Why the Secrecy Around Washington County’s LSA?

October 26, 2023

For the last six-plus years, on behalf of the people who elected me to represent them, I have been seeking transparency and accountability from the Washington County commissioners about the county’s Local Share Account program. 

And for the last six-plus years – including last week at the Washington County commissioners meeting – I’ve basically been told “There’s nothing to see here; please move along.”

I don’t buy it. 

If there truly was “nothing to see here,” the commissioners and the LSA committee would open their books and show us where the $10 million in unaccounted-for funds are located. They would comply with right-to-know requests for information rather than spending $30,000 to fight them. They would honor the request of the state House delegation to rotate representation on the committee to ensure all House members representing the people of Washington County would have the opportunity to serve.

Why won’t the commissioners and the committee answer our questions? Because only the politically connected have the “right” to know the ins and outs of these decisions that result in the awarding of millions of dollars in local gaming proceeds. The rest of us are just expected to look the other way and assume they’re doing what’s best for all of us, not what’s best for them.

Only that’s not how government is supposed to work in the United States of America! Government exists to serve “We the People,” not “We the Politically Connected.”

The people of Washington County deserve better, and the government of Washington County can do better. 

All of my efforts to address LSAs in Washington County are outlined at RepBudCook.com/lsainfo. I encourage everyone to review the information and join me in calling on Washington County’s leaders to shine the light of openness and transparency on the LSA process once and for all. 



Representative Bud Cook
50th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Patricia Hippler
717.772.9846
phippler@pahousegop.com
RepBudCook.com / Facebook.com/RepBudCook