Clark hotel seeks sewer rate relief
Faced with a 150 percent increase in sewer fees over a two-year period, Crowne Plaza Hotel General Manager Dhaval Brahmbhatt recently testified before the Clark Township Council, requesting that the township consider providing immediate sewer rate relief to the Crowne Plaza Hotel and other area businesses.
“Mayor and Council, our revenue is down 20 percent this past year, and at the same time, our sewer fees have increased 150 percent,” said Dhaval Brahmbhatt, general manager of the Crowne Plaza Hotel located at 36 Valley Road. “No business in America can overcome these stark set of economic conditions.”
Brahmbhatt’s appearance before the council and mayor was prompted by an agenda item to amend the township’s wastewater user fee, a point of contention for Crowne Plaza Hotel and other local businesses that have been bearing the brunt of unprecedented sewer fee increases.
In 2008, the Crowne Plaza Hotel paid $65,083 in sewer fees; in 2009, it paid $164,766 in sewer fees.
In addition to its sewer fees, the Crowne Plaza Hotel makes a financial contribution to the township each year via the hotel/motel occupancy tax and local purpose property tax. In 2009, the Crowne Plaza Hotel provided more than half a million dollars in tax revenue to the township: $247,675 from the hotel/motel occupancy tax; and $316,616 from the local purpose property tax, Brahmbhatt said in a press release.
“For nearly 40 years, this hotel has been a responsible corporate citizen to this community,” said Brahmbhatt. “With this in mind, today, we are asking the mayor and council to provide us with six months of rate relief, allowing us time to recover from the economic downturn and convince Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority to alter their current methods of billing."
“Mayor and Council, our revenue is down 20 percent this past year, and at the same time, our sewer fees have increased 150 percent,” said Dhaval Brahmbhatt, general manager of the Crowne Plaza Hotel located at 36 Valley Road. “No business in America can overcome these stark set of economic conditions.”
Brahmbhatt’s appearance before the council and mayor was prompted by an agenda item to amend the township’s wastewater user fee, a point of contention for Crowne Plaza Hotel and other local businesses that have been bearing the brunt of unprecedented sewer fee increases.
In 2008, the Crowne Plaza Hotel paid $65,083 in sewer fees; in 2009, it paid $164,766 in sewer fees.
In addition to its sewer fees, the Crowne Plaza Hotel makes a financial contribution to the township each year via the hotel/motel occupancy tax and local purpose property tax. In 2009, the Crowne Plaza Hotel provided more than half a million dollars in tax revenue to the township: $247,675 from the hotel/motel occupancy tax; and $316,616 from the local purpose property tax, Brahmbhatt said in a press release.
“For nearly 40 years, this hotel has been a responsible corporate citizen to this community,” said Brahmbhatt. “With this in mind, today, we are asking the mayor and council to provide us with six months of rate relief, allowing us time to recover from the economic downturn and convince Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority to alter their current methods of billing."
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