Dateline: November 16, 2006

Local sales tax receipts increase in November

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Sales tax receipts for the City of Clarendon climbed higher for the third month in a row according to information released by Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn last week.

The city’s November allocation of $30,260.71 reflected an increase of 18.13 percent over the same period last year. Clarendon is now running 11.02 percent ahead for the year-to-date with total sales tax revenues so far this calendar year standing at $275,776.86.

Hedley’s allocation was also up 11.81 percent to $844.62, and that city’s year-to-date figure is now up 59.31 percent to $9,247.57. 

The November allocation is also on the positive side for the City of Howardwick, which received $1,278.52. That figure was up 7.18 percent over the same period last year and pushes Howardwick’s year-to-date total to $11,653.50, an increase of 6.65 percent.

Strayhorn said the state collected $1.6 billion in sales tax revenue in October, up 17.3 percent compared to October 2005. Her office sent $505.3 million in November sales tax rebates to local governments, up 11.9 percent compared to November 2005.

 “Texas continues to see an increase in sales tax collections, from both consumer and business purchases, as we progress into the final months of the year and the start of the holiday shopping season,” Comptroller Strayhorn said.

Strayhorn sent Texas cities $348.8 million in sales tax allocations, up 12.2 percent compared to November 2005.  So far this calendar year, city sales tax allocations are up 14 percent compared to the same time period last year.