Dateline: February 12, 2008

City sales tax rebates increase in February

Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

December sales helped boost Clarendon merchants’ receipts and bolstered city revenues, according to information released last week by Texas Comptroller Susan Combs

The city’s sales tax allocation this month was up 14.82 percent over the same period in 2007 for a total of $33,063.61.

The February allocation helped pull the city’s year-to-date figure up to a 1.63 percent increase after Clarendon’s January allocation was down almost 15 percent.

January state sales tax collections and February’s local sales tax allocations primarily 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. 

In all, the state collected $1.85 billion in sales tax revenue in January, up 5.2 percent compared to January 2007. 

“State sales tax collections through the first five months of the fiscal year, September 2007 through January 2008, are up 6.8 percent compared to the same period last fiscal year,” Combs said.  “While growth remains firm, it is slower than that of the past two years.”

Hedley’s allocation was also up this month by 63.98 percent to $1,050.56; and Howardwick saw its allocation increase 55.67 percent to a total of $1,381.42. Both cities are ahead for their year-to-date collections.

Statewide, the Comptroller sent $434.3 million in sales tax to Texas cities, up 4.8 percent compared to February 2007 payments.