Dateline: October 14, 2004

City sales tax rebates edge up from 2003

AUSTIN – Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn said Friday that the state took in $1.16 billion dollars in sales tax in September, a 3.9 percent increase over last year.

Strayhorn sent $326.5 million in monthly sales tax payments to Texas cities, counties, transit systems, and special purpose taxing districts, up 8 percent compared to last October. So far in 2004, local sales tax allocations are 8.2 percent ahead of last year.

“Nine of my ten economic indicators are positive, and we have enjoyed an increase in sales tax collections for 13 months running,” Strayhorn said.

Locally, the City of Clarendon’s sales tax rebate edged up just slightly to $18,423.74, an increase of 0.84 percent over one year ago. Clarendon is 3.33 percent ahead for its year-to-date total collections.

The rebates of both Hedley and Howardwick slipped again this month. Hedley received $436.22 for October, down 27.5 percent; and Howardwick received  $1,120.19, down 4.42 percent. Hedley and Howardwick are down 3.4 percent and 1.3 percent respectively for the year to date.

Statewide, Comptroller Strayhorn sent sales tax allocations of $221.9 million to Texas cities, 6.9 percent more than October 2003. Calendar year-to-date, city sales tax rebates are up 8.1 percent. Texas counties received October sales tax rebates of $19.3 million, up 10.2 percent compared to a year ago. Calendar year-to-date, county sales tax allocations are 8.4 percent higher than last year.

September state sales tax collections and October allocations of local tax revenue represent sales that occurred in August.