Sales tax revenue increases in city

AUSTIN – Christmas sales boosted tax revenues in Clarendon, according to Texas Comptroller Susan Combs.

In her monthly allocation to local cities last Friday, Clarendon posted a 4.32 percent gain for its February allocation with a rebate of $34,492.64 to City Hall.

January state sales tax collections and February’s local sales tax allocations represent sales made in December, but also include earlier sales by businesses that report sales tax to the Comptroller on a quarterly or annual basis.

The increased revenue almost brought Clarendon to the breakeven point for the calendar year-to-date, but the city is still just slightly behind, down 0.44 percent at $52,252.67.

Other local cities did not fair nearly as well for the current allocation. Hedley was down more than 16 percent to $877.60, and Howardwick was down by almost 23 percent to $1,063.77.

Both of those cities are down more than 20 percent for the year-to-date.

Statewide Combs’ office collected $1.92 billion in sales tax revenue in January, up 3.9 percent compared to January 2008.

“Growth in state sales tax collections remains modest,” Combs said. “While overall growth has continued for the first five months of fiscal 2009, collections from important sectors such as retail trade and construction have decreased.”

The Comptroller sent $445.2 million in sales tax to Texas cities, up 2.5 percent compared to February 2008 payments.

For details of February sales tax payments to individual cities, counties, transit systems, and special purpose districts, locate the Monthly Sales Tax Allocation Comparison Summary Reports on the Comptroller’s Web site at www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/allocsum/compsum.html.
The Comptroller’s next local sales tax allocation will be made on Friday, March 13.