Dateline: March 25, 2004

Local sales tax revenue up from last year

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn last week announced that state sales tax revenue in February totaled more than $1.26 billion, up 6.2 percent compared to last year.

Strayhorn delivered $303.6 million in March sales tax payments to Texas cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts, an 8.3 percent increase compared to March 2003. So far this calendar year, local sales tax rebates are up 7.4 percent compared to the first three months of 2003.

“Texas’ economic recovery is gaining momentum,” Strayhorn said. “The latest economic data indicate that the Texas economy will outpace the nation through 2005.”

Locally, the City of Clarendon saw an increase of 11.11 percent for a total rebate of $20,045.30.  City sales taxes for the year to date are 16.64 percent ahead of the same time in 2003.

The City of Howardwick was up 1.25 percent to $779.27; and the City of Hedley was down slightly from $630.05 last March to $547.39 this year.

State sales tax revenue for February, and the payments made to local governments in March, are based mainly on sales that occurred in January.