Sales tax revenues continue to decline
Drops over last five months have ranged from 2 to 13 percent compared to 2017.
For a fifth consecutive month, Smithville has collected less sales tax revenue this year than it did during the same month in 2017, state comptroller data show.
In March, April, May, June and July, Smithville collected between 2 percent to 13 percent less sales tax revenue than during those same months last year.
This month, Smithville collected $40,403 in revenue, down 6.82 percent compared with the $43,363 it received in July 2017.
July revenue allocations are based on sales made in May by businesses that report tax monthly.
In March, Smithville collected 2.71 percent less revenue than during the same month in 2017. In April, it collected 9.64 percent less; in May, it had a 12.66 percent decline; and in June, revenue slowed by 6.09 percent.
This year, Smithville has collected $319,759 in total sales tax revenue, a decrease of 2.1 percent compared to the total $326,625 it received during the same seven months last year.
Bastrop received $601,939 in revenue this month, a 21.87 percent hike compared with the $493,900 it collected in July 2017, data show.
From January to July, Bastrop has collected $4.2 million in total revenue, up 10.95 percent compared to the total $3.8 million it collected during the same period in 2017.
Elgin received $183,662 in sales tax revenue this month, an increase of 1.77 percent compared to the $180,458 it collected in July last year.
This year, Elgin has collected $1.25 million in total revenue, up 7.28 percent compared to the $1.17 million it collected during the same time period last year, data show.
Bastrop County, which collects a halfpenny of every taxable dollar spent within its borders, took in $398,914 in revenue this month, up 13.53 percent compared with the $351,364 it collected in the same month last year, data show.
In the first seven months of 2018, the county has collected $2.6 million in total revenue, an increase of 9.11 percent over the total $2.4 million it collected during the same reporting period last year.
Statewide, the comptroller’s office is distributing $759 million in revenue to cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts. The allocation this month is an 11.6 percent increase compared with the June 2017 revenue distribution, the office said.