassilly said. 

"The unfortunate actions of Visit Harford in its failure to properly account for tax dollars should in no way reflect on the many wonderful hotels, venues, and attractions our county has to offer," he said in a statement.