Dateline: July 20, 2006

City sales tax allocation grows for ninth month

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Clarendon’s economy remains strong with sales tax receipts recording their ninth straight month of growth, according to information released by Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn last week.

The comptroller said the state received $1.49 billion in sales tax revenue in June, up 15.6 percent compared to June 2005.

“The strong Texas economy continues to generate double-digit gains in sales tax for the state and many local governments,” Strayhorn said.

City Hall received a July allocation of $23,921.73, which is up 19.64 percent over the same period last year. That pushes Clarendon’s total collections for the year to date up 9.67 percent to $165,977.19.

Hedley also posted a big gain for the month of July with an allocation of $475.14, up more than 34 percent over last July and pushing that city’s year to date figure ahead nearly 78 percent to $5,300.82.

But the news was not as good for Howardwick where the July allocation was down almost 34 percent to $669.11. The city had been running ahead for the year to date figure, but this month’s allocation pulled that figure down 2.49 percent to $5,957.86.

Statewide, Strayhorn sent July sales tax allocations of $277.6 million to Texas cities, up 19.3 percent compared to July 2005. 

June state sales tax collections and July sales tax allocations to local governments mostly represent sales that occurred in May.