The deadline has passed and no agreement has been set between Carbon County and Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau.

But officials are saying things are moving closer to an agreement.On Thursday, Commissioners' Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that Marlyn Kissner, of the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development, will be doing a marketing presentation to the bureau's executive board on what Carbon County is hoping for next week."Hopefully, they will understand what we're trying to accomplish," he said, noting that there have been further discussions about the 3 percent hotel tax revenue, but there has yet to be a proposal in writing given to the commissioners. "They know what our stance is. I think we're getting closer."Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard pointed out that Monroe County signed the agreement with PMVB on Wednesday, leaving Carbon County as the only county of the four that make up PMVB's coverage area to reach a final agreement."We represent a large number of people, 65,000 to be exact, so we want to make sure we get it right and take care of the individual groups that we need to take care of," Gerhard said.Commissioner William O'Gurek aired some frustration about previous discussions with the visitors bureau, which takes the position that the hotel tax money must be used on tourism.O'Gurek said that on Wednesday, Schuylkill County approved an increase of the hotel tax to 5 percent.Of that money collected, 3 percent will go to the Schuylkill County Visitors Bureau and 2 percent will remain in the county to use to help fund the construction of its fire training facility that is just beginning."I'm sick and tired of hearing them say it has to be spent on this or that," O'Gurek said. "There is proof right there that the money can be spent in whatever way the parties determine on that agreement. I call upon Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau to share the money and get off the claim that it has to be spent on tourism."With the first quarter ending on March 31, and no agreement reached, the commissioners again said that they will not remit any money collected from the tax during the first quarter of the year to the bureau until an agreement is reached.