| Spring opts to revoke license for Country Inn and Suites but gives hotel 30 days to show it is in compliance |
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Country Inn and Suites in Quincy.
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Published: 6/8/2009 | Updated: 6/16/2009
Mayor John Spring has decided to revoke the operator’s license of
Country Inn and Suites effective July 8 for non-payment of the
facility’s hotel-motel taxes last year.
However, the hotel’s management will have an opportunity to request a
hearing before the effective date to show whether it has come into
compliance. This would give the mayor the option to reconsider his
decision before a final revocation order is issued.
The mayor’s written ruling was handed down this morning based on
testimony presented at a May 27 license-revocation hearing at City Hall.
Spring concluded the hotel failed to remit $80,655 in hotel-motel taxes collected from guests during the period May through November in 2008. This figure does not include any additional penalties or interest the hotel may owe.
Consequently, the mayor determined the hotel was “willfully not in compliance” with the city’s ordinance and its license should therefore be revoked.
A representative from the hotel delivered a check for $80,410 last week to City Treasurer Peggy Crim, claiming the payment covers all back taxes and penalties due for 2008. This payment was based on a series of amended hotel-motel tax returns for 2008 that also were turned in last week. While those documents are being reviewed, they will have no immediate impact on the license-revocation proceeding.
“If the respondent (Country Inn and Suites) wants to demonstrate it has come into compliance sometime before the effective date of the revocation, that would require them to ask for a hearing. We will be glad to cooperate in that step,” said City Attorney Anthony B. Cameron.
“In the meantime, it would be a good idea for them to try to satisfy the City Treasurer that their calculations and payments are correct and current. This problem is not going to be solved with press releases announcing respondent is ‘all paid up.’ The city treasurer is the one with collection responsibilities — not the mayor, not the legal department and not the media.”
In his ruling, Spring noted “there is no legal or equitable reason the date of revocation should not be immediate.” However, he opted to delay the revocation until July 8 to minimize the impact on events already scheduled at the hotel.
“People who have made plans and events which are drawing guests to our area will be harmed if there are rooms not available during any particular window,” the ruling states.
“To make the entire analysis even more vexing, no effective date is perfect and eventually the closing of this property will hurt some travelers and some event sponsors on some dates. That harm is not of the city’s making. It is likely any timely and reasonable effort by this respondent would have avoided this outcome.”
Cameron, who presented the case against Quincy Hotel LLC — the corporation doing business as Country Inn and Suites — said he was pleased with the mayor’s decision.
“The mayor had to decide this case based upon the evidence presented at the hearing May 27, and that’s what he did,” Cameron said.
— ehusar@whig.com/221-3378
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