Trumbull Legislators Talk With Local Hotel Owners & Managers

STRATFORD- State Rep. David Rutigliano (R-123) and Ben McGorty (R-122) along with other area legislators and the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce met with the Shelton, Stratford and Trumbull hotel managers and owners to talk about the state issues related to the hotel industry.

State Reps. Laura Hoydick (R-120), State Rep. JP Sredzinski (R-112), Jason Perillo (R-113) and Sen. Kevin Kelly (R-21) also attended the meeting.

The hoteliers talk to the legislators about the state sweeping dedicated tourism account dollars into the general fund and how it has hurt their businesses.

According to the hoteliers, the majority of hotel rooms rented in the state are in Fairfield County and their sales are down 5%.

The owners say that they need more large groups coming into the state like sports teams, film crews, and concerts to fill area hotel rooms. They mention how the film and movie tax credits helped improve their business. According to the hoteliers, Fairfield County’s capacity to attract large groups is key to helping sustain their industry, especially in that part of the state.

Hoteliers say any proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 would stop them from hiring the best people and force the hotels to hire only part-time workers.

Additionally, the hotel industry was opposed to cuts in municipal aid which would raise the hotel’s property taxes, which are already very high and burdensome. The legislators asked about the issue of human trafficking, all the hoteliers in the room said they have received training in how to identify human trafficking.

The lawmakers told the hotel group that the best way to bring more people to Connecticut is to improve the business climate.