KAUFMAN COUNTY, TEXAS — The reopening of businesses by the Governor might have helped to surge local sales tax allocations in Kaufman county according to the Texas comptroller this week, while state-wide revenues remain down.
KAUFMAN COUNTY, TEXAS — The reopening of businesses by the Governor might have helped to surge local sales tax allocations in Kaufman county according to the Texas comptroller this week, while state-wide revenues remain down.
Texas collected $2.67 billion in state sales tax revenue in June — a 6.5% drop compared to what the state brought in the same month last year, Comptroller Glenn Hegar said last week.
June’s sales tax revenue, which mainly reflects purchases made in May, and reported in July, suggests that the state’s phased reopening and relaxing of social distancing measures over the past month led to some increases in economic activity according to Hegar.
Still, Hegar said, sales tax revenue totaled over April, May and June was down 9.7% compared to the same period a year ago statewide.
“Retail trade receipts rose significantly, buoyed by increased online shopping and building material purchases, as business premises were modified for COVID-19 precautions,” he said in a statement. “Retail sales likely also were boosted by increased alcoholic beverage sales at package, grocery and convenience stores. That’s because this category of spending shifted from restaurant and bar on-premise consumption, subject to mixed beverage taxes, to purchases for at-home consumption subject to sales tax.”
Locally, the city of Forney reported receiving $910,064.66 in sales tax rebate revenue in May, an increase of nearly 38 percent from the $660,440.41 reported in July 2019. For the year to date, Forney has taken in over $5.4 million, a rise of 15.4 percent from the $4.6 million received through June of last year.
Comparatively, the city of Terrell reported receiving $1,057,668.14 in sales tax during the same period, representing an increase of 24 percent from the $853,475.88 received in July 2019. For the year, Terrell has taken in over $7.5 million, a 12.11 percent increase from the $6.7 million received during the same time last year.
The city of Kaufman reported $306,628.99 in sales tax, an increase of 26.2 percent, from the $242,965.22 reported last year. The city of Kaufman has taken in $1.9 million year to date, an increase of 8.75 percent over last year’s $1.7 million for the same period.
Crandall sales tax revenues were up significantly, 61 percent, collecting $60,112.29 compared to $37,274.24 a year ago. Crandall’s year to date sales tax numbers are up 28 percent, collecting over $416,314.74 compared to last year’s $325,547.97.
Mabank businesses continue to thrive with sales tax up 16.4 percent, collecting $168,142.67. Mabank has collected over $1.1 million, compared to the $980,593.68 a year ago, an increase of 13.15 percent.
Later this month, Hegar is expected to announce his revised revenue estimate for the current state budget that ends in August 2021. That figure, which Hegar has already said will be revised downward by billions of dollars, will give state lawmakers perhaps their best picture yet of how much money the Legislature will have to work with when it reconvenes in Austin in January.