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By Dawn Burleigh

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced he sent cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts $1.05 billion in local sales tax allocations for February, 0.7 percent more than in February 2020. These allocations are based on sales made in December by businesses that report tax monthly; October, November and December sales by quarterly filers; and 2020 sales by businesses that report tax annually.

As the COVID Crisis continues, the sales tax revenue for this period continue to grow for most entities.

Pine Forest saw the highest increase with almost 41-percent increase for this period with $18,419.68 compared to $13,086.22 for the same payment last year. Year to date (YTD), the city has an increase of over 103-percent for payments with $49,236.25 in 2021 compared to $24,185.77 in 2020.

The city of Orange saw the next highest increase this period with $701,336.81 this payment compared to $545,320.36 in 2020, an increase pf over 28-percent. Last year, the city received $951,292.30 YTD and when compared to $1,194,784.24 for 2021 YTD, Orange saw an increase of over 25-percent.

Orange County also saw an increase in sales tax revenue for this payment with an increase of almost 11-percent with $662,795.13. Last year’s payment for this period was $598,645.46.

The payment also shows an over 18-percent increase for YTD for the county with $1,241,058.85 so far this year when compared to $1,050,324.75 at this time last year.

Cities of West Orange and Bridge City also saw increase in the amount of sales tax revenue for this payment as well as year to date payments.

While the city of Vidor saw an increase of over one-percent for this payment with $361,802.68 compared to $355,976.63 last year’s payment, the city saw a decrease of over one-percent for YTD payments when comparing $619,270.33 for 2021 to $629,701.33 in 2021.

City of Pinehurst saw a decrease in sales tac revenue of over 16-percent with $69,738.99 for this payment when compared to $83,697.59 in 2020. The entity also saw a decrease of over 14-percent for YTD payments when comparing $119,615.00 for 2021 to $140,026.16

In YTD in 2020.