Cities, County closing gaps in sales tax revenue

Published 10:49 am Wednesday, October 16, 2019

By Dawn Burleigh

The Orange Leader

 

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced he will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts $773.1 million in local sales tax allocations for October, 5.1 percent more than in October 2018. These allocations are based on sales made in August by businesses that report tax monthly.

For all but one local entity, remains behind for year to date sales tax revenue when comparing 2018 with 2019 numbers. 

City of Vidor has an increase from 2018 of 6.39-percent with a payment last year of a total of $2,509,882.76 compared to a 2019 year to date payment of $2,670,464.15.

Pine Forest saw the greatest difference with 12.41-percent less when comparing $115,904.57 in 2018 to $101,510.01 for year to date in 2019. The city also showed the greatest loss when comparing the same payment this year to the amount in 2018. Pineforest received $9,840.71 based on sales made in August by businesses that report tax monthly which is 49.62-percent less than the $19,534.07 received for the same period in 2018. A contributing factor could be an overpayment paid to the city.

The other entity to see a decrease in payments for the same period was Bridge City with a decrease of 1.11-percent when comparing $129,939.87 for this period in 2018 to $128,493.05 in 2019. For the year to date, Bridge City reflects a decrease in year to date in sales tax revenue of 3.4-percent when comparing $1,509,475.68 in year to date payments in 2018 to $1,458,103.14 in year to date payments in 2019.

The county is the one entity the least behind in year to date sales tax revenue received with a decrease of 0.59-percent when comparing $4,494,760.93 in 2018 to $4,468,237.41 year to date in 2019.

Comparing this payment to the same payment last year saw an increase of 7.48-percent for Orange County when comparing $419,214.90 in 2018 to the payment of $450,608.12 in 2019.

City of Orange showed a slight increase of 0.61-percent in payments when comparing $389,090.74 for this period in 2018 to $391,464.52 in 2019. The city shows a decrease in year to date sales tax revenue of 5.29-prcent when comparing 2018 year to date payments of $4,485,901.55 to 2019 year to date payments of $4,248,539.44.